Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981)[3][4] is an American media personality, businesswoman, and socialite. Born in New York City, she is a great-granddaughter ofHilton Hotels founderConrad Hilton. She first attractedtabloid attention in the late 1990s for her presence in New York City's social scene, ventured intofashion modeling in 2000, and was proclaimed "New York's leadingIt Girl" in 2001.[3] The reality television seriesThe Simple Life (2003–2007), in which she co-starred with her friendNicole Richie, and a leaked 2003sex tape with her then-boyfriendRick Salomon, later released as1 Night in Paris (2004), catapulted her to global fame.[3][4]
A polarizing and ubiquitous public figure, Hilton is said to have influenced the revival of the "famous for being famous" phenomenon throughout the 2000s.[6] Critics indeed suggest that she exemplifies thecelebutante—a household name through inherited wealth and lavish lifestyle.Forbes included her in itsCelebrity 100 in 2004, 2005, and 2006, and ranked her as the most "overexposed" celebrity in 2006 and 2008. Hilton has parlayed her media fame into numerous business endeavors. Under her company, she has produced content for broadcast media, launched a variety of product lines, and opened several boutiques worldwide, as well as anurban beach club in the Philippines. Herperfume line alone has brought in over US$2.5 billion in revenue, as of 2020[update].[7][8][9]
Hilton was born on February 17, 1981, in New York City toRichard Hilton, a businessman, andKathy Hilton, a socialite and former child actress.[10][11] She is the oldest of four children, one of them beingNicky Hilton, and two brothers, Barron and Conrad. On their father's side, the four are great-grandchildren ofConrad Hilton, who foundedHilton Hotels, and grandchildren ofBarron Hilton. Their maternal aunts are television personalitiesKim andKyle Richards. The siblings have Norwegian, German, Italian, English, Irish, and Scottish ancestry.[12][13][14] The family followed theCatholic faith.[15][16]
Hilton moved frequently in her youth, living inBeverly Hills,the Hamptons, and a suite in theWaldorf-Astoria Hotel inManhattan. Her relatives have described her as "very much atomboy" who dreamed about becoming a veterinarian. Her mother recalled her saving money to buy monkeys, snakes, and goats, and once leaving "the snake out the cage [...] at the Waldorf".[17] Hilton was raised in a very "sheltered, conservative" atmosphere; her parents were particularly strict, and she was not allowed to date, wear make-up, or certain types of clothes, or go to school dances. Her mother enrolled her inetiquette classes with the idea of introducing her as adebutante, which Hilton was at first reluctant to do, as she did not find it to be "real" or "natural". She described it as "very proper, very prim, almost like aStepford wife".[17] The family's social circle included figures such asLionel Richie,Donald Trump, andMichael Jackson.[18][19]
In New York City, Hilton had a rebellious youth, regularly skipping classes and sneaking out to parties. On this period, Kathy remarked: "Let's put it this way—it got very out of control and I was scared for her. And my husband was very scared for her. And, you know, those nightclubs go on all night."[22] Her parents eventually sent her, then 16, to a series of boarding schools for emotionally troubled teens, includingProvo Canyon School, where Hilton says that she was mentally, physically, and sexually abused by the staff. In her documentaryThis Is Paris, Hilton and other former students from Provo Canyon School recall the abuses they faced, includingsolitary confinement, forced medication, restraint, battery, and strangulation. She attended Provo for 11 months and was released in early 1999, around the time she turned 18.[23][24][25][26] She then attended theDwight School before dropping out a few months later. "She knew no one at [Dwight]", said her mother in an interview, while a classmate described her as "sort of more sophisticated. She was different from everybody else".[19] She later earned aGED certification.[27][28]
Career
Social scene and modeling (1996–2002)
With motherKathy and sisterNicky, Hilton modeled as a child at charity events,[29] graced the May 4, 1988, cover of the weekly magazineBeverly Hills 213,[30] and made an uncredited appearance in the fantasy filmWishman (1992).
