LeAnn Rimes claims she became 'a target' during Eddie Cibrian cheating scandal

LeAnn Rimes knows all too well about airing out her dirty laundry.

The country star didn't always have the tools to properly handle the public backlash she often faced - especially when it came to her very public affair with husband Eddie Cibrian. 

"I realized very quickly that there are a lot of women who’ve been hurt. Like, I’ve been on both sides of that coin — I’ve been cheated on, too, so I know that feeling," Rimes told Flow Space in a new interview. "But so many women don’t know what to do with that anger… I was a target that was just easily projected upon. And once I realized that, things got a lot easier."

BRANDI GLANVILLE SAYS SHE AND LEANN RIMES ARE ‘LIKE SISTER WIVES’ AFTER A ‘DECADE OF FIGHTING’

After facing a wave of public backlash over her affair with now-husband Eddie Cibrian, LeAnn Rimes said she was either "going to die" or be forced to "confront it." (Getty Images)

"Instead of taking it so personally, it’s like, look: This is not all my pain to carry. I know what I’m responsible for in the situation and making amends for that. But you know, the world’s pain is not mine to carry, and I think that really got thrown at me for a long time," she added. 

"I felt very alone in this world for a long time," she continued. "I don’t necessarily feel that way anymore… I don’t feel like I’m ever in hiding."

Rimes and Cibrian met while filming the Lifetime movie "Northern Lights." They were both married to other people at the time, but pursued a relationship anyway. 

Rimes met husband Eddie Cibrian while working on "Northern Lights" in 2009. (Amy Sussman)

LeAnn Rimes was married to chef Dean Sheremet when she met Eddie Cibrian, who was married to model Brandi Glanville. (Greg Gayne/NBC via Getty Images)

After both divorcing their spouses and tying the knot in 2011, Rimes faced a wave of hate. 

"Starting as a child star [I had] all this protection," Rimes, who will star in "911: Nashville" this fall, told the outlet. "But it was like, if I want to live a fulfilling life, I’ve got to learn how to let that guard down. To me, it was either I was going to die, or I had to confront it. It was complete survival."

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Brandi Glanville discussed ending her longtime feud with LeAnn Rimes. (Reuters)

These days, Rimes and Cibrian, who shares sons Mason, 22, and Jake, 18, with ex-wife, Brandi Glanville, are living life to the fullest and have learned healthy ways to co-exist as a blended family. 

"I think I’ve gone from survival to thriving to — if there is a level up from thriving — to truly living. I think that’s where I’m headed," Rimes said. 

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