Pam & Liam on WWHL

Like other gossips, I noticed the playful interactions between Pam Anderson and Liam Neeson throughout The Naked Gun promotional tour, but my first instinct was to think they were hamming it up to sell the movie, even after I saw the so-called confirmation from an “exclusive source” in PEOPLE. And you know what? I didn’t (and don’t) mind. Their flirtation on the red carpet and interview clips I’ve seen are on brand for this franchise.

But when I saw that Liam and Pam would be Sunday’s guests for Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, I practically squealed (and texted Lainey immediately), which I guess means I care about this (maybe) coupling more than I thought. Regardless of their status, I figured it would be a fun episode. I assumed Andy Cohen would go there and ask if they’re together because this is one of the (alleged) couplings of the summer, and because Andy is a long-time friend of Liam’s and was a great friend to his late wife, Natasha Richardson. But Andy Cohen did not quite go there, or at least he told us he wouldn’t, because early in the show he said the “one question” he wouldn't ask was what was going on between them.

But this is still Andy Cohen, and this is still Watch What Happens Live, so even though he said he would not pry, immediately after, he proclaimed that he and their circle of friends are “stanning this relationship.” He also asked Neeson's son (who was in the audience) if he approved of the (potential) coupling and, while off-camera, his “Yes!” was definitely heard (and according to PEOPLE, the two supported Anderson at her play’s final performance earlier that day). 

Andy and crew still made sure to use a few Bravo Clubhouse bits to encourage the speculation and the flirting (“What do you consider the sweetest thing about the other?”, “What is the best thing Pam has cooked for you?”, “Have you ever seen Liam chop wood?” lol). And I must admit that when he touched her shoulder in support and she returned the gesture by squeezing his hand (the first of two times!), I was all about these two being together. (At one point in my notes, I described them as “smitten,” which is a word that until now, I had never written in earnest, let alone said aloud.)

In my house, we’ve been fans of these two for a while, but very much independently from one another. Neeson’s performances as Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace and as the Bad/Good Cop in The Lego Movie are definitely family favorites. And while I’ve always had a soft spot for Pamela Anderson, even when I was too young to fully comprehend or articulate how we were doing her dirty, it is in recent years, and especially the past few months that I’ve fallen for her (Pam—I, too, love to pickle farm fresh vegetables and bake my own bread!). It was earlier this summer, during a crafting spell inspired by the closing of JoAnn Fabrics (RIP) that I binged all episodes of her home renovation show, Pam’s Garden of Eden, which went on to inspire big and small home improvement projects during which my battlecry became, much to my family’s amusement, one of Anderson’s many quips on her show:  “I AM A MERMAID! AND THIS IS MY MERMAID CASTLE.”

Pam is funny. And thoughtful and introspective. I did go back and watch her documentary, Pamela, A Love Story, after Pam’s Garden of Eden, and it legit validated the complex and contradictory feelings I have about my childhood home and upbringing. She makes me jealous that despite my love for writing, I have never been able to keep a journal but her example gives me the encouragement to keep trying. She inspires me with her creativity and resourcefulness, as she often repurposes materials in her renovation projects. She moves me with her respect for nature and First Nations people. She inspired me to restart my herb and vegetable garden and even try my hand at roses. 

And even though I’m more of a homebody and a TV girlie, she is making me excited about going to the movies. I watched the Airplane! and Naked Gun movies as a kid, and while it’s been a while since I’ve seen them, I remember how much they made me laugh. In these times, we need to laugh (at least I do). And we need connection. And if the “connection” between these two is just a friendly flirty one or if it’s something more, I don’t care. It looks like they are having fun, which both of them deserve, and you know what? So do we.

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