Paris HiltonIn an audiotape, Paris Hilton is heard perpetuating the myth that most gay men have AIDS, RadarOnline.com reports. A New York City taxi driver who had the Hilton Hotels heiress and a gay male friend in his backseat recorded the audiotape.

Hilton says, “Gay guys are the horniest people in the world. They’re disgusting. Dude, most of them probably have AIDS…. I would be so scared if I were a gay guy. You’ll, like, die of AIDS.” Her comments were in response to her gay male friend, who earlier was describing Grindr, a dating mobile app for gay men.

A statement by a Hilton spokesperson said, “The conversation became heated after a close gay friend told her in a cab ride a story about a gay man who has AIDS and is knowingly having unprotected sex…. It was not her intent to make any derogatory comments about all gays.”

UPDATE: In a statement to GLAAD, Hilton offers her apology: “I am so sorry and so upset that I caused pain to my gay friends, fans and their families.... It is the last thing that I would ever want to do and I cannot put into words how much I wish I could take back every word. HIV/AIDS can hurt anyone, gay and straight, men and women. It’s something I take very seriously and should not have been thrown around in conversation.”

To hear the audio, read the article and the statement, click here.

To read the Hilton apology, click here.