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Paris Sued for Sex Tape Slander

by Sarah Hall
Nov 14, 2003, 12:20 AM PT

First the sex tape was just a rumor. Then it hit the Net in all its grainy, night-vision glory. Now the lawsuits have begun.

Rick Solomon, Paris Hilton's infamous ex-boyfriend and amateur porn costar, filed the first salvo in the sex tape scandal Thursday, stating that the Hilton family has slandered him as a "criminal."

The video entrepreneur is suing the Hiltons and their publicist for $10 million, claiming "devastating effects" from their "shady behind-the-scenes maneuvers."

Solomon, whose naked body and sexual techniques are now familiar to millions of Internet viewers, is sore over claims that Hilton was an unwilling participant in the duo's mattress frolic.

In an apparent attempt at salvaging "sweet-natured" Paris's damaged rep, Hilton publicist Siri Garber told the New York Post and other publications that Paris comes across on tape as an incapacitated "victim," and "can't even get up" over the course of the tawdry encounter.

It was those statements in particular that seem to have touched a nerve with Solomon. Or perhaps it was Paris' initial denial in August that the tape even existed, and her taunts in New York magazine that Solomon was "a complete liar and scumbag."

In any case, Solomon has since been vindicated on the question of the tape's existence.

A three-minute excerpt of the Solomon-Hilton porno powwow was leaked onto the Internet this week. Curious Web surfers rapidly caught on, and the clip spread like wildfire.

It's those cyber-gawkers that Solomon is counting on to back him up that Paris was an eager participant in the ribald romp.

"Any reasonable person who views the tape will surely conclude that Hilton was fully aware and cognizant of everything that was happening throughout the videotaped encounter and freely engaged in a wide variety of sexual activities with Solomon," the suit states. (A copy of the complaint is online at the Smoking Gun.)

It does seem like a far cry to claim that Hilton was anything but self-aware in the course of the steamy home movie.

Not only does the sexy socialite preen provocatively on camera, arranging herself in positions that showcase her best sides, but she takes a break to answer her cell phone, chats with Solomon, and says "hi" to her future audience in a raccoon-eyed closeup in the brief excerpt of the tape that's circulating on the Web.

The suit alleges that towards the end of the full-length 27-minute video, Hilton takes the camera to the bathroom with her to film in a brighter setting, explaining to Solomon that she wants anyone who views the tape to see her breasts in better light, as opposed to the dimly lit bedroom.

The tape was shot three years ago, when Solomon was 30 and Hilton was 19. The duo reportedly watched it together after it was shot, then Solomon showed it to several friends, allegedly with Hilton's full permission.

Since that time, Hilton has become famous simply by acting (and partying) like an A-lister, and will soon star in Fox's upcoming reality series The Simple Life with fellow bad girl socialite, Nicole Richie (Lionel's daughter, currently in rehab for heroin addiction.)

Solomon, in the meantime, has endured an on-off-on marriage to Shannen Doherty and launched a clothing and video venture titled Beverly Hills Pimps and Hos, which is described as an A-list version of Girls Gone Wild.

Though Solomon said he had nothing to do with the Hiltoon tape's release, the man who sold the tape told Celebrity Justice that Solomon actually had a hand in duplicating and selling the fruits of his night as an amateur pornographer.

Don Thrasher said he received a check for $50,000 for the tape, and paid Solomon a $25,000 cut of it in cash. He said Solomon was the one who told him where and how to hawk the footage.

Solomon's lawyer, Marty Singer, told Celebrity Justice that his client was not involved with leaking the tape, and that Thrasher took the tape from Solomon's home, copied it and returned it without his knowledge. Singer said Solomon has a police report alleging the theft and plans to sue Thrasher.

No matter who was behind the initial distribution of the tape, one unlikely source has decided to take the moral high ground over circulating it.

Bill Horn, a spokesman for Girls Gone Wild told E! that the franchise was approached about distributing the tape but wants nothing to do with it.

"Girls Gone Wild was indeed approached about a Paris videotape," Horn said in a statement. "We would have absolutely nothing to do with an improperly attained video and told the person approaching us such. We believe that this effort to embarrass Paris and her family is extremely disturbing. We wish our friend Paris the best in her legal fight."