Thursday, 4 January 2007

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Nightclubs turn their back on Paris Hilton

Florida hot spots snub the no-show heiress

It seemed like a perfect match: Paris Hilton and a pair of nightclubs.

But the two Florida establishments named after the heiress will no longer be associated with her, their owner, Fred Khalilian, tells the Associated Press.

Khalilian says he "fired" Hilton, 25, because she didn't make scheduled appearances at the 2-year-old Club Paris in downtown Orlando. Another Club Paris opened in Jacksonville last year.

"She's created a circus for herself," he says. "It's all about: How has she screwed up now?"

Signs of trouble were apparent from the start, when Hilton arrived six hours late to the Orlando club's grand opening in January 2005.

"I was in the Swiss Alps skiing, and I got caught at the airport with all the holiday travel so I've been trying to travel for the past 24 hours," Hilton said at the time. "I'm so sorry I'm late."

Under the terms of her deal with Khalilian, who sank $3 million into the club, Hilton was required to make four appearances a year at the Orlando location. She herself had made no financial investment in the operation.

Khalilian tells the AP he doesn't plan to change the name of the clubs, but says Club Paris will now refer to the city, not the socialite. He also says he plans to hold a contest to find a new face for the hot spots.

Hilton's rep, Elliot Mintz, tells the AP that neither he nor Hilton has heard from Khalilian. "I'm certainly disappointed to learn of Fred's unfortunate comments," says Mintz. "We shall address his statements at the appropriate time."