Eva Mendes told Interview magazine that she had taken to carrying a knife while filming 'Training Day' in 2001 because, at the time, it made her feel empowered. That and she was afraid of over-enthusiastic fans excited about her nude scenes.
"That was my controversial stage where I’d just started acting. I went through my little 'Angelina Jolie' phase, like I was really tough. I had just come out in Training Day and I was nude in it, so I was getting a certain kind of attention."
She also packed alternative protection - pepper spray. The knife was to be the last resort - just in case.
"I did carry a little blade. My God, with obviously no intention to ever use it," she says. "I had Mace as well. But the blade sounded cooler in interviews. I was young and stupid."
The 30-year-old star, who spent time at Utah's Cirque Lodge in February to attend to "some personal issues", also says she's glad the media didn't trash her after her troubles.
She says, "Actually, the media has been pretty nice to me. They've really trashed some people, so I'm actually thankful that it didn't get too crazy. But for all the stuff that came out a few months ago about substance abuse, there were so many wrong stories."
And the star insists that she will never reveal the real reason behind her stay in rehab - because her job requires her to retain a certain amount of mystery. She adds, "It's just better for you not to know, because it really does make me a better actor at the end of the day."
