Kristen Stewart doesn't specifically state that cheating on longtime love Robert Pattinson with her married Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders was the "traumatic" event that changed her life, but it's pretty obvious that's exactly what she's talking about.

The actress covers the new issue of Marie Claire, and not only does she look totally glam and gorgeous in makeup and couture, but she dishes about life in the spotlight and how she's matured. And that cheating scandal? K. Stew sips on a vodka tonic and tells the reporter:
    "Speaking very candidly, it was a really traumatic period in my early 20s that kick-started something in me that was a bit more ... feral."

When she was 22, the starlet was photographed getting all hot and bothered with Sanders, and after she ended her romance with Twilight star Robert Pattinson, she eventually started dating girlfriend Alicia Cargile. On reaching peace with her public image, she says:
    "I'm really proud that I am able to move forward and not fall into every mental crater. That's a new thing for me. Age has made me smarter and calmer. And it is f*cking awesome."

So what was life like when she was a child star? "Between ages 15 and 20, it was really intense," she says. "I was constantly anxious. I was kind of a control freak. If I didn't know how something was going to turn out, I would make myself ill, or just be locked up or inhibited in a way that was really debilitating."

Other quotables? On famously cutting her hair, she says:
    "My hair was such a crutch. I looked quote unquote 'sexy' no matter what. I could hide behind it. As soon as I didn't have all that hair, I had to let my face hang out. I felt more confident than I had in a really long time. And it felt really good. Maybe to most people long hair is prettier. But then what? Is your main goal in life to be desired? That is boring as f*ck."

Though she smokes, K. Stew notes that the best advice she's ever received was from Patti Smith, who "told me to always take care of my teeth and lungs." Hmm, maybe she should listen!