Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee was violently attacked Monday evening by his 21-year-old son with ex-wife Pamela Anderson, Brandon Thomas Lee, authorities say. The elder Lee posted a selfie showing a bloody lip with the caption “my heart is broken. You can give your kids everything they could ever want in their entire lives and they can still turn against you. Good job Brandon! Great son!” Lee has since deleted the post.
Police were called to Lee’s Calabasas mansion in response to a 911 call believed to be placed by Tommy Lee’s fiancee Brittany Furlan, describing the 55-year-old rocker being assaulted by Brandon. Brandon was not arrested and it is unclear if any charges will be filed.
People reports that Brandon blames his father’s reported alcoholism. People published another article from Tommy Lee’s perspective, giving a much different version of the events that transpired Monday evening. Brandon, however, has maintained that his account of Monday’s incident is the truth.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Brandon Is One of Tommy Lee’s 2 Sons With His Ex-Wife Pamela Anderson
Getty ImagesBrandon Lee, Pamela Anderson, Dylan Lee
Lee is the son of actress Pamela Anderson and musician Tommy Lee. Anderson was a Playboy model who eventually transitioned into acting, appearing on Home Improvement before landing her iconic role on the hit series Baywatch. Tommy Lee is the drummer of legendary hair metal band Mötley Crüe, known for his hard partying and notorious rock and roll lifestyle.
Lee and Anderson wed merely four days after they met in 1995, and a tumultuous, scandalous marriage ensued. Two explicit sex tapes of the couple were leaked, adding additional notoriety to their relationship. Anderson gave birth to Brandon in 1995 and a second son, Dylan, in 1998. Anderson and Lee filed for divorce in 1998, and Anderson would later go on to publicly state in 2002 that Lee infected her with Hepatitis C by sharing contaminated tattoo needles with her.
The former couple’s divorce was described as contentious, and there have been conflicts between the two since the split, several of which played out in public. Unfortunately, according to Brandon, the Lee children were often caught in the middle of their parents’ disagreements.
2. Brandon Lee Is an Actor & a Model
Getty ImagesBrandon Lee on the runway
Both Brandon and Dylan Lee currently work as professional models, following in their mother’s footsteps. The Lee children attended an elite boarding school, where Brandon reportedly got into some mild hijinks, including stealing a golf cart, as W Magazine reports. In school, Brandon studied music and Dylan focused on film.
After Lee and Anderson divorced, they shared custody of the two boys. However, Anderson had primary custody. Despite having two famous parents, the Lee children were largely protected from the spotlight while growing up, with the exception of making extremely brief appearances on Anderson’s short-lived reality TV show, where their faces were not shown.
As Brandon and Dylan grew up, they became celebrities themselves, establishing careers as models and musicians. Brandon has recently begun pursuing a career as an actor, appearing in several independent films.
3. Brandon Lee Claims His Father Is an Alcoholic With a Volatile Temper, Which Led To the Alleged Altercation
Getty ImagesBrandon Lee
The alleged altercation that took place Monday night became publicized quickly after Lee shared a selfie displaying a bloody lip on Twitter with a brief description of his version of the events, as People reports. However, Brandon’s side of the story is much different from his father’s.
TMZ reports that Brandon was in fact acting in self-defense, attempting to protect himself from an allegedly intoxicated and belligerent Lee. TMZ further reports that there has been a long-standing conflict between Brandon Lee, Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson ever since Lee and Anderson’s bitter divorce.
Anderson recently sat down for an interview with Piers Morgan where she discussed suffering alleged abuse at Lee’s hands over the course of their marriage. Lee refuted the claims on Twitter, and the allegations raised in the interview reportedly opened old wounds.
@piersmorgan ur interviews w/ Donald Trump & my ex-wife are pathetic! Think she’d find something new to discuss instead of rehashing old shit but I guess she has nothing else going on & needs attention 🤷🏻♂️
Signed,
“The abuser” (who she texts everyday & asks for me back)
Brandon further elaborated in an interview with TMZ that he was defending his mother when the alleged fight took place.
4. Tommy Lee Claims Brandon Attacked Him While He Was in Bed With His Fiancee
Getty ImagesMotley Crue; Tommy Lee in center.
Tommy Lee posted a selfie purportedly showing a bloodied lip caused by the alleged altercation with son on his Twitter page with a caption that read “my heart is broken. You can give your kids everything they could ever want in their entire lives and they can still turn against you. Good job Brandon. Great son!” Lee subsequently deleted the post.
Lee, who is now retired, has posted several tweets about working hard his entire life and being entitled to a restful retirement, which includes enjoying a drink from time to time, but certainly not rising to the level of being an alcoholic. He further tweeted about giving his children everything they ever wanted.
Lee also tweeted about the incident “my fiancée and I were in bed when my son busted into the room and assaulted me. I asked him to leave the house and he knocked me unconscious. He ran away from the police. THAT’S the truth.” He also posted a tweet in a direct response to an article published by TMZ, accusing the website of getting the facts wrong.
Hey @TMZ maybe get your facts straight before you go reporting bullshit. My fiancé and I were in bed when my son busted into the room and assaulted me. I asked him to leave the house and he knocked me unconscious. He ran away from the police. THAT’S the truth.
As of this date, TMZ is standing by its article.
5. During The 911 Call, the Fiancee Said Brandon Lee Had Handguns in His Bedroom, According to Reports
Getty ImagesBrandon Lee
The Blast obtained a copy of the audio transcript of the 911 call made by Tommy Lee’s fiancee, Brittany Furlan, age 31.
The Blast reports that Brittany Furlan told dispatchers Tommy Lee and his son had been in a fight and Tommy was unconscious. “He’s like totally out,” she said during the call, according to The Blast.. “Like a light.”
Furlan also said in the call that Brandon has guns in his bedroom, and told the dispatcher she didn’t “know if he has them loaded,” according to The Blast. She said Tommy was bleeding from his mouth and the operator told her to wipe the blood from his mouth so he didn’t choke on it. Furlan said the father and son started arguing over “his mom,” because “he posted some ugly photos of her.
Tommy Lee regained consciousness during the call and told his fiancee he didn’t want paramedics to come to the scene. The Blast reports that Brandon Lee has hired an attorney and detectives are investigating what happened.
Furlan and Lee announced their engagement on Valentine’s Day.
As People reports, Tommy Lee was transported to an area hospital to be treated for his injuries Monday night. Lee claimed that his son ran from the police when they responded to the home. However, it is not believed that Brandon was arrested at any point following the alleged altercation.