Pamela Anderson Says She Would ‘Gladly’ Become A Russian Citizen

Baywatch star Pamela Anderson is raising eyebrows with her comments. She has announced that she would “gladly have a Russian passport” at a panel in Moscow held by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

During the panel, Anderson was asked if she thought about getting a Russian citizenship like other actors like Gerard Depardieu and Steven Seagal.

“I love Russia,” Anderson said. “I have a very strong connection to Russia. My mom is a little bit Russian, I guess, generations ago. So I feel a connection to the culture and the people. I think that Russians really get things done. I have a Canadian passport and an American passport, I would gladly have a Russian passport. It would be great. I would be easier to get here.”

Russians, of course, welcomed Anderson’s comments. Her name quickly became one of the top Twitter trends in Russia, according to Newsweek. However, Anderson’s statements about Russia are controversial amid the political circumstances. It has been confirmed that Russia hacked the U.S. election to help Donald Trump win. There’s also the reports about Trump’s supposed friendship with Vladimir Putin.

This also comes after Anderson defended WikiLeaks’ editor-in-chief Julian Assange and referred to him as a “hero.” The 49-year-old actress brought a vegan lunch to Assange back in October and hand-delivered gifts to him last month. In a statement released to People, Anderson says that Assange should be allowed to leave the Ecuadorian Embassy freely.

“It’s crazy that Julian is still being held as a political prisoner — after the UN has stated (and recently for a second time) that there is no reason for his detention and has ordered that the UK and Sweden release him. Julian is an editor and a publisher. There are laws in place to protect him. But they are not being applied. He still cannot leave the Embassy of Ecuador in London while elaborate plots against him and made up sexual allegations could result in him being extradite to the US – where he would not be treated fairly – because of his exposure of truths.”

“He is a hero,” Anderson continued. “One day everyone will realize. But until now, this man has missed 7 Christmases with his children and is kept in difficult and tremendously stressful conditions-while doing us all a great service. Everyone in the world has benefited because of WikiLeaks — he has sacrificed so much — to simply share the truth.”

Assange has since denied these charges, and earlier this week, released his response to the Swedish prosecutor’s questions about the case, according to the New York Times. WikiLeaks has been at the center of controversy surrounding this year’s presidential election. The website shared thousands of hacked emails from Democratic figures, including Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman John Podesta and members of the Democratic National Convention. Some Democratic supporters criticized the Wikileaks’ focus on the DNC and the Clinton campaign as an effort to ruin her campaign.

Anderson formerly was a blonde bombshell. She was known for her sex tape and for playing the role of C.J. Parker on Baywatch. While Anderson has posed nude for Playboy 14 times, she has been actively campaigning against the adult entertainment industry. She has since called for a “sensual revolution” and a resurgence of romance while acknowledging her past.

“I should probably disqualify myself from the conversation,” she told the Telegraph.

Anderson became one of PETA’s most outspoken activists. She also has been outspoken about her vegan diet, campaigned for AIDS charities, and has spoken out against sexual violence.

“I’m in a TV show called ‘Baywatch’ and the press is obsessed with my personal life,” she wrote in a letter. “I’d really like to divert some of the attention to things more important than my boobs or my boyfriends. Can we join forces?”

In 2014, she debuted her pixie cut and launched the Pamela Anderson Foundation, a non-profit that campaigns for environmental and animal rights. Anderson didn’t become political overnight. It’s something that’s been brewing over the years, claims the actress.

“People always tell me, ‘Reinvent yourself, re-this, re-whatever.’ I haven’t reinvented myself. It’s an honest evolution. I’ve always been authentic. Except for the boobs,” she said.

[Featured image by John Phillips/Getty Images]