Paris Hilton accepts Sarah Silverman's apology for 'not nice' joke at 2007 MTV Movie Awards

Sarah Silverman is apologizing to Paris Hilton for a "not nice" joke she made about the socialite almost 14 years ago.

During Monday's episode of her podcast "This is Paris," Hilton called out a "disgusting" NSFW joke Silverman cracked at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards about the socialite's time behind bars.

Hilton was sentenced to 45 days in jail that year for violating probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case and famously checked herself into prison hours after attending the award ceremony.

"To sit in the audience with her just publicly humiliating me, being so mean, so cruel, I was sitting there wanting to die," Hilton said. "I was trying to hold back my tears so hard. I had tears welling up in my eyes. I literally wanted to run out of the entire room, but I was trying to be strong."

She continued: "It was so painful, especially what I was going through in my life, to then have someone be so mean about it was really hard."

On Thursday's episode of "The Sarah Silverman Podcast," the comedian apologized to Hilton, saying she "felt awful" about the joke and could see Hilton's pain that night.

"While I was thrilled at the success of my monologue, I remember spotting her in the audience," the comedian said. "I really do. And I remember seeing that look on her face, and my heart sank, because there was a person under there."

Though Hilton said Monday she and the comedian haven't spoken since, Silverman said she sent Hilton an apology letter a couple days after the ceremony.

"I'm just real sorry my note didn't get to her, because I really meant it," Silverman said. "I regretted the jokes not years later, but kind of immediately."

The comedian extended another apology to Hilton.

"So, here I am, 14 years later, telling you, Paris, that I am really sorry," she said. "I was then and I am, much more completely and with far more understanding I think, now. I can't imagine what you were going through at the time. My understanding of humanity through the lens of my work as a comedian had not yet merged, and I'm sorry I hurt you."

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Though Silverman "can't change the past," she said it's important comedians "change with the times" and that she "would never do those jokes today."

Hilton returned to her own podcast later Thursday to accept Silverman's apology and say she looks forward to "a clean, fresh slate" with the comedian.

"Thank you," Hilton said. "I really, really appreciate you doing that. I know it's difficult for anyone to apologize, and for someone to do that really means a lot."

Hilton added she became "teary-eyed" while hearing Silverman recall seeing the socialite's reaction in the audience.

"I'm glad that her comedy has grown, and she realizes that it's not nice to make fun of people," Hilton said. "She's really grown as a person just like we all do, and I know where she's coming from because, just like everyone, we've all said things in our past that we've felt bad about, we later regretted."

Hilton added that she never received Silverman's letter, but that she wishes she could have read it at the time.

"That night at the MTV awards has haunted me for a very long time," she continued. "Apologies are never late, so it's OK. But I do wish that whoever you gave (the letter) to did give it to me, because that would have just meant a lot back then."

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On her podcast earlier this week, Hilton revealed she became "very emotional" while watching the Hulu documentary "Framing Britney Spears," which has called into question the media's treatment of Spears and other women.

Hilton said she could relate to Spears' struggles. In addition to recalling Silverman's joke, the socialite also described a 2007 interview she did with David Letterman, in which she feels he went out of his way to humiliate her.

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According to Hilton, Letterman's public relations team reached out to her multiple times for an interview, but she "kept saying no." Finally, when Hilton had a fragrance coming out, she agreed to go on his late night program so long as he promised not to bring up her time in jail.

"I felt like it was a safe place because I’d been going on Letterman for so many years, and he’d always have fun with me and joke around," said Hilton.

Soon after Hilton walked onstage, however, Letterman broke his word, grilling her on what food she ate in prison and whom she met behind bars. At one point, Hilton told him, "I've moved on with my life so I don't really want to talk about it anymore."

"There was not supposed to be one question, and then he just kept pushing me and pushing me and I was just getting so uncomfortable, and I was so upset," she continued. "It was like he was just purposely trying to humiliate me."

Hilton said she pleaded with Letterman during commercial breaks to drop the subject, but he wouldn't relent.

"It was just very cruel and very mean," she said. "After it ended, I just looked at him, and I said, 'I am never coming on this show again. You've crossed the line.' I didn’t tell him off because I’m not that type of person, but I got angry."

According to Hilton, Letterman would have a harder time getting away with that interview if it happened today.

"There's no way that would happen today," she said. "It's such a different world now."

Hilton added she eventually went back on Letterman's show after he profusely apologized. She said their next interview was "so much better."

"He knew not to do that again," she said. "I think he felt bad."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Paris Hilton gets apology from Sarah Silverman for NSFW joke in 2007