Mischa Barton has revealed she secretly checked into rehab after her drink driving arrest last year.

The former The O.C. star was arrested on suspicion of DUI in December, and was sentenced to 36 months on probation, alcohol education classes and a fine after pleading guilty to charges this spring.

And now Barton has revealed she punished herself over the lapse in judgment by locking herself up at an unnamed rehab clinic in a bid to prove to herself and the authorities she was not a drunk.

She tells Marie Claire’s UK edition, “I wanted to prove to the court that I would take it completely seriously, so I went to rehab to prove I was sober. 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.”

And she’s still angry with herself for driving while over the limit.

She adds, “The thing is, I hate drunk drivers. Living in L.A., 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.”

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WENN

Does she do anything else these days besides appear in magazines?

Before taking a well earned break from her recent roles on the big screen, Mischa is spending a day with In Style modelling the new season’s catwalk trends, from futuristic tailoring to feathers. She tells us that her own wardrobe collection is just as eclectic: “I live in vintage shift dresses or jeans, but there’s also a bit of everything, from designer to H&M, and, like, 50 pairs of shoes – that’s not so bad, right?”

Bags, though, are her weakness: in fact she’s just designed her own mid-priced range. “It was so fun and creative – you sketch them and they send back a computer image,” she says. “And I loved the idea behind Kate Moss for Topshop – that your fans can afford to buy your designs.”

So are there any plans for her own fashion line? “That would be cool,” she nods, before adding endearingly, “but you have to really know what you are doing.”

Here’s the cover!

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On meeting her fans:

“Sometimes I am a bit surprised when people come up to me and they’re like, “You’re so nice! I didn’t expect you to be so cool.” It’s so weird because I’m like, “Well, how did you expect me to be?” I’m not really sure what people’s preconceived notions are.”

On her DUI charge:

“It was a low point in my life. I mean, the truth of the matter is, I was being irresponsible to begin with – I moved to LA and never got a license,” she explains. “I don’t know, it was just an awful low for me.”

On the press coverage it received:

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

When will she return to television?:

“when I understand it better. Because I didn’t understand it. When you’re 16, you don’t know what the hell you’re getting into. Like, I had no clue. LA was a shock to the system.”

On her love life:

“I’m lucky to know you can have more than one soulmate in life,” she says. “But, like a true actress, I’m always changing the way I feel about who I want to be. Nowadays, I feel I’m settling more into a woman and I’m understanding who I am.”

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Mischa Barton is still coming to terms with her drunk driving arrest last year – because the incident put her on a list she never wanted to be a part of.

The actress pleaded guilty to a DUI in April and was sentenced to three years probation.

And Barton, 22, is still beating herself up over her stupidity, admitting no one was more disappointed with her poor judgment than she was – and she accepts she’s now considered no better than drink driving party girls like Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton.

Barton tells the August issue of Nylon magazine, “That was a low point for me. I never, ever would have thought I would be arrested. I was disappointed because it associated me with a group of girls that I would rather not be associated with.”

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WENN

Former O.C. star Mischa Barton has replaced British actress Sienna Miller in the cast of new movie Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain.

The Alfie actress had been lined up to take the female lead in the film, which focuses on the story of a chemical spillage in India.

But now 22-year-old Barton will join former West Wing star Martin Sheen in the picture, which is due for release later this year.

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WENN

WENN

Mischa Barton couldn’t fly in her pink butterfly wings as she left the Hero Awards with her mother, and stepped into some dog poo (in case you were wondering).