Pamela Anderson reveals she was raped and molested during her childhood. She has spoken out about a series of traumatic incidents she endured as a child, during a speech at the launch of The Pamela Anderson Foundation.

Anderson, in Cannes to launch her new animal charity, the Pamela Anderson Foundation, told an audience it was "time to reveal a few of my memories," reports The Mirror.

The actress revealed she was molested at age six, and raped at 12 during the kickoff of the advocacy group for animal rights, Friday at the Cannes Film Festival.

"I did not have an easy childhood. Despite loving parents, I was molested from age six by a female babysitter," the 46-year-old star said, according to the Daily Mail.

Then six years later, she said an encounter with a male acquaintance turned violent.

"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 said. "He was 25 years old and I was 12."

After that, a boyfriend "decided it would be funny to gang-rape me with six friends," Anderson said, adding she "wanted off this earth."

According to Anderson, her love of animals helped her heal. "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 said.

"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."

After her speech, the star wrote on Twitter, "My speech at launch of my Namesake foundation. I want people to know - they can overcome and prosper with love."

Earlier this year, she revealed she had remarried ex-husband Rick Salomon, who was her second husband.

Her new charity aims to support "organizations and individuals on the front lines protecting the environment, animal rights and human rights."