Paris on Benji: "We're Just Taking a Break"

The heiress tells Ryan Seacrest she's "still in love" with Benji Madden

By Peter Gicas Nov 21, 2008 5:02 PMTags
Paris Hilton, Benji MaddenDuffy-Marie Arnoult/Getty Images

With so many stories swirling this week about Paris Hilton and Benji Madden calling it quits, who better than the heiress herself to come clean about it all?

Speaking to E! News' Ryan Seacrest Friday morning, Hilton addressed the issue. But rather than calling it a breakup, she said, "Right now we're just taking a break."

Hilton also left open the possibility that she and Madden could get back together down the road.

"He is an incredible person, and we will always be really close," Hilton said. "We will see what happens in the future. I am still in love with him."

As for why they decided to go their separate ways for now...

"He has been working nonstop with his brother on his new record. I am working and traveling," she said. "All these reports that say I dumped him aren't true. This is a decision we made together as adults."

Hilton also claims that, despite the rumors, she is not getting back together with her ex-beau Stavros Niarchos, who she saw last weekend at a party in Miami.

"That's ridiculous," she said. "I was on a girls' weekend with some BFFs from [my MTV] show. Someone must have gotten a quick camera-phone picture of Stavros saying hi. He's someone I hadn't seen in a year."

Of course, Benji is the brother of Joel Madden, who is Paris pal Nicole Richie's main squeeze. But she insists the split won't affect their friendship, saying, "Nicole and I don't get in each other's relationships. We have a friendship that has been going on since we were 2 years old."