{"id":884,"date":"2026-09-08T14:13:42","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T14:13:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metropolitantimeshock.pics\/?p=884"},"modified":"2026-09-08T14:13:42","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T14:13:42","slug":"pamela-anderson-receives-award-of-courage-at-amfar-gala-in-venice-after-revealing-a-secret-she-kept-for-decades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metropolitantimeshock.pics\/?p=884","title":{"rendered":"Pamela Anderson Receives Award of Courage at amfAR Gala in Venice After Revealing a Secret She Kept for Decades"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Pamela Anderson’s trip to Venice drew attention for both her public appearances and a deeply personal moment, as she accepted a major honor and reflected on a health battle she kept private for years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The actress revealed how a frightening diagnosis changed her choices and sense of self, especially as a mother. Decades later, she explained why the experience still affects her \u2014 while her latest Venice appearance sparked a\u00a0very different conversation online<\/i>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In June 1999, Anderson appeared at Caesars Palace to launch her makeup line and sign autographs at a benefit for PETA. The appearance came during the period when, as she revealed years later, she was living with a diagnosis that had dramatically changed how she viewed her future. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Anderson used a major honor at the amfAR Gala in Venice to reflect on an experience she said turned her life “inside out.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Anderson was photographed in New York in October 1994, several years before the diagnosis she would later describe as life-altering. At the time, she was already widely recognizable for “Baywatch,” the role that became closely associated with her public image. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The “Baywatch” star received amfAR’s\u00a0Award of Courage<\/strong>\u00a0on Sunday night, September 6, 2026, according to Variety. The organization is dedicated to ending the HIV\/AIDS epidemic and has also worked on hepatitis C research and advocacy because the infection is a common co-infection among people living with HIV.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Anderson marked the occasion in a\u00a0vibrant orange satin gown<\/strong>\u00a0with thin straps and a matching wrap that fell toward the floor. She wore her blonde hair in soft waves, while the saturated orange color remained the focal point of the look.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Anderson stepped out in a vivid orange satin gown with a coordinating wrap for the amfAR Gala Venezia 2026 on September 6. The evening became deeply personal when she later accepted the Award of Courage and reflected on a difficult period in her life. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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For Anderson, however, the evening was about\u00a0more than receiving an award<\/i>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Taika Waititi presented Anderson with the amfAR Award of Courage onstage at the gala in Venice. The honor preceded a personal speech in which Anderson reflected on experiences that had affected how she viewed herself for years. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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After accepting the honor, Anderson addressed the audience from the stage. Her remarks moved beyond the celebration as she described the emotional burden she had carried for years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Anderson addressed guests after accepting the Award of Courage at amfAR Gala Venezia 2026. Her remarks moved beyond the celebration as she reflected on experiences whose emotional effects had remained with her for years. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Anderson said the “shame and guilt” surrounding one experience stayed with her and, even years later, continued to “haunt” her.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She also linked those feelings to the abuse she experienced as a child. Anderson said both experiences left her feeling as though the words “Damaged goods” had been “carved into my forehead,” shaping how she viewed and presented herself to others.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Diagnosis Came With a Terrifying Prediction<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Anderson was diagnosed with hepatitis C in the late 1990s, when there was no cure for the viral infection. What her doctor told her made the diagnosis even more frightening.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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This 1993 behind-the-scenes “Baywatch” event captures Anderson years before the private health crisis she discussed at the amfAR Gala. Her later account gives images from this period added context: the diagnosis that would leave her fearing for her children had not yet arrived. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“It was a\u00a0death sentence<\/strong>. That’s what my doctor told me – that I probably had around 10 years to live,” Anderson recalled.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The possibility of dying was not what frightened her most. “I’m sure that colored and corrupted my decisions,” she said. “It was not fear of death, but\u00a0fear of what might happen to my young children<\/strong>. It turned my life inside out.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Anderson spoke at the amfAR Gala decades after receiving a hepatitis C diagnosis that once came with a devastating prognosis. She told the audience that her greatest fear at the time was not death itself, but what could happen to her young children. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Her experience also illustrates why hepatitis C can go unnoticed. According to the\u00a0World Health Organization<\/a>, new infections are\u00a0usually asymptomatic<\/strong>, while chronic infections can remain undiagnosed until serious liver damage develops.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Hepatitis C<\/strong>\u00a0is a bloodborne virus that affects the liver. It can cause both short- and long-term illness and, in severe cases, lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer. There is no vaccine, but antiviral medications can now cure the infection in most people.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Anderson Revealed More About the Diagnosis Years Earlier<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Anderson had spoken publicly about those fears more than two decades before her amfAR speech. During a\u00a0July 2002 interview<\/a>\u00a0with the late Larry King, she recalled her initial reaction after learning she had hepatitis C.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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This courthouse appearance came weeks after Anderson opened up about the fear surrounding her hepatitis C diagnosis. In July 2002, she told Larry King that she initially thought she was dying, even though she had no symptoms before routine bloodwork revealed the infection. