Mother: "Paris is not spoilt"

Kathy Hilton has spoken out to defend her daughters against media criticism.

The matriarch believes that Paris and Nicky's well-documented exploits in the tabloids have led people to form a wrong impression.

"It used to really upset me the way my family is portrayed in the media,"she told More magazine. "As parents we try to keep our kids grounded and appreciate the opportunities they're given. I think everyone has an exaggerated idea of who we are. But, all I can really do is laugh it off and realise it's a part of who we are.

"Those stories about Paris and Nicky having credit cards when they were nine and 10 are ridiculous. Paris was 20 when she got her first one and Nicky was 19."

She continued: "I think we are nice people, and we are a close family. We go on vacations together, Paris and Nicky babysit their brothers, we like to barbecue and I love to cook a big family dinner at least once a month, like when we are out in the Hamptons during the summer.

"I always try to be nice and thoughtful to everyone I meet, and I want my kids to do the same. I constantly remind the girls of that old saying, 'The carpet can be pulled from under you at any time’."