Thu Jan 5, 7:21 PM ET
Apparently, Paris Hilton never learned the old adage "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say it."
Accusations of backstabbing behavior on the hotel heiress' part have earned Hilton her day in court in two separate trials.
Diamond heiress Zeta Graff, who once dated Hilton ex Paris Latsis, has filed a lawsuit seeking at least $10 million in damages, alleging that Hilton slandered her by deliberately planting "vicious lies" about her in the press.
Hilton is due in a Los Angeles courtroom on Jan. 17 for a hearing on the matter.
Graff took legal action last summer after the New York Post published a story in July, claiming that she had gone "berserk" and attacked Hilton at a London nightclub, where she was supposedly observed trying to strangle the celebutante and rip a diamond necklace from her neck in a jealous rage.
"This is a woman who is older and losing her looks, and she's alone. She's very unhappy," the source for the item helpfully told the Post about Graff.
Graff denied the story and claimed in her suit that Hilton had told her, "I'm going to destroy you," after failing to have Graff booted from the club.
Hilton's former publicist Rob Shuter has since admitted in a deposition to planting the item on orders from the vengeful heiress.
"I listened carefully. I took notes. And then, I made a call. Then, I called the Post," Shuter said in his Dec. 16 videotaped deposition.
Shuter claimed that Hilton herself was the anonymous source quoted in the item and that she referred to herself in the third person while feeding him quotes, such as: "'It's one thing to lose your boyfriend to Paris Hilton--it's another to find her wearing your family jewels,' mused one observer."
Hilton has reportedly admitted in court documents to fabricating the Graff encounter, but has claimed through her attorneys that she was not responsible for the item going into print.
"Hilton believes that certain statements contained in the article were communicated to the New York Post by Robert Shuter of Dan Klores Communications, without Hilton's prior consent, knowledge, participation or authorization," Hilton's legal team claimed in court documents filed in September.
However, according to the Post, Shuter had Hilton sign a waiver, excusing him of any liability stemming from the item, and kept a record of her emails and phone calls relating to the matter.
On Tuesday, Graff amended her original complaint and further accused Hilton of repeatedly perjuring herself during a Nov. 9 deposition in the case.
"The evidence has shown that, in an obvious attempt to mask her own liability and reduce her overall exposure in this case, Hilton lied under oath at her deposition time and time again," Graff's attorneys stated in the documents.
Graff was confident about her chances of winning her case against her rival.
"Hilton will learn a valuable lesson about what happens when you try to ruin another person's reputation," Graff told the Post. "She made a number of false statements about me, and she repeatedly lied under oath during her recent deposition. I look forward to her explaining all of this to a jury."
Meanwhile, Graff's case isn't the only matter requiring Hilton's presence in a Los Angeles courtroom on Jan. 17.
The House of Wax star is also involved in a second case filed by club promoter Brian Quintana, who claims that Hilton harassed him and threatened his life.
He is seeking a restraining order against Hilton and previously served her with a "cease and desist" letter, in which he claimed that she was badmouthing him around Hollywood and "ruining his reputation and interfering with his business relationships."
Hilton's spokesman Elliot Mintz denied that his client was guilty of Quintana's allegations.
"I can assure you that when all of the facts are revealed in this matter, they will show that the victim is, in fact, Paris Hilton," he told the Associated Press.
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