LONDON, U.K. --

Mischa Barton has revealed she went to rehab following her arrest on driving under the influence late last year.

As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, Barton was arrested on suspicion of DUI in December 2007. In April 2008, she plead out the charges, eventually being sentenced by a Los Angeles court judge to 36 months probation, alcohol education classes and a fine.

The cover girl of the 20th anniversary of Marie Claire’s UK edition admitted she went to rehab quietly following the arrest to help with her case in a new interview with the magazine.

“I wanted to prove to the court that I would take it completely seriously, so I went to rehab to prove I was sober,” she said in Marie Claire’s September issue. “It really helped in getting the more serious aspects of my case dropped because, you know, that’s what they want to hear; you’re not an alcoholic and you don’t have a problem. So I did it in the most low-key way possible – I didn’t make a fuss about it and I didn’t tell a lot of my friends. I just did the program and got through it.”

Barton said she was embarrassed by her arrest, but it was particularly hard on her parents, UK-to-U.S. transplants, who moved the Barton family stateside while the actress was a young girl.

“Even though, in a lot of ways, my upbringing has been quite liberal, something like that is embarrassing and appalling for my parents,” she said. “It was a surreal experience and I was shocked at how much press it made, but the thing is, I apologized – and you just have to hope that that’s enough, because what else can you do? I’m just living life, and people make mistakes, you know?”

The former “OC” star said she also let herself down by driving under the influence.

“It’s not something that’s taken lightly in the state of California. You’re over [the limit] and that’s it – and that’s like a drink or two, so it’s a serious thing,” she explained. “The thing is, I hate drunk drivers. Living in LA, I can’t stand them, and that’s why I was so disappointed in myself. It’s so not worth it when you put other lives at risk.”

In related news, Barton, a tabloid and blog fixture, said she steers clear of gossip publications and Web sites.

“I don’t look at the gossip Web sites – it’s unhealthy and I think it’s a large part of what drives people in LA crazy,” she said. “I’m an actress. I’m in this to find the next great project and think about all the positive things I’m doing. The fact is I’m having a real life with friends and being a normal human being.”

But as far as her career goes, don’t expect to find Barton on the small screen any time soon. She told Marie Claire that although she spent her later teen years as a TV regular on “The OC,” she has no plans to go back to the tube until she understands “it better,” she said. “I didn’t understand it. When you’re 16, you don’t know what the hell you’re getting into.”

Copyright 2009 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
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