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I can't even describe walking out of that place. It was like if someone could describe their wedding day or having a baby – it was that kind of happiness. Just being able to hug my mom felt so great, and I really needed it 'cause I haven't had a hug in a long time.
In your journal, you write that this has been a "life-changing experience." How so?
I've never felt happier. I'm grateful for everything. Even having a pillow at night or blankets – just things I never thought about. I saw the world in different eyes. I was stripped of everything. I was taken away from my family, I had my freedom taken away, everything.
Let's go back to Sept. 7, the night of your DUI arrest. What happened?
I was shooting in Pasadena for my music video, and I had dinner reservations with my sister and some friends. The shooting ended up late. I had a couple of sips from my friend's drink. I was starving because I didn't get to eat dinner, so I drove a couple of blocks to In-N-Out [burger restaurant] and I got pulled over. It was a .08 [blood-alcohol level], which is the lowest possible you can have. I regret it. Since that night I never drank and drove again.
Why did you keep driving after your license was suspended?
I was under the impression that I did have my license. [I was advised] "You are not allowed to drive for 30 days, then 90 days after that you can drive to and from work." During that 30-day period I never drove, and after that I drove for work-related purposes. Were you required to enroll in an alcohol education program? Yes. I completed it [around] two months ago.
Have you ever had a drinking problem?
No. I don't even enjoy drinking.
When your 45-day jail sentence was handed down on May 4, there was a lot of gleeful public reaction, and a PEOPLE.com poll found that 78% of respondents think you got what you deserved. How does that feel?
I don't know anyone who got that sentence for something like that. I wasn't in there for a DUI. I was there for a suspended license. My parents were even told not to bother coming because it was a minor thing – just a few hours of community service.
PEOPLE.com also asked, "Was Paris sincere when she said she feels like a different person?" Again, most said no. What do you say to them?
That they're wrong and they don't know me. I'm a good person. I'm a compassionate person. I have a big heart. I'm sincere, and they'll see.
JOSH & FERGIE: ROCKED BY SCANDAL
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Married less than a year, the couple denies an Atlanta woman’s claims that she and Josh had a fling
Note that this week’s cover of PEOPLE may differ regionally
