Former Baywatch beauty Pamela Anderson made the shock announcement that she was repeatedly molested as a child, during an honest and unpredictable speech at the launch of her new animal charity, The Pamela Anderson Foundation, in Cannes.
Taking to the stage to give a welcoming speech at the launch, which also featured a charity backgammon competition to help raise money for Vivienne Westwood’s climate awareness charity, Cool Earth, Anderson explained to the crowd of fans, media and local supporters the reasoning behind her latest philanthropic venture was to help protect all suffering animals, as they were what she felt connected to growing up with such a fractured childhood.
“I feel now might be the time to reveal a few of my most painful memories,” the 46-year-old began. “At the risk of over-exposing myself, again, or being inappropriate, again, I thought I might share with you why I am doing this.”
“I did not have any easy childhood. Despite having loving parents, I was molested from age six by a female babysitter,” she told the 200 guests at the launch party for her animal charity, The Pamela Anderson Foundation. “I went to her boyfriend’s house,” Anderson added, “and his older brother decided to teach me backgammon, which led into a back massage, which led into rape – my first sexual experience. He was 25 years old and I was 12.” The actress then revealed that a boyfriend years later “decided it would be funny to gang-rape me with six friends. I wanted off this earth.”
“This meant I had a hard time trusting humans. My parents tried to keep me safe, but to me the world was not a safe place.” Going on to announce that it was her love and faith in the animal kingdom that got her through such harrowing times, she continued: “My loyalty was with the animal kingdom and I vowed to protect them and only them.”
Supporting her decision to speak about these tragedies were her 18-year-old son with former husband Tommy Lee, who attended the launch along with her current husband Rick Solomon. Bringing attention to her story as well as her charity launch Pamela’s revelations were also a shock to her partner on the launch, fashion designer Westwood, who commented: “I did not know she had been through all of that, I have known her a long time now and we are really close.”
