LOS ANGELES - Socialite Paris Hilton has come to the defence of the "partying ethics" of her new best friend, Britney Spears, whose all-night clubbing has led to criticism that she is neglecting her two young sons.
Spears, 25, has hit the town -- sometimes leaving her underwearat home -- since filing for divorce from Kevin Federline last month, a few weeks after giving birth to the couple's second son.
In an entry on her page on the popular social networking website MySpace yesterday, hotel heiress Hilton called the attacks on Spears cruel and shameful.
"For people to call out her parenting skills on behalf of her partying ethics is appalling," Hilton wrote.
"Britney loves her kids to death, and I know for a fact that it truly hurts her when she sees these cruel things being written about her. She goes home every night to her babies and partying has not come in the way of her parenting," Hilton added.
Spears, who put her recording career and social life on hold for marriage and motherhood, said on her own website last week that she "probably did take my newfound freedom a little too far," but said she had not been out with friends for a long time.
Spears has been photographed with Hilton wearing plunging dresses and tight miniskirts on all-nighters at clubs in Las Vegas and Hollywood, shocking some of her younger fans and making her the butt of jokes. On at least three occasions, photographs of her getting out of cars revealed she was wearing no panties.
Us Weekly reported that Hilton has introduced Spears to pole dancing on her in-house stripper pole.
Hilton said thousands of mothers liked to go out and have a good time, "But, you do not see people out there calling them 'bad parents.' She's young, and if she wants to go out and have some fun, let her."
