Pamela Anderson has been banned from Sam Simon's funeral.

The former 'Baywatch' actress has been told to stay away when the 'Simpsons' co-creator - who died of colon cancer last weekend - is laid to rest in a private service on Tuesday (17.03.15) because his family are angry about a lavish gift he gave her.

According to TMZ, Sam gave the blonde beauty, who he has been friends with for several years, a ring worth $800,000 a few weeks before he died and his relatives feel Pamela took advantage of a weak man and shouldn't have accepted the generous gift.

In January, Pamela and Sam - who shared a passion for animal rights campaigning - stepped out together at Sean Penn's Help Haiti Home Gala in Beverly Hills.

The pair previously worked together on a campaign to protect seals and in 2013 they hand-delivered a letter and a cheque for $1 million offering to pay the amount to the Canadian Sealers Association (CSA).

Sam - who was diagnosed with cancer in 2012 - publicly announced he would be leaving his estimated $100 million fortune to charity in November last year.

The award-winning writer, producer and director confirmed he would be donating his millions to Save The Children, PETA and his own foundation, which helps to feed hundreds of hungry families in Los Angeles every day.