Pamela Anderson Reveals She Was Molested, Raped As A Child

Former "Baywatch" star Pamela Anderson spoke out about being sexually abused as a child during a speech Friday at the Cannes Film Festival launching of her animal rights group, The Pamela Anderson Foundation.

Anderson revealed that she was molested at age six by a female babysitter, and raped at 12 by a male acquaintance.

"I went to a friend's boyfriend's house and his older brother decided to teach me backgammon, which led into a back massage, which led into rape," she told the Daily Mail.

Afterwards, a boy she was dating "decided it would be funny to gang-rape me with six friends," telling the Mail she "wanted off this earth."

But Anderson soon realized the healing powers of the love of animals, saying, "My affinity with animals saved me, they came to me naturally. The trees spoke to me. I wasn't sure why I was alive – a burning question, a quest.'

She added, "My loyalty remained with the animal kingdom. I vowed to protect them and only them. I prayed to the whales with my feet in the ocean, my only real friends until I had children."

Anderson later tweeted, "My speech at launch of my Namesake foundation. I want people to know - they can overcome and prosper with love."

Anderson's reps have yet to comment.