After relocating to NYC in 1996, Hilton developed a reputation as a socialite through appearances at nightclubs and high-profile events. She has recalled getting offers to show up in nightclubs as young as 16,[31][32][33] when she obtained a counterfeitedidentity document to gain access to events. Her antics and late-night persona soon started attracting the spotlight from local tabloids. After becoming familiar with Paris and Nicky's social circle, Jason Binn, publisher ofHamptons magazine, stated: "They're little stars. They've become names. To them, it's like a job. I believe they wake up every morning and say, 'O.K., where am I supposed to be tonight?'."[19]
That lifestyle conflicted with her family's conservative background and proved too "rebellious" for the young Paris, whose parents sent her to a series of boarding schools until she turned 18. Hilton resumed public appearances shortly afterwards and attended the NYC premiere ofCruel Intentions in March 1999 with Nicky.[34] ANew Yorker profile by Bob Morris, published in October that year, described her and her sister as "the littlest socialites in town [...] Without even a smile, they can breeze past the velvet ropes at Moomba or get a seat at Le Bilboquet".[35] BusinessmanGeorge J. Maloof Jr., for instance, flew Hilton in hisprivate jet and paid her to attend thePalms Casino Resort opening inLas Vegas in November 2001.[31][36][37][38][39]
Inspired by designersPatricia Field andBetsey Johnson, Hilton decided to pursue modeling, signing withDonald Trump's agency, T Management, at age 19.[29] She modeled forCatherine Malandrino andMarc Bouwer, and posed alongside Nicky forDavid LaChapelle in a shoot that was featured in the September 2000 issue ofVanity Fair.[40] On her persona, LaChapelle stated: "Paris had a charisma back then that you couldn't take your eyes off. She would giggle and laugh and be effervescent and take up a room".[41] By 2001, Hilton had become "one of the biggest stars, off and on the catwalk", atNew York Fashion Week, graced an advertising campaign for Italian labelIceberg, and appeared on magazines such asVogue andFHM.[42]
In addition to modeling, Hilton ventured into screen acting, playing an ill-fated character in the independent teen thrillerSweetie Pie (2000),[19] and filming a cameo appearance as herself in the comedyZoolander (2001), withBen Stiller. In 2002, she appeared inVincent Gallo's "Honey Bunny" video,[citation needed] played a "strung-out supermodel" in the five-minute shortQIK2JDG, and starred as a socialite in thestraight-to-DVD horror filmNine Lives.
International stardom (2003–2007)
Hilton's breakout came in 2003, when she starred with her childhood friend and socialite counterpartNicole Richie in theFox reality seriesThe Simple Life, in which they lived for a month with a family in the rural community ofAltus, Arkansas. The show was initially pitched to both Paris and Nicky Hilton. Paris was convinced to come on board; however, Nicky, being somewhat shy to the limelight at the time, opted out.[43] The series premiered on December 2, 2003, shortly after the leak of Hilton's sex tape,[44] and was a ratings success. Its first episode attracted 13 million viewers, increasing Fox's adult 18–49 rating by 79 percent.[45] The high viewership was attributed to the exposure Hilton received for the homemade tape,[citation needed] while she became known for her onscreendumb blonde persona.[46][47]
By 2004, Hilton had taken on a number of supporting and guest-starring roles in feature films and scripted television series such asRaising Helen andThe O.C., signed on to appear in a series of advertisement campaigns forGuess,[48] released an autobiography co-written byMerle Ginsberg,Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose,[49][50] which was seventh onThe New York Times Best Seller list,[51] and introduced alifestyle brand (with a purse collection for the Japanese labelSamantha Thavasa, a jewelry line sold onAmazon.com,[52][53] as well as a perfume line in collaboration with Parlux Fragrances). Originally planned for a limited release, high demand for her first fragrance choked supplies but led to increased availability by December 2004. Its introduction was followed by a 47-percent increase in Parlux sales, primarily of the Hilton-branded perfume.[54] After this success, Parlux has released numerous perfumes under her name, including fragrances for men.[55]
