Paris Hilton is a genius, according to "Heroes" actress Hayden Panettiere. The 18-year-old says the heiress is not at all an airhead as her image projects, but she's actually smart.
Panettiere, who has been friends with Hilton for years, is quoted by showbizspy.com as saying, "She's a nice girl and a lot brighter than people give her credit (for) but no one sees her like that because she plays this character all the time. She's actually a marketing genius."
Meanwhile, the TV cheerleader admits she was "tortured" by school bullies. She says that the bullies targeted her because she is an actress.
The actress says, "At school I was teased a lot because I was an actor. They used to be awful. I went through a big period where I was tortured at school. Absolutely ripped apart."
"It was very hard for me but I think it made me a stronger person and I'm glad that it happened."
