Celebrity Sex Tapes That Have Transformed and Destroyed Careers Since the ’80s Explored in New Docuseries

What began as an invasion of privacy and embarrassing betrayal turned into a phenomenon that made headlines and both catapulted and damaged careers.

A&E’s eight-episode docuseries Secrets of Celebrity Sex Tapes, which premieres Sept. 8, delves into the early days of the home video phenomenon and how it quickly led to the public sharing of big stars’ most intimate moments.

The first episode begins by exploring the juxtaposition between Rob Lowe’s 1988 sex tape scandal and that of Jayne Kennedy, whose intimate home video with then-husband Leon Isaac Kennedy was leaked to the media.

Lowe’s life pivoted as a result of the scandal. He has credited it as a contributing factor in his decision to get sober, and working on himself allowed him to continue to flourish professionally. Kennedy had a tougher time. The actress and sportscaster struggled to recover from her scandal, which was perceived differently because of her identity as a Black woman.

The series offers an in-depth exploration of some of the most infamous celebrity sex tapes of the years that followed, beginning with Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee in episode 2. Like Kennedy, Anderson was criticized over the eight-minute tape, which was meant for private consumption and created by consenting spouses.

The actress’ Baywatch costars — Nicole Eggert, who played Summer Quinn, and Traci Bingham, who played Jordan Tate — appear in the docuseries, speaking about the subject for the first time.

“The producers were just saying we need to mind our business, don’t ask her. Don’t mention it, just nothing. Go on with your life. It’s her business,” Bingham says. “And that’s what we did. Just as a friend and woman-to-woman, can you imagine? This is your personal, private business.”

“I know Pamela was just mortified. Just imagine. She was having private moments with the man that she loves. That was not meant for anyone’s eyes but the two of them. I think it was hell for the both of them.”

“I’ve seen it all with Pamela and Tommy Lee in the press. It was unfortunate the way they were treated. It was just sad that it came to that point.”

“She caught the brunt of all of it. I think they threw everything at Pam,” Eggert says.

As for whether either has seen the tape, Eggert says she was often asked and would reply, “Oh my God, no. Why would I watch that?”

Bingham says, “I’ve never seen the sex tape. I don’t want to see the sex tape. I just think I would feel weird watching my friend.”

Later episodes will explore sex tape scandals involving Kim Kardashian, Colin Farrell, Farrah Abraham, Mimi Faust and others, highlighting how they ignited the public’s obsession, sparked outrage in the cultural zeitgeist and altered the lives of those involved.

Secrets of Celebrity Sex Tapes premieres Monday, Sept. 8, on A&E, with back-to-back episodes starting at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.