In February 2005, Hilton hostedNBC'sSaturday Night Live, withKeane as the musical guest,[56] and in May, the slasher filmHouse of Wax—her first major film role[57][58]—was released in theaters,[59] to mixed reviews.[60] Writing forView London, Matthew Turner remarked that Hilton "does better than you might expect",[61] whileTV Guide called her "talentless".[62] Her role earned her theTeen Choice Award for Best Scream, the 2005Razzie for Worst Supporting Actress,[63] and a nomination for Best Frightened Performance at the2006 MTV Movie Awards.House of Wax grossed over US$70 million worldwide.[64] In May 2005,Carl's Jr. aired a television advertisement, promoting its Spicy Burger product, which featured Hilton in a provocative swimsuit soaping up aBentley automobile.[65] By November 2005, she had published her second book,Your Heiress Diary: Confess It All to Me.[66]
The Simple Life was canceled by Fox in 2005 after three seasons following a dispute between Hilton and Richie. Neither Richie nor Hilton spoke publicly about their split, although it was speculated that they fell out after Richie showed one of Hilton's homemade sex tapes to a group of their friends.[67] They reconciled in October 2006.[68] AfterThe Simple Life was cancelled, other networks (NBC,The WB,VH1 andMTV) were interested in obtaining the rights for new seasons of the show.[69] On November 28, 2005,E! announced that it had picked upThe Simple Life, ordering the production of a fourth season and obtaining the rights to repeat the first three seasons. Shooting for the new season began on February 27, 2006.[70] The fourth-season premiere of the show was a ratings success for its new network.[71]
Hilton released her self-titled debut album,Paris, on August 22, 2006. The album reached number six on theBillboard 200, and sold over 600,000 copies worldwide.[72] Its lead single, "Stars Are Blind", found global success. It was played on more than 125 pop stations in the United States,[73][74] and reached the top ten in 17 countries.[75] Critical reception was generally mixed,[76] butAllMusic called the album "more fun than anything released byBritney Spears orJessica Simpson".[77]
In 2006, Hilton top-billed as vain,dumb blonde characters in the comedy filmsBottoms Up andNational Lampoon's Pledge This!, both of which received DVD releases in North America. Australia'sUrban Cinefile describedBottoms Up as a "crass, low-brow comedy" with "little merit" except for "some Paris Hilton curiosity value".[78] She reportedly snubbed theCannes Film Festival premiere ofPledge This! to protest the addition of several nude scenes,[79] which resulted in Worldwide Entertainment Group suing Hilton in August 2008, at the Miami District Court, alleging that she did not fulfill her contractual agreement to provide "reasonable promotion and publicity" for the film, despite receiving a US$1 million fee for the role.[80] Hilton licensed her name to Gameloft for their 2006 mobile video gameParis Hilton's Diamond Quest.
The Simple Life finished its run with its fifth season, which debuted on May 28, 2007, and ended on August 5, 2007. That year, Hilton introduced her DreamCatchers line of hair extensions with Hair Tech International,[81] signed a licensing agreement with Antebi for a signature footwear line (Paris Hilton Footwear, featuring stilettos, platforms, flats, wedges and a sports collection),[82] and launched a line of tops, dresses, coats and jeans at theKitson Boutique in Los Angeles.[83] She also posed nude (covered with gold paint) to promote "RichProsecco", a canned version of theItalian sparkling wine,[84][85] traveling to Germany to appear in advertisements for the wine,[86] and modeled for 2 B Free.[87]
Hilton starred in anMTV reality series,Paris Hilton's My New BFF, about her search for a new best friend,[95] which premiered on September 30, 2008.[96] The series was a hit and topped all other cable shows in its time slot.[97] That year, she also appeared in two viralFunny or Die videos,Paris Hilton Responds to McCain andParis Hilton Gets Presidential with Martin Sheen,[98][99] and, inspired by her love for dogs, created a canine apparel line, Little Lily by Paris Hilton.[100]
As a result of the American version's success,Paris Hilton's British Best Friend debuted onITV2 in England on January 29, 2009,[101] the second season ofParis Hilton's My New BFF premiered on June 2, andParis Hilton's Dubai BFF was internationally broadcast on MTV in April 2011.[102] She guest-starred in the fifth episode ofSupernatural's fifth season, which aired on October 8, 2009.[103][104] In 2009, Hilton also released a sunglasses line[105] and a range of hair products that included shampoos, conditioners and vitamins.[106] She won the Female Celebrity Fragrance of the Year Award at the 2009Fifi Awards.[107]
