Elliot Mintz is no longer the most important man in Paris Hilton's life.

The jailbound heiress' longtime publicist announced Sunday that he and Hilton had ended their professional relationship over the so-called misunderstanding that resulted in a 45-day prison sentence for the Simple Life star.

In court Friday, Hilton blamed Mintz for feeding her bad information about the terms of her probation on an alcohol-related reckless driving charge, testifying that he told her that her license was only suspended for 30 days and that she could still drive for work-related matters.

Those provisions turned out to be false, as Hilton learned in February when she was picked up for speeding and driving with a suspended license.

In his statement, Mintz backed up his former client's claim that she was unaware she was doing anything wrong at the time.

"I believe when Paris stated in court that she believed it was okay for her to drive under certain circumstances she was being absolutely truthful," said Mintz, who has represented the likes of John Lennon and Bob Dylan.

"To the extent that I have miscommunicated information I received from her attorneys...I am deeply and profoundly sorry."

During the past couple of years, Mintz has been a fixture at Hilton's side, providing favorable spin on her various missteps and valiantly defending her against her detractors.

He was the one who bailed her out of prison after her DUI arrest last September, an incident he chalked up to "an empty stomach and working all day and being fatigued."

After the February traffic stop that would ultimately result in jail time for the heiress, Mintz maintained both he and Hilton were unaware her license had been suspended.

For Hilton, who told the court she does not open her own mail and "just sign[s] what people tell [her] to sign," it was an unfortunate oversight.

Despite their parting of the ways, Mintz had only good things to say about his ex-client.

"For the record, I have nothing but love and respect for Paris and her family," he stated. "Paris is a wonderful person and does not deserve the punishment that was handed down by the court."

On that matter, at least, the twosome are still of one mind.

Speaking to photographers camped outside her home Saturday, Hilton railed against the injustice of the sentence.

"I told the truth. I feel that I was treated unfairly, and that the sentence is both cruel and unwarranted," she said.

"I don't deserve this."

Hilton has been ordered to report to the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California, by June 5 to begin serving her sentence.

Though overcrowded jail conditions have in the past led to the early release of inmates sentenced to less than 90 days (for example, Michelle Rodriguez, who served less than five hours of her 60-day sentence for a DUI probation violation last year), a sheriff's spokesman said this is no longer the case and that Hilton can expect to check into a 12-by-8 cell for the full 45 days.

The hotel namesake's attorney, Howard Weitzman, filed a notice of appeal on her behalf shortly after Friday's hearing. (See the court filing here.)

"To sentence Paris Hilton to 45 days in jail is inappropriate and borders on ludicrous. It is clear that she has been selectively targeted for prosecution for who she is," Weitzman said.

In a clever stroke of timing by Harper's Bazaar, Hilton will appear on the cover of the June issue along with her Simple Life sidekick, Nicole Richie, who is due in court Friday for a hearing in her own misdemeanor driving-under-the-influence case. 

Because Richie has a previous DUI conviction on her record, she too could be facing jail time in the near future if found guilty of the charges against her. 

In the accompanying article, Hilton complains that her fame tends to be a nuisance when it comes to maintaining a low profile.

"I think I get in more trouble just because of who I am. The cops do it all the time. They'll just pull me over to hit on me," she told the magazine.  

Or so she thought. As it turns out, "Your license has been suspended," wasn't a pickup line after all.