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Paris on 'psychotropic drugs'
10/06/2007 08:32 - (SA)
Los Angeles - Paris Hilton has not eaten or slept since arriving at the medical ward of a Los Angeles jail and is being given psychotropic drugs, celebrity website TMZ.com reported on Saturday, citing law enforcement sources.
Nevertheless, the socialite and hotel heiress said late on Saturday afternoon that she had told her attorneys not to appeal the order that sent her back to jail on Friday after a day of house arrest.
"Being in jail is by far the hardest thing I have ever done," Hilton, 26, said in a written statement issued by her attorney, Richard Hutton. "During the past several days, I have
had a lot of time to think and I believe that I am learning and growing from this experience."
Hilton was ordered back to jail on Friday after a judge overruled a sheriff's decision to place her under house arrest because of psychological problems. She had spent three days of an expected three-week term behind bars.
The multimillionaire known for her party-going lifestyle was crying a lot and was very withdrawn, TMZ reported.
Hilton was visited by her psychiatrist, Dr Charles Sophy, for more than two hours on Saturday morning. She was being held in a room by herself with a glass door that is guarded at all times, the report said.
TMZ also said Hilton was taking psychotropic medication, but did not specify which drug. Psychotropic medications affect a person's emotions and behavior and include drugs like lithium, which is taken for depression, and Valium, which eases anxiety.
Steve Whitmore, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County sheriff, declined to comment on the report. "Anything to do with her medical stuff I can't confirm or deny," he said.
A spokesperson for Hilton could not immediately be reached for comment.
In her statement, Hilton thanked her fans for their good wishes and said she missed her family.
Hilton's early release by Los Angeles county sheriff Lee Baca sparked national outrage and accusations of preferential treatment because of her celebrity status.
On Saturday, however, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Sauer's order to return her to custody was sparking controversy, with television pundits and others debating
whether he had overstepped his bounds in overruling Baca.
Hilton was sentenced to 45 days in jail last month for violating probation in a reckless case by driving on a suspended license.
On Friday she trembled and cried quietly throughout the hearing, then broke into loud sobs when the judge ordered her back into custody.
"Mom, Mom. It's not right," she wailed as she was led out of the courtroom. Her mother, Kathy Hilton, also sobbed.
In Saturday's statement, Hilton, whose face has graced the pages of gossip magazines for much of the last four years, said she was "shocked" by the attention her case has received.
"I would hope going forward that the public and the media will focus on more important things like the men and women serving our country in Iraq and other places around the world," she said.
- Reuters
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South Africa
