Pamela Anderson is "grateful" for all the troubles she's experienced in her life

The former 'Baywatch' star - who has been married five times - told The Sunday Times newspaper: "I don't think I've failed.

"Every love, every experience, is a learning experience, and I'm grateful for everything. But in hindsight I look and I see a person that had some trauma early in her life."

Pamela "protected" herself by curating her own public image.

The actress - who became a sex symbol in the 90s - explained that the image she created "was how I protected myself and how I tried to be certain ways for certain people to make them happy. And then I just caught myself and I said, 'What am I doing? Who am I competing with? What am I trying to accomplish?'

"When I look at my past, I think I had no control. I don't come from an entertainment family. I don't come from anything. I was just learning as I went."

Pamela has released a memoir and a Netflix documentary in recent years, and the actress feels she's been successful in reclaiming "the narrative" that surrounds her life.

The Hollywood star - who has sons Brandon, 28, and Dylan, 26 - said: "There were times when people were exploiting my personal life and that was hard on all of us as a family.

"I feel like I've at least reclaimed the narrative of my life and the boys are part of that. I don't want to be defined by what has happened to me - I want to be defined by what I do. And that's the difference now."