On June 1, 2011, Hilton returned to reality television inOxygen'sThe World According to Paris.[116] Focused on her daily life,[117] the series bought in lackluster ratings amid a controversial promotional campaign,[118] which was attributed to her then-fading popularity in North America.[119] Alessandra Stanley, forThe New York Times, described her as an "attractive woman with proven talent for marketing and self-promotion, though as a reality heroine she seems a little passé [...] it's hard to see how she can recapture the kind of audience she enjoyed in her heyday—even by streaming her premiere live on Facebook".[120]
In 2011, Hilton modeled for Triton during Brazil Fashion Week and for Andre Tan during Ukraine Fashion Week, and continued her endorsement and retail endeavors,[121] introducing a mobile application, which became available for iPhone and iPod touch,[citation needed] and footwear collections in Mexico City[122][123][124] and Istanbul.[125][126] Beginning in 2011, Hilton opened several boutiques selling her products in Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, India, Philippines, Malaysia, Peru, Colombia, and Chile.[127][128][129][130][131][132][133][134]
Deejaying and singing (2012–2019)
On June 28, 2012, at Brazil's Pop Music Festival, Hilton made her debut as a DJ,[135] which attracted negative responses from DJsDeadmau5,[136]Samantha Ronson,[137] and Afrojack.[citation needed] In 2012, she received US$1 million to star in a music video for Korean singerKim Jang-hoon[138][139] and US$2 million to appear alongsideArda Turan in a commercial for Turkish fashion label DeFacto,[140] modeled for designers Shane and Falguni Peacock atIndia Fashion Week,[141][142] and launched a line of sunglasses in Shanghai.[143]
During August 2013, Hilton was a DJ atAmnesia's weekly "Foam and Diamonds" parties onIbiza.[149][150] The positive reaction from critics and audiences led to her contract's renewal for the subsequent four years.[151][152] In November, Hilton won the Best Breakthrough DJ award at the NRJ DJ Awards. In 2013, Hilton appeared in four episodes of the Danish version ofParadise Hotel, for which she was paid US$300,000,[153][154] and briefly played herself inSofia Coppola's filmThe Bling Ring.[155] In addition to appearing in the film, she loaned Coppola her house for two weeks of shooting.[156][157][158]
In January 2014, Hilton became a resident DJ atHarrah's Atlantic City's "The Pool After Dark".[159] In March, she unveiled her first real estate project, the Paris Beach Club, in collaboration with Century Properties Group, Inc., at the Azure Urban Resort Residences inParañaque, the Philippines.[160] In July, she made a cameo appearance in anotherCarl's Jr. commercial, paying homage to the one in which she starred in 2005.[161] To further her career as a DJ, Hilton embarked on a summer and fall tour consisting of 13 shows in Spain, France, Portugal, South Korea, Colombia andNew Jersey.[162] By November 2014, Hilton was the highest-paid female DJ[163] and won as Best Female DJ at the NJR DJ Awards.[164] In December, she performed as a DJ atW Hotel'sArt Basel parties in Miami.[165]
In March 2015, Animoca Brands, a mobile game developer from Hong Kong, announced that they had secured a license from Hilton to use her name and likeness to produce mobile games and themes.[166] In June, she performed atSummerfest inMilwaukee in front of 50,000 concert-goers.[167] An online campaign to get her thrown off the bill achieved over 7,000 votes.[168] In 2016, Hilton teamed up withLidl for a hair care collection.[169]
In 2019, Hilton modeled forPhilipp Plein's Plein Sport campaign,[200] was a special guest in the twelfth episode ofGermany's Next Topmodel's 14th cycle, and collaborated with Belgian production duo Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike on "B.F.A. (Best Friend's Ass)",[201] and with vocalist MATTN on "Lone Wolves".[202] "B.F.A" peaked at number 45 on theBillboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart, and at number 25 on Belgium'sUltratop chart,[203] while "Lone Wolves" peaked at 59 on Ultratop. In July 2019, she performed as a DJ inTomorrowland.
