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BEYOND THE PALE Von Teese and Manson in happier times

You've talked to him about those interviews?
We're in touch. And we can kind of laugh at it all. Sort of.

You've been very candid about alcohol and drugs leading to the dissolve of your marriage. Going in, did you see the signs and just hope that things would improve?
It's a matter of thinking, I can do anything. I can do this. I can take whatever is dished out. But eventually you ask, "What is my quality of life at this point?" I'm sure everyone can put together the pieces of the puzzle and figure out what happened—between drinking, drugs and inappropriate behavior. [In previous interviews she has referenced Manson's "inappropriate behavior" during their marriage, which some fans have interpreted to mean an extramarital relationship with 19-year-old Evan Rachel Wood. Manson has denied this, and Dita declined to elaborate.]

I'm not in it for the thrill of letting people see me nude.I'm not the girl who takes her top off at a party when I drink too much champagneYou're still inevitably identified and maybe most widely known as Manson's ex-wife. How do you handle it?
It's like having a tattoo. It's a part of my life and will always be part of my life. I don't regret a thing. Of course, it's something I'd like to not have to talk about five years from now, but I don't care either way. If people always associate me with him, that's fine. It was seven years of my life.

You've said before that you're looking for a man with manners. But it seems hard to believe a vanilla guy would do it for you.
I really don't have a type. People misunderstand and think there's a type of guy I must be into, because they only know about one or two of my relationships. I'm just really excited to meet someone that has a passion for life and wants to have adventures and have a good time. Someone who has a moderate lifestyle, and doesn't swing back and forth. My history with men has been either recovering addicts who are completely sober, or the opposite.

Is it fair to say you're attracted to addictive personalities?
I don't know what it is. Most of my long-term relationships have been with men that were sober. The good news is that I'm very moderate myself. I'm not militant one way or another about drinking and drugs. I can be around them and not have to dip into it.

Have you ever?
When I was 19 I was buck wild! I was a rave girl. I had a great time experimenting with drugs. But suddenly you grow up and you think, I don't want to feel like crap the next day. I have things to do.

Do you have to deal with any weird preconceptions from strangers, either due to the stripping or past relationships?
Maybe some people think that I'm an exhibitionist, but I'm definitely not. I'm not in it for the thrill of letting people see me nude. I'm not the girl who takes her top off at a party when I drink too much champagne.

LIPSTICK THESPIAN Von Teese puts on a show

So, had your career gone another way, we wouldn't see you in a Joe Francis Girls Gone Wild production?
No. But I've found myself in rooms with girls who are like that, who are taking their tops off and running wild. I like to let them have the attention.

You think they're trying to show off?
I think girls like to try to be the hottest, sexiest girl in the room. Some girls think that's how you become that, though it's not necessarily true.

I have to ask you about a quote that is circulating on the Web about how much you love Internet porn. Really now, does Dita Von Teese sit in her hotel room and surf raunchy websites?
Oh good, I'm so glad you asked me about that! The Internet is a funny thing. I've seen all these quotes from me that don't really exist. I've never looked at Internet porn in my life, though I do have some DVDs. All those pop-up windows! I couldn't do it.

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