Pamela Anderson opens up about childhood ravaged by sexual abuse

Pamela Anderson revealed on Friday that she was the victim of sexual abuse throughout her childhood, starting at the age of 6 at the hands of a babysitter.

The 46-year-old Baywatch veteran was addressing an audience during the launch of The Pamela Anderson Foundation, an advocacy group for animal rights, when she stunned a crowd of 200 or so by opening up about these very personal and painful recollections.

Here is a portion of what she shared to the audience gathered during the Cannes Film Festival event as posted to the diary section of her foundation:

I did not have an easy childhood–
Despite loving parents-
I was molested from age 6-10 by my female babysitter-
I went to a friends boyfriends house – while she was busy. The boyfriends older brother decided he would teach me backgammon which led into a back massage which led into rape- my first heterosexual experience. He was 25 yrs old- I was 12-
My first boyfriend
in grade 9  decided it would be funny to gang rape me
(with 6 of his friends)
Needless to say I had a hard time trusting humans-
I just wanted off this earth.
My parents tried to keep me safe- but to me – the world was not a safe place – my dad – an alcoholic- my mom worked 2 jobs waitressing —
my mom was always crying–
Dad didn’t always come home leaving us in tremendous pain
and worry.
I couldn’t bare to give her any more disruptive information.
I couldn’t break her heart any more than it was breaking.
I kept these events to myself –
Sometimes when you smile,
it’s not because your happy. It’s because your strong. (Her words)
My affinity with animals
Saved me- they came to me naturally.

People reached out to Anderson’s camp and a rep said that she would have no further comments at the moment about the speech.

http://t.co/k7XcCfS4wK My speech at launch of my Namesake foundation. I want people to know – they can overcome and prosper with love…

— Pamela Anderson (@PamelaDAnderson) May 18, 2014