One of rock’s most notorious pieces of… furniture… has officially found a new owner. The safe that once held Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson’s infamous stolen sex tape has sold at auction for a surprisingly chill AU $3.92K with proceeds going to music industry support charity, MusiCares.
The item went under the hammer as part of Julien’s Auctions’ “Played, Worn & Torn” event – a treasure trove of rock relics from the likes of Tommy Lee, Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, and U2’s Adam Clayton.
“This is the unsafe that ruined my life! — Tommy Lee.”
And because Tommy Lee will never pass up the chance to add a little chaotic sparkle to history, he personally signed the safe with the immortal words: “This is the unsafe that ruined my life! — Tommy Lee.”
Unfortunately for Tommy, even that level of self-own didn’t push the bidding into its estimated USD $4,000–$6,000 range. The buyer scored it for USD $2.5K – though the shipping bill may cost more than the safe itself. Rock history isn’t light, apparently.
For anyone who missed the Hulu series Pam & Tommy or wasn’t alive during the tabloid apocalypse of the late ’90s: the safe was stolen in January 1996 by an electrician named Rand Gauthier, who allegedly held a grudge over his treatment while working on Lee’s mansion. Inside that safe? Home videos, jewellery, guns, and one tape that would become one of the most infamous “leaks” in entertainment history.
The notorious safe’s auction sale came alongside a slew of heavyweight items that fetched notably bigger bucks – including Keith Richards’ 1960 Gibson Les Paul (USD $192K), several of Kirk Hammett’s guitars (between $75K and $160K each), and a handful of Adam Clayton’s basses, each pulling more than $50K.
Funds from the auction will support nonprofits including MusiCares, Teenage Cancer America, Gibson Gives, and St. Jude’s – meaning that even the messiest chapter of rock gossip history is now doing something good.
Further Reading
Tommy Lee Shares Gruesome Photos Of ‘Monumental’ Hand Surgery
Tommy Lee Flabbergasted by the Cost of Cigarettes in Australia
Tommy Lee Posts Full Blown Dick Pic On Insta, Sends Internet Into Meltdown
