LeAnn Rimes Gives Katie Couric Post-Rehab Interview As Cruel Twitter Attacks Persist

LeAnn Rimes will sit down with Katie Couric later this week for her first televised interview since completing a 30-day treatment program for anxiety and stress.

During a segment with “Katie,” the singer talked about her new outlook and will to move forward.

“I feel like I am starting over, even though I’ve had all these years behind me,” Rimes said. “How many people get to (start) over again in this day and age?

“People look at you and go, why are you struggling? … No one can quite understand why you hurt so badly,” she continued.

In August, the 30-year-old checked into a rehabilitation facility in order to better cope with the chronic cyberbullying she faces -- though their has been speculation that an eating disorder or substance abuse might be a factor.

"This is just a time for me to emotionally check out for a second and take care of myself and come back in 30 days as the best 30-year-old woman I can be," she said in a statement to People.

At the time of Rimes’ announcement, her lawyer Larry Stein announced that the star was taking legal action against some of her online tormenters. One cyber-bully, or Internet troll, reportedly recorded a phone conversation with Rimes after the songstress called to confront her. According to TMZ, parts of the recordings were taken out of context and posted online.

"There has been this cyber-bullying that has been going on for a considerable period of time," Stein told Celebbuzz. "Apparently, most of this started when LeAnn started dating Eddie Cibrian. These women have been merciless, vitriolic in their attacks. Like most celebrities, Rimes didn't like it, but she hoped things would get better."

Rimes has endured cruel Twitter comments, some branding her a homewrecker, since she began dating Cibrian in 2009 while she and the actor were both married to other people.

But the social networking site hasn’t been the only platform for the star’s haters to express themselves. A blog titled “The Curious Case of LeAnn Rimes” works to expose unflattering rumors about her personal life.

While the blog seems to have been abandoned after Rimes’ rehab announcement, she remains the target of cruel tweets.

“So, what’s that crazy [expletive] LeAnn home wrecker Rimes up to these days? Still making frivolous lawsuits?” someone posted on Monday.

“LeAnn Rimes is a whore,” wrote another last week.

A Twitter account devoted to “news on her imminent meltdown,” calling her a “mental case” and criticizing her appearance, is also still up and running.

In a recent interview, Rimes explained how the vicious comments affect her.

“I think it's really hard to deal with Twitter and Facebook and all these social media outlets,” she told the Boston Herald in early October. “It's hard to take it day after day of reading and seeing things that someone you don't even know says about you. As much as you said you don't want it to penetrate, it does, because you're human.”

Rimes is set to headline a U.S. tour following the release of her forthcoming album “Spitfire” next spring.