What Really Caused Heather Locklear And Tommy Lee's Divorce

Tommy Lee's most famous romance was with Pamela Anderson in the '90s, but before that tumultuous union, he was married to another television star, Heather Locklear. When the Mötley Crüe drummer and the "Dynasty" actor tied the knot in 1986 they left the tabloids somewhat confounded, as many were surprised to see the 24-year-old Locklear shack up with the 23-year-old Lee, per Entertainment Weekly.

Some wondered how Lee's rocker lifestyle would mesh with his wife's, but Locklear wasn't concerned. "Tommy doesn't worship the devil; he worships me," she said early on in their marriage, per People. "What those guys do on the road when I'm not around is all fine and dandy," the "T.J. Hooker" actor added. In fact, she even received the stamp of approval from her mother-in-law, Boula. "They're perfect for each other," Boula said. Lee's mother only hoped her son would "treat [Locklear] like a lady." The "Dr. Feelgood" artist was smitten with his wife, and shared visions of the pair growing old together as grandparents. "I'll still be a rock pig, and Heather will still be gorgeous," he said.

Unfortunately, those visions never came to fruition, as the two called it quits in 1993. "I'm not devastated or destroyed. It's mostly just sad," Locklear said at the time, per People. More than a decade later, Lee opened up about what caused the disintegration of their marriage.

In 2004, Tommy Lee discussed his past marriages while promoting his biography, "Tommyland." When appearing on "20/20" in October of that year, the rock star was asked if he had stayed faithful while married to Heather Locklear. "Absolutely. When I'm in love ... I don't even look," he replied, per ABC News. Shortly after, Lee contradicted himself and revealed that his infidelities were what led to their divorce.

During an interview for Blender's December 2004 issue, the Mötley Crüe member discussed his various trysts with adult film stars. "Yeah, f***ing with porno stars ruined my marriage," Lee told Blender (via Blabbermouth.net). "That was in '93, right before I got divorced from Heather [Locklear]," he added. The "Girls, Girls, Girls" artist was also asked how many women he had slept with in total, and Lee struggled to come up with a number. "F***. I don't know. Two...hundred?" he replied. 

A year earlier, Locklear weighed in on her love life. Although the "Melrose Place" star did not mention her ex-husband by name, she took a magnanimous approach while discussing her past. "You just have to forgive them for being men," she told Esquire in 2003. "You can't keep changing men, so you settle for changing your lipstick," Locklear told the publication in a piece filled with notable quotes. "I don't date rock 'n' rollers. I just marry them," the former soap opera star added. Years later, a famous radio personality said they believed those rock star relationships led to Locklear's undoing.

Heather Locklear appeared to forgive Tommy Lee for his past indiscretions during their marriage. To commemorate what would have been their wedding anniversary, the "Spin City" star uploaded a spicy throwback snap to Instagram in 2016 of her and Lee locking lips. "Happy 30 years baby," Locklear wrote in the caption.

In 2018, Locklear and Lee's past became a point of contention when the "Franklin and Bash" actor was hospitalized for psychiatric issues. "She was determined to be a threat to herself and others," a member of the Ventura County Sheriff's Office told Radar at the time. That led Howard Stern to place blame on Locklear's ex-husbands. "She was married to Tommy Lee and Richie Sambora ... they made her f**king insane," the former shock jock radio DJ said (via Radar). Stern's comments sparked a heated response from the "Shout at the Devil" rocker, who unloaded on the radio personality on Twitter. "That was like 24 years ago you idiot!" Lee tweeted. "[Y]ou should be wishing her well and not bashing me f***head!!!"

Two years later, Lee had another contentious exchange with a radio DJ when they asked about the rocker's exes. "Heather Locklear, Pamela Anderson, Naomi Campbell, Pink ... Out of all your lovers, who was the best one?" the host of "Moonman in the Morning" asked in 2020 (via the Daily Mail). That question prompted Lee to hang up the phone and end the interview.