August 03, 2004

Lawyer: S&M Photos, Not Nick Carter, Caused Paris' Bruises

By Jennifer Vineyard (MTV.com)

Bruises were spotted on Paris Hilton's arm this past week, and their origin remains a mystery. Sources close to her and her family are blaming Nick Carter in the New York press, but the Backstreet Boy's lawyer calls the reports "bogus" and blames a Rolling Stone photo shoot.

Hilton and Carter had dished their sides of a July 22 phone breakup in recent issues of Us Weekly and People, respectively, but no violence was mentioned in either account. Hilton has not publicly accused anyone of hurting her, but friends speaking on her behalf -- and on the condition of anonymity -- told the New York Post and the New York Daily News that the hotel heiress suffered abuse at the hands of Carter before this alleged instance as well as after the couple met up last week in Los Angeles.

Carter's attorney Marty Singer said his client did meet up with his ex-girlfriend, and that she even went home with him. But, Singer claims, Hilton is upset about what Carter said to People magazine and could be seeking retaliation by spreading rumors. Singer said the bruises were caused during an "S&M" photo shoot for Rolling Stone magazine, by a band or a strap around her arm that was too tight. To claim abuse, he said, would be "false and defamatory," and he faulted the Post of shoddy reporting. Singer also represents Britney Spears in her fight with the New York tabloid, which printed a photo of her drinking ginseng and called it booze.

"This is a Post tabloid story," Singer said, "and no one is making a claim of abuse. If they do, we'll evaluate our legal options."

Sources at Rolling Stone said that Hilton's photo shoot was not "S&M themed," and Hilton's rep concurred, adding that the shoot was held weeks ago, on July 19.

"That info sent out by Nick's side is false," Hilton spokesperson Gina Hoffman said. "You can see in pictures taken after the Rolling Stone shoot that she did not receive any bruises from the shoot."

Where, then, did the bruises come from? Hilton's rep would only say, "No comment."