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"She became one the biggest sex symbols of her generation, but Pamela Anderson survived a grueling childhood and adolescence of rape and abuse before finding fame. Now 46, the actress and activist appeared at a yacht reception on Friday, May 16, at the Cannes Film Festival to launch her self-titled foundation&amp;#x2014;dedicated to human rights, animal rights and the environment&amp;#x2014;and detailed the devastating abuse she suffered.\r\n\r\n&amp;quot;I did not have an easy childhood. Despite loving parents, I was molested from age 6 to 10 by my female babysitter,&amp;quot; the Baywatch alum revealed during a speech, the Associated Press reports. &amp;quot;I went to a friend&amp;apos;s boyfriend&amp;apos;s house and when she was busy the boyfriend&amp;apos;s older brother decided he would teach me backgammon which led in to a back massage, which led in to rape. My first heterosexual experience. He was 25 years old, I was 12,&amp;quot; said Anderson, who was visibly nervous during the address, according to the AP.\r\n\r\nThe future Playboy model and longtime animal rights advocate went on: &amp;quot;My first boyfriend in grade nine decided it would be funny to gang rape me with six of his friends. Needless to say I had a hard time trusting humans and I just wanted off this earth.&amp;quot;\r\n\r\nNow married to third husband Rick Salomon and a mom to two teenaged sons (with first husband Tommy Lee), Anderson also detailed her rocky home life. &amp;quot;My parents tried to keep me safe. But to me the world was not a safe place. My dad an alcoholic, my mom worked two jobs waitressing,&amp;quot; she said. &amp;quot;My mom was always crying, dad didn&amp;apos;t always come home, leaving us in tremendous pain and worry. I couldn&amp;apos;t bear to give her more disruptive information so I couldn&amp;apos;t break her heart any more than it was breaking.&amp;quot;\r\n\r\nShe found a will to live not through Hollywood notoriety but via nature, she concluded.  &amp;quot;My affinity with animals saved me, they came to me naturally. The trees spoke to me, I wasn&amp;apos;t sure why I was alive, a burning question, a quest. My loyalty remains with the animal kingdom. I vowed to protect them and only them,&amp;quot; Anderson&amp;apos;s speech continued. &amp;quot;I prayed to whales with my feet in the ocean, my only real friends until I had children. Then I realized humanity was suffering and our children were born perfect.&amp;quot;\r\nFind out more about the Pamela Anderson Foundation at its website."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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