Pamela Anderson: Playboy saved my life after sexual abuse

PAMELA Anderson has revealed the impact the late Hugh Hefner had on her life, admitting she may not be here today if it weren’t for him and Playboy.

PAMELA Anderson may not be alive today if it weren’t for Playboy.

After being molested by a female babysitter as a child and suffering nonconsensual experiences with men early on in her life, the former Playmate says the magazine helped her keep going.

“I was painfully shy as a child. As a young girl, Playboy empowered me. It really saved my life,” the 50-year-old told Us Weekly . “I felt very trapped inside and needed to free myself. It was a breakthrough for me, and there I met artists and activists and gentlemen. It has been a fun and wild life.”

She appeared on Playboy’s cover a record 14 times.

Pamela Anderson has appeared on the cover of Playboy more than anyone else.

Still, living in the spotlight wasn’t always fun, Anderson noted, and as a result she’s largely stepped back to live in France with her soccer star boyfriend, Adil Rami.

“Hollywood is difficult. It is not my favourite place to be, but it is a business, and if this is the life you want, you play the game,” she said. “I’m happy to be living in France now. Hollywood is too much. I’d rather use my energy in other ways.”

Part of why Anderson may find Hollywood a difficult place is because she no longer has the guidance of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, whose 2017 death deeply affected her.

The “Baywatch” star revealed last month, “I have had men say, ‘Come back to my hotel room and audition with me. If you don’t come I will give it to the girl across the hall.’ And then they have ended up giving the role to a girl across the hall. People have said, ‘Pamela, come and join us in the jacuzzi and I will give you $100,000.’ And I have said, ‘I think that is more than just the jacuzzi. I am calling Hef.’”

Hugh Hefner and Pamela Anderson were close friends. (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage)

Anderson is much happier in her current life as an activist for PETA and against ride-sharing apps.

“Activism is sexy. I encourage everyone to be brave and step outside your comfort zone,” she said. “It’s a springboard into the unknown. And when you can do this, you can really live.”

This story originally appeared in the NY Post and is republished here with permission.