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Pamela Anderson has spoken openly to guests at the Cannes Film Festival about being sexually assaulted and gang raped as a child.
The former Baywatch star revealed her “painful memoires” at the launch of the Pamela Anderson Foundation (PAF) on Friday.
She said: “I feel now might be the time to reveal a few of my most painful memories. At the risk of over-exposing myself, again, or being inappropriate, again, I thought I might share with you why I am doing this.”
The 46-year-old actress went on to say she had been “molested” as a child in her family home and raped at the age of 12.
She continued: “I went to her boyfriend's house. 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.”
Ms Anderson also said that a former boyfriend had arranged for her to be gang raped.
And she detailed her difficult home life, explaining that her father was an alcoholic, while her mother tried to hold down two jobs.
“My parents tried to keep me safe, but to me the world was not a safe place,” she said.
Ms Anderson said she had found solace from her traumatic childhood in her love for animals, which were “my only real friends until I had children”.
She said: “My loyalty was with the animal kingdom and I vowed to protect them and only them.”
The Pamela Anderson Foundation is dedicated to human, animal and environmental rights. According to its official website, the charity aims to challenge communities and worldwide politics in a "provocative way”.
Cannes 2014 in picturesShow all 57 1 /57Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Jane Fonda arrives on the red carpet for the Cannes Film Festival opening ceremony
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Model Irina Shayk attends 'The Search' premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Quentin Tarantino dances with Uma Thurman as he arrives at Cannes
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 John Travolta, US actress Uma Thurman and US director Quentin Tarantino pose as they arrive for the screening of the film 'Sils Maria'
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Model Rosie Huntington Whiteley during the festival in Cannes
Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Cast of the "Lost River": (L-R) Reda Kateb, Matt Smith, Ian De Caestecker, Christina Hendricks and director Ryan Gosling attend the photocall during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 French actress Alice Taglioni arrives at the Cannes opening ceremony
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Actress Frederique Bel attends the Opening ceremony
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Adele-Exarchopoulos.jpg 'Blue is the Warmest Colour' actress Adele Exarchopoulos
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi attends the opening ceremony
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 'Amelie' Actress Audrey Tautou on the red carpet at the opening of the Cannes Film Festival
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 French actress Laetitia Casta poses as she arrives for the Opening ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Actress Zoe Saldana attends the Opening ceremony and the 'Grace of Monaco' Premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Model Karlie Kloss poses at the Opening ceremony and the 'Grace of Monaco' Premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival on 14 May, in Cannes, France.
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 'Grace of Monaco' cast and crew: (from left to right) Paz Vega, Nicole Kidman, Tim Roth, director Olivier Dahan, Jeanne Balibar, Pierre Ange Le Pogam and Geraldine Somerville
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Elena Lenina attends the Opening Ceremony
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 US actress Blake Lively poses as she arrives for the Opening ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 US model Karlie Kloss poses as she arrives for the Opening ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 French actress and member of the Un Certain Regard Jury Geraldine Pailhas poses as she arrives for the Opening ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Model and TV personality Kendal Jenner at the Opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival on 14 May, 2014 in Cannes, France.
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 (Left to right) Jury members, US director Sofia Coppola, Iranian actress Leila Hatami, French actress Carole Bouquet, Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn, Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal, New Zealand director Jane Campion, Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon, Chinese director Jia Zhangke and US actor Willem Dafoe arrive for the screening of 'Grace of Monaco' and the Opening Ceremony of the 67th annual Cannes Film Festival.
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 US actress Jane Fonda poses as she arrives for the Opening ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Jury member Masami Nagasawa attends the welcome Cocktail party for jury members
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Jury member Gael Garcia Bernal attends the welcome Cocktail party for jury members
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Nicole Kidman dances with French actor and Master of Ceremony Lambert Wilson during the Opening Ceremony of the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Jury members Leila Hatami and Nicolas Winding Refn
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Director Alfonso Cuaron attends the Opening ceremony
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Actress Nicole Kidman on the red carpet at the opening of the Cannes Film Festival
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Photographers line up to photograph the Grace of Monaco cast on the red carpet
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Spanish actress Paz Vega attends a preview of 'Grace of Monaco'
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Cannes 2014 in pictures Cannes 2014 Jury member Sofia Coppola
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Ms Anderson’s husband Rick Saloman was in attendance at the event, as well as fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood.
More than $150,000 (£89,000) was raised for Ms Westwood’s chosen charity Cool Earth.
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