Pamela Anderson recounts history of childhood sex abuse: 'I just wanted off this earth'

CTV Vancouver: Pamela Anderson opens up Vancouver Island actress Pamela Anderson is opening up about her troubled childhood.

Pamela Anderson has revealed a childhood of sexual abuse at the Cannes Film Festival launch of her new animal rights foundation. She said the experiences led to her having “a hard time trusting humans.”

The Canadian actress and activist read her speech in front of a crowd at the launch of her new Pamela Anderson Foundation in Cannes, France Friday night.

"Strange reading your own name out loud," reads the transcript posted under the "diary" section of her foundation's website.

“Even stranger that I feel now might be the time to reveal some of my most painful memories.”

Anderson told the crowd she was molested by a female babysitter when she was six until she was 10 years old, and then raped at a friend’s boyfriend’s house when she was 12.

"The boyfriend’s older brother decided he would teach me backgammon, which led into a back massage which led into rape," she recalled. "My first heterosexual experience."

The former Baywatch star, who grew up on Vancouver Island, also recounted being gang-raped by a boyfriend and his six friends a few years later.

"Needless to say I had a hard time trusting humans," she said. "I just wanted off this earth."

This, the 46-year-old Anderson said, helped steer her toward activism.

"My loyalty remained with the animal kingdom -- I vowed to protect them and only them."

She went on to discuss her history with animal rights group PETA, her relationship with husband Rick Salomon, whom she married earlier this year, and her two children.

The kickoff event also featured a night of backgammon for guests, which Anderson said she chose for a few reasons.

"I love gambling -- It can be an elegant, thought-provoking game. And it gets peoples off their cell phone."