Pamela Anderson has compared the feeling of her sex tape being stolen and sold to how it felt being raped at age 12.
In 1995, the former Baywatch star and her then-husband Tommy Lee had a private intimate recording stolen from their property and sold online.
The incident has been widely discussed in the years since, with Anderson repeatedly criticising the way she was treated in the media as a result of the leak.
In a new interview, the actor and activist gave further context to the mental and emotional impact that this violation of her privacy had.
She told The Guardian that she had been “raped by a 24-year-old friend of a friend” at the age of 12, before adding: “And not to bring up something heavy from my childhood, but when I was attacked by this guy, I thought everybody would know.
“When the tape was stolen, it felt like that. And the deposition was so brutal.”
Anderson, 55, was then asked whether she’d openly discussed whether the tape’s release had brought up the feeling of being raped all over again.
She confirmed she hadn’t, by explaining that it was hard “to squeeze into a [David] Letterman interview when all they want to talk about is your boobs”.
In another recent interview, the actor spoke out about how a female babysitter had sexualised her body at a young age, and how it impacted her view of herself in the years that followed.
Anderson is set to release a documentary film about her life and career later this month, titled Pamela, A Love Story. As well as discussing her career, the film is also set to feature Anderson talking in-depth about the tape, her family and her relationships.
Pamela, A Love Story will be available on Netflix on 31 January.
If you have been raped or sexually assaulted, you can contact your nearest Rape Crisis organisation for specialist, independent and confidential support. For more information, visit their website here.
