Mischa Barton used to be terrified of men.

The 24-year-old actress - who is dating musician Ali Love and previously dated The Kooks singer Luke Pritchard and oil heir Brandon Davis - insists she was nothing like Marissa Cooper, the wild child character she played in TV drama `The O.C.` for three years until 2006.

She said: "I hadn`t had sex ever. I was a virgin. I was a very late bloomer and I was terrified of men.

"I was in no rush to kiss a boy and I was in no rush to get a boyfriend because once you go down that road you don`t go back."

Though Mischa was terrified of men, she is now happy and content in her relationship with 31-year-old Ali.

She added to Tatler magazine: "He`s lovely and he`s a genius. He can do anything. He can do country, rock, whatever, but most of what he does has been electronica."
sections: Celebrities