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“When I first was diagnosed, I thought, obviously, I was dying,” Anderson told King.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She said the infection was discovered through\u00a0routine bloodwork<\/strong>\u00a0rather than because she was experiencing symptoms. Anderson recalled asking her doctor how she could get rid of it, only to be told, “You can’t.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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That answer sent her searching for more information. As she learned about the possible consequences of hepatitis C, Anderson said she began confronting her own mortality.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Anderson’s biggest concern was what the illness could mean for her children. In 2002, she said staying alive for them was a major reason she was willing to consider a difficult treatment. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Her children remained central to those fears. When King asked about the treatment she was considering, Anderson explained why she was prepared to undergo it: “I want to do it for my kids, because I don’t want to die, basically.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Anderson also told King that her\u00a0children had been tested<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0did not have the virus<\/i>. She said she took precautions to avoid situations that could expose them to her blood.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Anderson’s sons, Brandon and Dylan, were at the center of her fears about the future. She later said both boys tested negative for hepatitis C and that she took precautions to protect them from contact with her blood. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The interview also addressed how Anderson believed she had contracted hepatitis C. She told King that she and her then-husband, Tommy Lee, had shared a needle while getting a tattoo and said her doctor believed that was how she became infected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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According to Anderson, her doctor had previously told Lee that he had hepatitis C and needed to disclose it to her. She said Lee never told her, despite allegedly telling the doctor that he had. King asked whether Anderson had confronted Lee about it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Anderson’s account of her hepatitis C diagnosis also involved her former husband, Tommy Lee, pictured with her at a Hollywood premiere. She said her doctor believed a shared tattoo needle caused her infection, while Lee reportedly denied having hepatitis C. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“I don’t have it,” Anderson recalled Lee saying. She described Lee as being “in denial about it” and said he was not receiving treatment at the time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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There was some encouraging news about Anderson’s own health. She told King that a\u00a0liver biopsy<\/strong>\u00a0had shown relatively little damage. Anderson described her liver as a one on a scale in which zero represented a healthy liver, and four represented severe disease.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She said doctors considered its condition\u00a0surprisingly good<\/strong>\u00a0and encouraged her to continue taking care of herself. At the time, Anderson was considering interferon-based treatment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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By this 2003 family outing, Anderson had already spoken publicly about how she believed she contracted hepatitis C. She said her doctor suspected a shared tattoo needle with Tommy Lee, pictured with her and their sons, while Lee reportedly denied having the infection. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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She described the potential side effects as severe, including flu-like symptoms, hair loss and vomiting. Still, her motivation remained clear: she wanted to be there for her children.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A New Treatment Finally Changed Her Outlook<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Treatment for hepatitis C changed significantly in the years after Anderson’s interview. WHO says direct-acting antiviral medicines can now\u00a0cure more than 95% of people with the infection<\/i>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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By August 2015, Anderson had started a newer\u00a0antiviral drug regimen<\/strong>. She told\u00a0People<\/a>\u00a0that she had no liver damage or treatment side effects and believed she could be free of hepatitis C within a month.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The physical effects were only part of what she had carried. Anderson said living with hepatitis C had affected her self-esteem despite the confidence she appeared to project publicly. “I think it really was a dark cloud that lingered over me,” she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Anderson’s medical outlook changed during 2015, the year of this Los Angeles appearance. By August, she was taking a newer antiviral treatment and said she had no liver damage or treatment side effects. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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She was also optimistic about what successful treatment could mean for her life. Anderson said she felt better than ever and described the experience as though she were getting back years that had been overshadowed by the infection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A few months later, she received the news\u00a0she had been waiting for<\/i>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In November 2015, Anderson announced that she had been cured, according to the\u00a0Los Angeles Times<\/a>. In a\u00a0now-deleted Instagram post<\/a>, she celebrated the result with the message, “I am CURED!!!” and expressed gratitude through hashtags referencing family, prayer, and the end of her hepatitis C infection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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By this December 2015 appearance, Anderson had announced that she was free of hepatitis C. She later explained that the infection had affected her self-esteem for years, even when she appeared confident in public. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Getting there came at a\u00a0steep financial cost<\/i>. Anderson later said the treatment took everything she had in her bank. But clearing the infection did not erase the emotional effects of receiving the diagnosis.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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At the 2026 amfAR Gala, she said she still had not “fully recovered<\/strong>” from the news she received decades earlier.