Pamela Anderson has recalled being given "a death sentence" when she was diagnosed with hepatitis C in the late '90s.
The Baywatch actress gave a powerful speech about her diagnosis and recovery from the virus as she was honoured with amfAR's Award of Courage during the Venice Film Festival on Sunday night.
"It was a death sentence. That's what my doctor told me - that I probably had around 10 years to live," the 59-year-old told the audience, according to Variety. "I'm sure that coloured and corrupted my decisions. It was not fear of death, but fear of what might happen to my young children. It turned my life inside out."
A cure for the viral infection was found in 2011, and Anderson became "hep C free" in 2015 after paying "everything I had in my bank" to receive treatment.
"But my experience of shame and guilt was also an unconscious journey. It stays with me; it haunts me," she continued. "And just like the sexual abuse that I endured as a child, it felt like it was carved into my forehead: Damaged goods. And I presented myself as such."
The Last Showgirl star admitted that she has "finally come to terms" with her health news and is using that to fuel her career renaissance.
"I'm not a victim, I'm a victor. I am strong and capable, more now than I could ever dream of... I'm not the damsel in distress, no matter how easy that role is to play," she declared.
Anderson went public with her diagnosis in 2002, revealing that she contracted hepatitis C by sharing tattoo needles with her first husband, rocker Tommy Lee, the father of her two adult sons.
