Paris Hilton: Celebrity News

After the shocking announcement from last Friday that Paris Hilton would go to jail for 45 days, it's not too surprising to hear that the man that Paris holds partially responsible for getting her into this mess, her publicist Elliot Mintz, has been fired by the hotel heiress. Without a publicist, Paris Hilton has actually commented on the jail term on her own, describing her punishment as cruel and unwarranted.

On Friday, a visibly shaken and crying Paris Hilton was sentenced to 45 days in jail in a suburban Los Angeles lock up. A judge ruled that Paris Hilton had knowingly violated her probation when she got behind the wheel with a suspended license. At the hearing, Paris Hilton claimed that it was Elliot Mintz who told her that she was allowed to drive for work-related reasons. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Sauer rejected the claim that Paris Hilton thought she was allowed to drive and ordered her to turn herself in by June 5th.

Of course, the press mobbed the home of Paris Hilton over the weekend and, on Saturday, the hotel heiress and celebrity icon took the time to step out and speak to the photographers. Paris Hilton said, as quoted by Reuters, "I told the truth. I feel that I was treated unfairly and that the sentence is both cruel and unwarranted. I don't deserve this."

The Associated Press reports that, at the hearing, Paris Hilton tried to convince the judge that she only followed the orders of her publicist. Paris Hilton told the judge, when asked if she read the mail sent to her about the license suspension, "I have people who do that for me. I just sign what people tell me to sign."

Don't mark your calendars for June 5th yet. The attorney for Paris Hilton, Howard Weitzman, has already filed an appeal to try and get the sentence handed down to his client modified. Elliot Mintz, a legendary publicist who has represented John Lennon and Bob Dylan, took the stand to defend Paris Hilton, but, according to Reuters, his testimony was rejected as worthless by the judge. Mintz told TMZ on Sunday that he was deeply and profoundly sorry for giving Paris Hilton bad advice. He told the site, "Due to this misunderstanding, I am no longer representing Paris. For the record, I have nothing but love and respect for Paris and her family. Paris is a wonderful person and does not deserve the punishment that was handed down by the court. I only wish her my best."

A publicist spoke to the AP and claimed that the jail sentence will only make Paris Hilton more popular. Michael Levine told the news service, "It will actually increase her star appeal in a very sick and demented way. There's a segment of our society that's somehow engaged in the soap opera that is Paris Hilton, and this a very compelling plot line in the soap opera."

Another publicist, David Brokaw, echoed the sentiment that jail might be the best thing that could have happened to the career of Paris Hilton - "The premise of her fame is being naughty. This is a career move for her. It simply fuels the fascination. She can only win with this."