Editing Pamela Anderson (section)

== Early life ==

Anderson was born in [[Ladysmith, British Columbia]], Canada, the daughter of Barry Anderson, a furnace repairman, and Carol, a waitress. Her great-grandfather, {{lang|fi|Juho Hyytiäinen|italic=no}}, was a Finnish native of {{lang|fi|[[Saarijärvi]]|italic=no}}, and left the [[Grand Duchy of Finland]] (which was an autonomous state within the [[Russian Empire]] at the time)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.eduskunta.fi/EN/naineduskuntatoimii/kirjasto/aineistot/yhteiskunta/suomi-valtiona/Pages/Suomen-valtiokehityksen-historiaa.aspx |title=The history of the development of statehood in Finland |access-date=November 24, 2024 |website=www.eduskunta.fi}}</ref> for Canada in 1908.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pamwatch.com/nov99.html|title=News|work=PamWatch.com|access-date=August 2, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612064243/http://www.pamwatch.com/nov99.html|archive-date=June 12, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> He changed his name to Anderson when he arrived as an immigrant. Anderson also has [[Volga German]] ancestry on her mother's side; her grandmother, [[Germans in Russia|ethnically German]], was born in Russia in a [[Mennonite]] village and immigrated to Canada in 1901.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Converse |first1=Cathy |last2=Sawatsky |first2=Adam |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1043642335 |title=Auntie Vie : a life of pickles and pearls |date=2011 |isbn=978-1-926971-75-9 |publisher=TouchWood Editions |location=[Victoria, British Columbia] |oclc=1043642335}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://archive.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2008/06/19/pamela_andersons_mom_wish/|title=Pamela Anderson's mom wish|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|date=May 14, 2004|access-date=June 24, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pamela Anderson's great-aunt and Victoria maven 'Auntie Vie' dies |url=https://www.timescolonist.com/local-news/pamela-andersons-great-aunt-and-victoria-maven-auntie-vie-dies-4583159 |access-date=2023-01-18 |website=Victoria Times Colonist |date=March 23, 2013}}</ref> Anderson received press coverage right after her birth as a "Centennial Baby", having been born on July 1, 1967, the [[Canadian Centennial|100th anniversary]] of Canada's official founding via the ''[[Constitution Act, 1867]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pamela Anderson |url=http://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductees/2006/pamela-anderson |access-date=July 15, 2014 |publisher=[[Canada's Walk of Fame]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/centennial-baby-kara-ffolliott-1.4186991|title=Taking the title from Pam Anderson: 1st 'Centennial baby' was born in Regina|last=Johnson|first=Alex|work=[[CBC News]]|date=June 30, 2017|access-date=March 11, 2018}}</ref> She has a younger brother, Gerry (born 1971), an actor and producer who worked in some of her films and television shows.

Anderson suffered sexual abuse as a child, a fact she revealed publicly in 2014. She said she was molested by a female babysitter from ages 6 to 10, raped by a 25-year-old man when she was age 12, and [[gang-rape]]d by her boyfriend and six of his friends when she was 14.<ref>{{cite web|first=F. Brinley|last=Bruton|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/celebrity/pamela-anderson-i-was-gang-raped-high-school-abused-kid-n108786|title=Pamela Anderson: I Was Gang Raped in High School, Abused as Kid|work=[[NBC News]]|date=May 19, 2014|access-date=May 19, 2014}}</ref>

Anderson attended [[École Highland Secondary School|Highland Secondary School]] in [[Comox, British Columbia]]. In high school, she played on the [[volleyball]] team,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://offthebench.nbcsports.com/2011/07/01/and-now-pamela-andersons-1983-high-school-volleyball-photo/|title=And now, Pamela Anderson's 1983 high school volleyball photo|first=Rick|last=Chandler|date=July 1, 2011|website=NBC Sports|access-date=July 28, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130606011407/http://offthebench.nbcsports.com/2011/07/01/and-now-pamela-andersons-1983-high-school-volleyball-photo/|archive-date=June 6, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> and graduated in 1985.<ref name="Fox News bio">{{cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/pamela-andersons-biography/|title=Pamela Anderson's Biography|work=Fox News|date=January 3, 2008|access-date=December 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007040009/http://www.foxnews.com/story/2008/01/03/pamela-anderson-biography/|archive-date=October 7, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1988, she moved to [[Vancouver]] and worked as a fitness instructor.<ref name="Fox News bio"/>