Adrien Grenier Praises Paris Hilton

Actor ADRIEN GRENIER has rushed to the defence of paparazzi darling PARIS HILTON - contratulating her on her "ballsy" relationship with the media.

The pair sent gossips into a spin last year (07) with rumours of an alleged romance.

And though Grenier insists their relationship is purely platonic - he admits he holds the heiress in high regard because of her artful way of dealing with reporters.

He says, "I have a lot of respect for Paris. She's ballsy. She's learned to play with the paparazzi attention and have fun with it, and she creates little mysteries in the tabloid arena.

"She's an artist painting on a different canvas. I have fun with her, but it's always been platonic. (Our relationship) wasn't sexual - though I can understand that sex sells."