Denise Richards was told she would be "blacklisted" if she spoke publicly about the sexual harassment she endured as a young actress

She told People: "I was told I would be blacklisted. I felt so vulnerable.

"This was the career I wanted to do. To be told that you're never going to work in an industry that you are passionate about, it's a hard thing."

Denise also reflected on how the industry has changed in recent years, particularly in light of the #MeToo movement.

She added: "I am glad that women are able to have more of a voice and be more protected.

"If that happened at this age, I would handle it differently, but I was so young and an unknown and (just) starting out."

Denise, who has three daughters, Sami, 20, Lola, 19, and Eloise, 13, said becoming a mother has shifted her perspective.

She went on: "I look at my daughters doing our show and being such strong women.

"If I had that, I think I would've been able to handle it a little differently."

The actress also opened up about past trauma while appearing on season three of Fox's 'Special Forces: World's Toughest Test' last month.

She described how a past sexual assault had shaped her responses to being scared, adding: "I really want to learn how to not be overwhelmed by fear - I've been through traumatic situations that have been very terrifying for me.

"I want to learn how to deal with those issues and be stronger."

During the programme, Denise recalled a road rage incident in November 2022, when shots were fired at a truck driven by her 52-year-old husband Aaron Phypers.

She said: "He didn't want me going alone, thank God, and we were physically shot at in his truck, and I sat on the floor and was just literally - I peed. I was so scared... I froze."

Richards also spoke about being sexually assaulted as a teenager, saying: "The first time I ever experienced that I was 15 and I noticed a man following me. "He came up from behind me, put his hand around my mouth, grabbed my vagina, and started dragging me, and I froze, like I couldn't even scream for help."