Paris Hilton, one of the "celebutante" stars of FOX's upcoming The Simple Life series, is no stranger to controversy and gossip headlines, but apparently her latest escapades are making even her blush. According to a New York Post report, Hilton, who's previous exploits have included a Hollywood catfight with actress Shannen Doherty and a widely-circulated paparazzi photo of her exiting a car sans panties, is now at the center of a "Pamela and Tommy Lee"-style sex tape controversy involving Hilton and Rick Solomon, Doherty's husband.

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The Post, which claims to have received a copy of the tape from "an anonymous donor, who may be planning to sell the tape over the Internet," doesn't pin the leak on Solomon, but quotes a Hilton spokesperson as saying "This was something she did with Rick while they were dating, after he was no longer with Shannen, and it was something that was intended for their own personal use. This tape was never intended to be viewed by the public and it is in poor taste that someone has decided to release it."

Solomon, 33, who's on-again off-again marriage to Doherty reported included a ten-day stay with Hilton at the Beverly Hills Hotel in March 2003, dated Hilton several years ago. The video was apparently filmed during that time and features Solomon and a 19-year-old Paris Hilton. According to sources quoted in the New York Post who have seen the footage, Hilton "keeps staring into the camera and trying to show her best side…She knows she is being taped and keeps trying to get her into sex positions that are better for taping, if you know what I mean."

According to E!, Solomon, an Internet gambling site owner, recently launched a too-hot-for-TV video venture called Beverly Hills Pimps and Ho's. Given the Girls Gone Wild-wannabe company's stated goal of shedding a "scandalous" light on the "saddest, richest and hottest girl of Beverly Hills" as well as his obvious access to the video, initial speculation centered on his involvement, but Solomon is currently denying (at least publicly) any role in the marketing of the video.

For their part, the elder Hiltons are not taking the news well and are threatening legal action against anyone who helps make the tape public. In a statement released to the New York Post, the Hilton family states that they are "greatly saddened at how low human beings will stoop to exploit their daughter Paris, who is sweet-natured, for their own self-promotion as well as profit motives." "Paris is working very hard on her career. The release of a private tape between a younger girl and her older boyfriend is more than upsetting . . . Anyone in any way involved in this video is guilty of criminal activity, and will be . . . vigorously prosecuted."

Paris might be "sweet-natured" (although perhaps they define the term differently than we do), but she's certainly not above lying. According to E!, when rumors of the tape first surfaced earlier this year, Hilton denied its existence and told New York magazine that Solomon was "a complete liar and scumbag." We agree he's a scumbag... but apparently he's not the one who was lying about the matter. At least not initially.

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