Hilton: I Won't Back Down

Openly-Gay Celeb Blogger Files Civil Suit Against Black Eyed Peas Manager, Will "Continue To Fight For Equality"

(CBS/AP)  Last updated 3:59 p.m. EDT

A new front has opened in the battle between Perez Hilton and the Black Eyed Peas manager accused of hitting him: a civil lawsuit.

The celebrity blogger sued the Peas' manager in Los Angeles on Wednesday for battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He is seeking unspecified damages in excess of $25,000.

The suit states Hilton is seeking to protect his rights to free speech and claims Polo Molina attacked him because he made critical comments about the Black Eyed Peas' new album.

Molina was arrested in Toronto early Monday after he allegedly punched Hilton following a heated argument between the blogger and Black Eyed Peas leader will.i.am.

An e-mail sent to the group's publicist was not immediately returned Wednesday.

The allegations originally came in an emotional, profanity-laced video, in which Hilton alleged he was roughed up by Molina during an altercation outside a Toronto nightclub.

The openly-gay celebrity blogger says punches were thrown after he used an anti-gay slur as an insult, following the MuchMusic Video Awards show.

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation called on Hilton to say he's sorry for unleashing the word during the dust-up.

Hilton followed up the video with a second statement on his Web site in which he said that he'll keep saying things upsetting to gay and straight people, alike.

"I wish none of it had happened," writes Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira. "I can't take it back. I did what I thought was best at the moment to stand up for myself in a nonviolent, yet still assertive way. Clearly, I am not homophobic. Also, I am not nor have I ever claimed to be a spokesperson for the gay community."

Hilton said he used the gay slur because he thought it would be the worst thing he could possibly say to will.i.am. after the musician told the blogger not to write about his band on his Web site.

"For someone in our own community to use it to attack another person by saying that it is 'the worst possible thing that thug would ever want to hear' is incredibly dangerous," said GLAAD media programs senior director Rashad Robinson. "It legitimizes use of a slur that is often linked to violence against our community."

In the video, which is nearly 12 minutes long, Hilton says, "I like writing about other people's drama. I don't want drama in my own life"

Hilton is known for using his snarky site to attack celebrities, CBS News correspondent Bianca Solorzano points out.

Hilton claims members of the Black Eyed Peas were verbally harassing him all night about negative postings on his blog.

"(will.i.am was) like this close to me, and screaming!" Hilton says into the camera.

It was at that point, he says, that he lashed back with the homosexual slur. "Then," Hilton continues in the video, "his manager ... comes up to me, clocks me in the eye ... and punches me two or three times. I am in shock. ... I touched my eye, and it was bleeding!"

The punch has sparked a war of words on Twitter, Solorzano reports, with celebs such as John Mayer and Kirstie Alley asserting the mean-spirited blogger got what was coming to him.

Actor Josh Duhamel, husband of Black Eyed Peas member Fergie agreed, telling Entertainment Tonight, "When you get rich saying hateful things, sometimes you ask for it."

Earlier this year, Hilton incited a brouhaha when he asked then Miss California Carrie Prejean during the Miss USA pageant if every state should follow Vermont in legalizing same-sex marriage. Her response, that "marriage should be between a man and a woman," received more attention than the pageant winner. Prejean, who was runner-up in Miss USA, was later dethroned as Miss California, and has said she lost her crown because of the comment.

[CLoverNYC1]

The poster child for homosexual 'rights' ended up on the business end of a left jab. He talked smack and he got one.

Sounds about right.

[krzeaz]

yawn. looks like a trumped-up incident, just to make the headlines. just to get attention.

[MEXpatriate]

Simply amazing how these personalities with their status score a free-ride ticket in life by just being themselves, some laughing all the way to the bank. Silly rabbit....
All in all, these celebs certainly contribute to the economy by providing work to lawyers that dispute these complex and important cases, not to forget the daily feed to the media industry. Crisis? What crisis?

[monkeys82]

Perez Hilton is a gay ***.

[John_Merritt]

It really is hard for me to be sympathetic to anyone who feasts on the suffering of others. It doesn't feel good to him when he gets clocked, but he causes 'internal bleeding' of everyone he laces into. The worst part when the bleeding stops for his target, they are still left with a gaping wound or a scarred interior. He is not a nice person and sometimes they have a tendency to attract the wrong attention. It would not surprise me if this is not repeated in the future, because of his 'in your face' approach to REPORTING. What a joke!

[All_pols_need_2_go]

The headline of this story is rather ironic "he won't back down" but I bet he will go down and back on to lots of other things.

[sumurphy0300]

I'm glad to learn that Perez actually gave someone a perfect reason to smack him silly; it's taking way too long in the making! Keep spouting off.

[Questionews]

I was going to post a condemning comment about Perez, but just look at the picture. How can words ever truly convey the depth of what a disgusting person he is that the above picture doesn't already convey. That picture is worth a 1000 word post.

[jjp735i]

Give me a break. How can anyone even listen to "Perez"? I mean the man makes fun of other people, how they look, how they dress, ect. Has anyone shown him a mirror? That's one ugly dude who dresses funny and talk about a screamer.....good Lord.

[Slrman]

So what we are seeing is a bunch of no-talent bums using their 15 minutes of fame to make themselves look almost as stupid as they really are.