Paris Hilton says the people who've mocked her son's appearance are 'cruel and hateful'

• Paris Hilton says she's deeply hurt by the "cruel and hateful" people who mocked her son's looks.
• The socialite uploaded a photo of her son to Instagram last week.

Paris Hilton took to Instagram on Monday to slam online trolls who've made fun of her son's physical appearance.

"Living life in the spotlight, comments are inevitable, but targeting my child, or anyone else's for that matter, is unacceptable," Hilton wrote in an Instagram story.

The socialite uploaded a photo of herself and her son, Phoenix Barron Hilton Reum, to Instagram on October 19. The post drew several mean comments from people, who likened Hilton's son to cartoon characters like Stewie Griffin from "Family Guy," and the animated rat from "Pinky and the Brain."

"This hurts my heart more deeply than words can describe. I've worked hard to cultivate an environment that is all about love, respect, and acceptance, and I expect the same in return," Hilton said in her Instagram story.

"If I don't post my baby, people assume I'm not a great mother and if I do post him, there are some people who are cruel and hateful," she continued.

Hilton added that her son is "perfectly healthy, adorable and angelic," and called him the "biggest blessing" in her life.

"It's hard to fathom that there are people in the world who would target such innocence," Hilton wrote. "I hope that people can treat one another with more kindness and empathy."

Hilton and her husband, venture capitalist Carter Reum, announced Phoenix's birth via surrogate in January. She told The Independent's Adam White, in an interview published in March that she hoped her son wouldn't follow in her footsteps.

"And I hope that he doesn't want to be in this industry, because it's a lot. I'm hoping he'll be a nerd like his dad and do business or sports or something," Hilton told White.

"I'm never going to stop my son from doing what he wants to do in life. I'm just hoping he doesn't want to be in the spotlight," she added.

Representatives for Hilton did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.