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Anderson Says She May Finally Have Come to Terms With It<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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More than a decade after clearing the infection, Anderson said she may have “finally come to terms” with what she went through.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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That perspective has emerged as she takes on a new stretch of film work. Variety noted that her\u00a0recent projects<\/strong>\u00a0include “The Last Showgirl,” “The Naked Gun” and “Rosebush Pruning,” while “Place to Be” is scheduled to premiere Wednesday at the Venice Film Festival.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Anderson said her work has become a way to process her life experiences and express her personal truth. Rather than allowing\u00a0difficult periods<\/strong>\u00a0to define her, she has drawn on them as creative material for her acting and other artistic work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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More than a decade after being cured, Anderson looked back on how the diagnosis had affected her life. While accepting amfAR’s Award of Courage in 2026, she said she was still dealing with its emotional impact but may finally have made peace with the experience. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Anderson emphasized the\u00a0strength she has found<\/strong>. “I’m not a victim, I’m a victor. I am strong and capable, more now than I could ever dream of,” she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She closed by rejecting an identity she no longer accepts for herself: “I’m not the damsel in distress, no matter how easy that role is to play.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Anderson stood at the amfAR podium after accepting the Award of Courage on September 6, 2026. Her closing remarks focused on the strength she has found since that difficult period and the way she now sees herself as capable rather than defined by her past. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Another Venice Look Divided Opinion Online<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Anderson’s time at the Venice International Film Festival also gave fans a very different image to discuss. On September 7, she appeared around Venice in a\u00a0flowing lavender ensemble<\/strong>\u00a0consisting of a loose, long-sleeved top and matching floor-length pants.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The monochromatic outfit was paired with tortoiseshell cat-eye sunglasses and leopard-print shoes. Anderson wore her blonde hair loose in soft waves and kept her makeup understated.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Anderson arrived at the Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Pier on September 7 in a soft lavender look, one day after accepting amfAR’s Award of Courage. Tortoiseshell cat-eye sunglasses complemented her blonde hair, which she wore in loose waves. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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She was photographed arriving by boat at the Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Pier, where she smiled and waved. Other photographs offered a clearer look at the length and relaxed proportions of the outfit as she made her way through Venice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Anderson smiled and waved during her September 7 appearance at the Venice International Film Festival. The loose sleeves and gathered neckline offered a closer look at the relaxed silhouette that later drew mixed reactions online. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The styling prompted sharply different reactions online. On\u00a0Instagram<\/a>, one netizen said, “This outfit is giving grandma vibes.”<\/i>\u00a0Another user focused on the length of the pants, writing,\u00a0“Where is a seamstress when you need one….waiting to trip #breakanankle.”<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Anderson waved from a boat as she arrived at the Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Pier during the festival. Her lavender ensemble continued the softer style she chose for her appearances in Venice that day. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A commenter offered the opposite assessment:\u00a0“That color is gorgeous, as is the gal. What a transformation!!”\u00a0<\/i>Someone else singled out one of the smallest but most distinctive elements of the look, writing simply,\u00a0“The shoes \ud83d\ude0d.”<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A side view showed the full length of Anderson’s flowing lavender ensemble as she made her way through Venice. The loose top and floor-skimming pants created the relaxed proportions that became a point of discussion among commenters online. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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In\u00a0another discussion<\/a>, the responses centered more heavily on Anderson herself. One netizen wrote,\u00a0“Just blown away by this beautiful, confident and genuine woman \ud83d\ude0a\ud83e\udd1e\ud83d\ude0d.”<\/i>\u00a0Another called her\u00a0“The most beautiful girl in the world \ud83d\udc95.”<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Someone else returned to the styling, writing,\u00a0“Gorgeous Pamela OH and the shades and the shoes \ud83d\udc9c \ud83d\udc06 \ud83d\udc4c.”<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Anderson’s leopard-print shoes peeked out beneath her floor-length lavender pants as she walked in Venice on September 7. The footwear became one of the most praised details of the look online, while the length and loose fit of the pants drew a more divided response. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The fashion reactions added another layer to\u00a0Pamela Anderson<\/a>‘s Venice visit, but her most personal moment came at the amfAR Gala. Decades after a diagnosis changed how she saw her future, Anderson used the honor to make clear how she sees herself now: not as a victim, but as someone who survived and moved forward.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Pamela Anderson’s trip to Venice drew attention for both her public appearances and a deeply personal moment, as she accepted a major honor and reflected on a health battle she…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/metropolitantimeshock.pics\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/metropolitantimeshock.pics\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/metropolitantimeshock.pics\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metropolitantimeshock.pics\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metropolitantimeshock.pics\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=884"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/metropolitantimeshock.pics\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":885,"href":"https:\/\/metropolitantimeshock.pics\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884\/revisions\/885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/metropolitantimeshock.pics\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metropolitantimeshock.pics\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metropolitantimeshock.pics\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}