HOLLYWOOD - In an interview with CNN's Larry King Tuesday, Pamela Anderson talked about undergoing a treatment for hepatitis C that may help cure the disease and save her life.The former Baywatch star will be taking powerful antiviral drugs to counteract the sometimes fatal liver disease, which she says she contracted by sharing a tattoo needle with ex-husband Tommy Lee.
"There's lots of side effects....It's going to be a year of basically having the flu. Your hair falls out. It's a little kind of chemotherapy," the Canadian-born actress told King. "I want to do it for my kids because I don't want to die, basically."
Lee, the former Motley Crue drummer, has vehemently denied Anderson's charge he also suffers from the disease. Anderson and Lee divorced in 1998 and have been engaged in a bitter custody battle over their sons, Brandon, 6, and Dylan, 4.
Anderson said the children fear Lee and that he is unable to take care of them without a court-appointed monitor.
"They've never had a relationship with their father since they were born. They've always been afraid of their father, and their father has had no contact, really, with them," Anderson said.
Anderson also admitted that her failed marriage to Lee had left her scared. "I need to resolve a lot of issues...I think, before I can really move on and have another serious commitment."
She and current boyfriend Kid Rock made headlines in April when they announced their engagement. Yet, when talking with King, Anderson certainly wasn't a gushing bride-to-be.
"I could say right now we're in the trenches. We're just working on things....We love each other very much, but it's a difficult life, a difficult life. And I want what's best for my kids."