Kirsten Dunst has said her stay in a rehabilitation clinic in Utah earlier this year was due to depression, rather than substance abuse.
The Spider-Man actress was admitted to the Cirque Lodge centre in February, the same facility in which Lindsay Lohan was resident after her arrest for driving under the influence.
But while it had been believed that Dunst's admission to the facility had come after a week of heavy partying at the Sundance film festival, she had denied that drug or alcohol problems were at the root of her decision to seek treatment.
"I didn't go to Cirque Lodge for alcohol abuse or drug abuse," the 26-year-old told E! Online in a break from filming her new film All Good Things. "I went there for depression.
"I was struggling, and I had the opportunity to go somewhere and take care of myself," she added.
"I was fortunate to have the resources to do it. My friends and family thought it was a good idea, too."
The 25-year-old split from her boyfriend, Razorlight frontman Johnny Borrell, in August last year, with the breakup followed by the robbery of her New York City hotel room. An iPod, mobile phone, digital cameras, cash and credit cards were stolen during the break-in.
And Dunst's reputation for partying has seen her tagged 'Kirsten Drunkst' by some internet bloggers.
However, she explained that she had decided to reveal the extent of her depression now after growing tired of press speculation about her mental state.
"Now that I'm feeling stronger, I was prepared to say something," Dunst said.
"We're all in the same boat together," she said when questioned about why a successful young actress would be depressed.
"Depression is pretty serious and should not be gossiped about."
28/05/2008 09:17:42
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