The Hollywood rumour mill has gone into overdrive amid speculation that Baywatch icon Pamela Anderson is romantically involved with fellow A-lister Tom Cruise.

The buzz, which comes after Anderson was last year linked with her Naked Gun co-star Liam Neeson, appears to have begun with an unverified claim that there is “a spark” between the pair.

American tabloid The National Enquirer reported last month that Cruise, 63, and Anderson, 58, have been “keeping in touch” since he reached out to congratulate her for her Golden Globe-nominated performance in acclaimed 2024 film The Last Showgirl.

“The movie got people to see Pam in a very different light, including Tom,” it quoted a source as saying.

Further fuelling speculation, The Daily Mail reported this month that a source had told it Anderson was “making room for love in her life” after a busy few years in the entertainment industry.

However, there has been no official comment from either actor, and some celebrity watchers believe it may all be a publicity stunt.

“To be fair, Pamela’s having a career resurgence right now so naturally I think people are linking her to huge stars,” American reporter and podcast host Kinsey Schofield told Sky News.

“I’ll believe Tom Cruise is dating someone when Tom Cruise confirms it himself ­– and even then I’ll wonder if it was manufactured by Scientology, OK?

“Hollywood romance rumours are basically a marketing strategy.”

Schofield also noted that celebrity watchers were still “really confused” by the stories about Anderson’s relationship with Neeson, which was sparked by their intimate rapport while promoting The Naked Gun last year.

In December, Anderson scotched claims that the pair’s connection was being hyped for publicity, saying they had spent a “romantic lost week” together after filming the action comedy.

“If you must know, Liam and I were romantically involved for a short while but only after we finished filming,” she told People magazine.

Anderson ­– who has been married five times, including to Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee – said she and Neeson were “having fun” and their connection was a bit like a film by Nancy Meyers, writer of rom-coms including The Holiday and It’s Complicated.

“I always was laughing when people thought, ‘Oh, that’s a publicity stunt’. I’m like, ‘A publicity stunt? This is real. We have real feelings’.

“I adore Liam, but we are better friends, in full honesty.”

Many fans do indeed still seem to be confused about Anderson’s romantic status, with “What happened to her dating Liam?” a common question in social media comments on stories linking her to Cruise.

Others seem as sceptical as Schofield.

“Yeah, right, last summer it was Liam Neeson, now Tom Cruise,” scoffed one.

“I think Liam was just a publicity thing. Tom Cruise? That’s a surprise,” wrote another. 

Pamela Anderson won’t be returning as a lifeguard in the Baywatch reboot.

Anderson made her name in the 1990s TV lifeguard drama Baywatch, starring alongside David Hasselhoff and Carmen Electra, but will not feature in the 2026-27 reboot being filmed in California after reportedly saying she was “done with that chapter”.

However, her company And-Her-Sons-Productions is working on a television adaptation of her 1996 cult movie Barb Wire. It is based on Dark Horse Comics’ 1990s comic book character of the same name.

Cruise, meanwhile, is known for keeping his private life private. The Mission: Impossible star reportedly dated 38-year-old Cuban actor Ana de Armas for most of 2025 until they parted ways last October.

He was previously married to Australian actor Nicole Kidman from 1990-2001, as well as to actors Mimi Rogers (1987-90) and Katie Holmes (2006-12).