The identity of the real mastermind who made millions from the home video sales of the infamous Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee sex tape in the 1990s has been revealed. Milton Owen Ingley spent all his fortune to fund his lavish lifestyle after orchestrating the distribution of the Pam and Tommy sex tape, according to his daughter.
The revelation is certainly going to make Pamela Anderson feel relieved given that she has long faced hurtful and dirty allegations that she herself orchestrated the theft of her own sex tape to gain publicity and boost her showbiz career. The revelation comes just days after Anderson's memoir, containing several bombshell revelations, was released.
In the Hiding
Milton Owen Ingley, a former porn star who went by the moniker name Michael Morrison, came into possession of the infamous Pamela Anderson-Tommy Lee sex tape in 1995 after Rand Gauthier, another former adult star, stole a safe containing the tape after getting into a fight with Lee.
On Friday, Ingley's daughter, Helen Ingley, claimed that Gauthier's strategy was to simply hold the tape for ransom until Lee paid Lee back for home repairs. Ingley, who was now employed as a producer, on the other hand, reportedly saw dollar signs, she told The Sun.
"My dad said, 'This is absolutely pure gold, we are going to make millions off this,'" Helen told the outlet. Ingley died in 2006 at the age of 60.
Helen claimed that while the tape was being sold all over the world, her father went into hiding in Amsterdam, away from US law enforcement, spending hundreds of dollars on prostitutes, hotel rooms, and "plenty of cocaine," in addition to $500 each night on champagne.
Ingley was played by Nick Offerman while Seth Rogen played Gauthier in the controversial dramatization of the affair on Hulu. While Lee worked on the production, Anderson objected to the show.
Helen, an air hostess, claimed that Ingley called her in 1995 and asked her to come to Los Angeles as he needed her help with a project. She was based in Phoenix at the time and employed by the airline America West.
When she arrived at LAX, her father met her at the airport and told her about the recording. Ingley had his daughter chop up the original copy of the tape to help them distance themselves from the theft.
Helen claimed that her father obtained a large loan from organized crime figure Anthony "Big Tony" Peraino to pay for the tape's distribution. The producer had already made duplicate copies of honeymoon clip, which included Lee and Anderson engaging in various sex acts for eight minutes.
Helen said, "Rene Gauthier didn't want to participate in the money-making scheme."
Hiding in Amsterdam
Ingley relocated to Amsterdam in 1997 and started selling the tape there, often making up to $200 per copy, via Canada. the Vietnam veteran could not sell the sex tape in the United States without Anderson and Lee's approval, so Amsterdam became his place of operation.
Between 1997 and 2004, Ingley lived in Amsterdam. He frequently sent his daughter photos of himself in the city's renowned coffee shops, where he would spend money on cigars and champagne.
Ingley's career suffered after internet entrepreneur Seth Warshavsky led efforts to stream the film online, forcing him to relocate to Mesa, Arizona, where he died from issues related to diabetes in 2006.
"Everybody was buying it. It was all over the world... You name it. Everybody wanted to see it but Pam and Tommy fought really hard to stop it," Helen said.
However, Helen said that although her father made millions, he spent every penny on a flashy lifestyle. His luxuries included £300 bottles of Champagne, prostitutes every night, swish hotel rooms — and lots of cocaine.
Ingley reportedly entered the porn industry in 1977 as a favor to a girlfriend at the time, according to an obituary. He founded Chandler Studios, his own adult production company, in the 1980s. His catchphrase in the industry was, 'Here's the deal.'
At the time of his death, a friend, Sharon Mitchell, reportedly told Adult Video News: : "In 1997, Milton dropped out of sight. No one could find him. It was a mystery to some...but most found out later that Milton lived happily for over seven years in Amsterdam."
Mitchell said that Ingley lived his life "fast and hard."
"Some say Milton grew tired of life; diabetes had left him blind. He ate too much, lived hard, f****d a lot, loved a lot, and laughed more. For a man like that to be inactive is like a death sentence, I think," Mitchell said of her friend's later years.
