Perez Hilton Suing BEP

06/24/09 3:20pm

by Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

Perez Hilton could take legal action against the Black Eyed Peas' manager Liborio "Polo" Molina for allegedly punching him outside Toronto nightclub Cobra on Sunday night.

Hilton (real name Mario Lavandeira) had been approached by both Fergie and Will.I.Am (real name William Adams) of the Black Eyed Peas earlier in the evening, and he claims Will.I.Am was verbally abusive to him before he was punched outside the club. Hilton had called Will.I.Am a "faggot" before the incident took place.

Will.I.Am denied Hilton was hit in a series of videos he uploaded online early Monday morning, but a photo has surfaced on the internet which claims to show Hilton being punched. Its authenticity has not been determined.

Hilton claims the punch left him "bleeding" and he was cut beneath his eye and plans to sue over the incident, according to the Access Hollywood television program.

"All persons responsible for this cowardly act of physical violence will be sued and held legally responsible for their actions," Bryan J. Freedman, said in a statement. "His First Amendment rights will not be infringed upon through fear, intimidation or violence.

"Perez will take legal action against anyone who chooses to resort to physical violence as a means to respond to criticism they do not like."

Toronto police have charged Molina with one count of assault.

In other news, Hilton has apologized for using the gay slur against Will.I.Am before the alleged punch took place. Will.I.Am claimed the openly gay blogger called him a "faggot" before the incident occurred, which Hilton does not deny.

He said he did it because he wanted to call Will.I.Am the worst possible thing he could imagine, but the Gay And Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) took him to task over using the term.

"For someone in our community to use [that word] to attack another person by saying that it is, quote, 'The worst possible thing that thug would ever want to hear,' is incredibly dangerous," GLAAD's Rashed Robinson said. "It legitimizes use of a slur that is often linked to violence against our community. And it sends a message that it is OK to attempt to dehumanize people by exploiting anti-gay attitudes."

Hilton, who ironically was once employed by GLAAD as a media relations assistant, at first said he would not apologize and GLAAD owed him an apology instead, but he backtracked on his words today and called them "misguided."

"I wanted to hurt [Will.I.Am] with the word I chose, not anyone else," he said in a statement on Wednesday. "Unfortunately, the one who got hurt was me and, subsequently, a lot of other people. I wish none of it had happened. I can't take it back. I did what I thought was best at the moment to stand up for myself in a non-violent 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. I am just speaking for myself, a gay man."

"I've come to terms with all my incongruities and am proud of who I am and what I do," he continues. "In closing, words can hurt. But words should not provoke someone to violence."