For months, I knew that I was going to be interviewed for an E! True Hollywood Story, and I was beyond psyched! Just a few weeks ago, I sat down with the crew and told my story from start to finish. Needless to say, I was exhausted after only one day of filming. Even though I am an open book when it comes to my past and my present, going through all the ups and downs, controversies, and bad press took a temporary emotional toll on me - sort of like when you go into a therapy session, lay it all on the table, and leave feeling like all you want to do is just take a nice long nap to recover from the emotional outpour.
Despite being exhausted by day's end, the entire interviewing process had a ton of positives. I talk about my past often, but to basically talk through ALL of it, and then some, really changed my perspective on where I am at today. I just kept thinking about how I used to be at a point where I didn't even want to live, and now I get up in the morning with a purpose and a smile on my face.
I walked away from shooting and felt great about the outcome. Of course, I had no idea how it would be portrayed when the actual E! True Hollywood Story would air, but I had all the confidence in the world knowing that I put forth my best efforts to tell my personal testimony.
And with that, I was so happy to see the E! really hit the nail on the head when the show aired.
I couldn't have been happier with how my story was portrayed. It came out exactly how I wanted it to - straight forward, honest and void of any "fluff". I thought that my perspective on my own life had changed just after conducting the interview, but it changed even more once I saw it all pieced together. I noticed all the changes I have gone through, big and small, from how awful my hair used to look, to the kinds of things I had the gall to say in interviews, and to where I am today. Not only was this an opportunity for me to share my story of survival, but it was also a chance for myself and my loved ones to personally visualize how much my life has changed.
After the show aired, I received countless calls, social media messages and more. From my closest family and friends to people who grew up watching me on MTV, I couldn't have been more honored by the outpouring of support. For me, participating in this E! True Hollywood Story has been one of my biggest highlights of this year, and I can honestly say I am over the moon that I was given the opportunity to share my truths!