When it rains, it pours.
After celebrating her 30th birthday Tuesday and checking into rehab the following day, LeAnn Rimes filed a lawsuit August 30 against two women who allegedly taped an August 19 telephone conversations without the singer's consent.
According to court documents, the musician's attorney claims Kimberly and Lexi Smiley "conspired to spitefully ensure that out-of-context excerpts of that recording would be disseminated to the public on various websites. . . in an effort to portray Ms. Rimes in an egregious false and negative light and cause her emotional distress."
Rimes does not know the true names of the defendants, so she used their known aliases in the court documents. The country music superstar added that she has been the target of an "increasingly aggressive internet campaign by supporters of her husband Eddie Cibrian's first wife, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Brandi Glanville."
(Northern Lights costars Rimes and Cibrian were both married when Us Weekly exposed their affair in 2009; in the years that followed, Rimes has made peace with her ex-husband, Dean Sheremet, as well as Cibrian's ex-wife.)
Rimes' "secretly" taped conversation went viral Thursday, and as a result, her attorney believes it has "harmed her reputation and personal relationships." The singer's attorney added that it has "caused her emotional distress."
Rimes' attorney, Larry Stein, spoke with Celebuzz about her current court case Thursday. "There has been this cyber-bullying that has been going on for a considerable period of time," Stein explained. "Apparently, most of this started when LeAnn started dating Eddie Cibrian. These women [on Twitter] have been merciless — vitriolic in their attacks. Like most celebrities, Rimes didn't like it, but she hoped things would get better."
"They don't understand who she is or who she stands for," Stein added.
Rimes is currently seeking treatment for "anxiety and stress" at a 30-day inpatient facility, her rep confirmed to Us Thursday. "While there will be speculation regarding her treatment, she is simply there to learn and develop coping mechanisms."
Indeed, an insider previously told Us that the "Can't Fight the Moonlight" singer "has a lot of mental anguish over how she is perceived. She has this constant feeling of being punished for something. She feels like society has never forgiven her. She has this overwhelming need to be loved and respected."
Ironically, after she went public about her decision to seek treatment, Rimes received support from none other than her husband's ex-wife.
"I totally support LeAnn's decision to enter rehab — my top priority is my children, and at the end of the day we are a family," Glanville — mom to Jake, 9, and Mason, 5 — told Us exclusively. "LeAnn is their stepmom, and they love her. I am wishing her all the best and I hope she will find what she is looking for while in rehab."