Resurgence (2020–present)
This Is Paris (2020), aYouTube Originals documentary directed by Alexandra Dean, focuses on her personal and professional trajectory.[204][205] In the film, Hilton revealed her experiences with emotional, verbal and physical abuse while attending a series of boarding schools as a teenager. Unprepared to disclose that information, she trusted Dean's approach and found the process of filming to be a healing space for her. She served as a producer but did not have artistic authority over the production.[206] It received over 16 million views in its first month of release and was deemed a successful "rebranding" of her image.[207][208]
In 2020, Hilton served as a guest judge in the premiere episode ofJames Charles's YouTube seriesInstant Influencer,[221] produced and starred in Ramez Silyan's short filmSorry,[222] modeled atRihanna'sSavage X Fenty Show Vol. 2,[223] and released a merchandise collection,[224] as well as a single withLodato, "I Blame You".[225] In 2021, Hilton, who founded Paris Hilton Entertainment in 2006, renamed the company 11:11 Media.[226] That year, she created London Audio, in partnership withiHeartMedia,[227] and Slivington Manor Entertainment, with an overall deal atWarner Bros. Unscripted Television.[228]
Her podcastI am Paris debuted on February 22, 2021, offering personal content and conversations with her family, friends, and other celebrities.[227] It served as the flagship of several programs produced by Hilton's company, London Audio, and iHeartMedia.[229] The other podcasts wereTrapped in Treatment (2022–2023),[230] hosted by Caroline Cole and Rebecca Mellinger,[231] andHistory of the World's Greatest Nightclubs (2023), hosted byUltra Naté.[232]
Beginning in 2021, Hilton launched severalNFT collections, including one with designer Blake Kathryn, which raked in US$1.5 million.[233] She introduced ParisWorld onRoblox in 2021 and on The Sandbox in 2022.[234] On June 8, 2022, it was announced that she had created a fund for theLos Angeles County Museum of Art to support the acquisition of digital art by female artists.[235] She also became an investor in a number ofwellness and digital-orientated companies.[236][237][238][239]
Netflix releasedCooking with Paris on August 4, 2021. It was a six-part reality series which she hosted and co-produced. It received lukewarm reviews from critics, who considered it a "fun but pointless" production,[240] and briefly entered Netflix's daily Top 10 rankings.[241] Her next reality series,Peacock'sParis in Love (2021–present), soon followed, premiering on November 11, the day she marriedCarter Reum.[242] For bothCooking with Paris andParis in Love, Hilton won the Best Reality Return at the2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards.[243]
On December 30, 2022, Hilton released an updated version of the song, "Stars Are Blind (Paris' Version)", exclusively toAmazon Music,[253] which was followed by another version featuring vocals byKim Petras on June 2, 2023.[254] She featured in Petras' single "All She Wants", from her sophomore studio albumProblématique (2023).[255]
Hilton played the host of a reality dating series in the horror filmAlone At Night, which was released on January 20, 2023, byVertical Entertainment.[256] Her third book,Paris: The Memoir, was published on March 14, 2023, byHarper Collins.[257] She described it as a continuation of "this whole path of self-discovery" that started with her2020 documentary.[258] It debuted at number three on theNew York Times Best Sellers list, in the combined print and e-book nonfiction section, selling 13,640 print copies.[259][260] By October 2023, the book had sold 46,637 print copies in the United States.[261]
Hilton launched Parisland on The Sandbox in February 2023,[262] and Slivingland on Roblox in August 2023.[263] By February 2024, Slivingland had been visited by over 3.4 million users and reportedly "drove a staggering US$60 million in earned media ad equivalency" on Roblox.[264] In 2023, she held her first concert atThe Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles,[265] recorded the single "Hot One",[266] collaborated withSteve Aoki on "Lighter",[267] modeled forMugler atParis Fashion Week,[268] released a cookware collection withWalmart,[269] and performed as a disc jockey atTomorrowland.
Activism
As a public figure, Hilton has been a guest at fundraising events,[270] children's hospitals,[271] and orphanages.[272] She has been involved with theStarlight Children's Foundation and theMake-A-Wish Foundation,[273] and is listed on the "First Families" of theChildren's Hospital Los Angeles, which means she has donated US$100,000 or more to the hospital.[274] In 2008, a room at the hospital was named in her honor, and for her charitable efforts, Starlight and the American Humane Association have awarded Hilton the 2011 Heart of Gold Award,[275][276] and the 2014 National Humanitarian Award, respectively.[277][278]
In 2011, Hilton supported the LGBT rights organizationNOH8,[279] and participated at the American Red Cross run to benefit relief effort in Japan, hosted by actorJosh Duhamel in Santa Monica, CA.[citation needed] In 2015, she raised US$100,000 for children with disabilities inIbiza. In 2017, she donated 50 of her personal items to the Children's Hospital Los Angeles and the Starlight Children's Foundation, and visitedSan Gregorio Atlapulco, Mexico, where she handed out food and clothes to the affected families following the2017 Central Mexico earthquake, donated merchandise and a sum of US$350,000 to help rebuild seven homes that were affected.[280][281][282]
In October 2018, Hilton hosted Rock The Runway, an event benefittingChildren's Miracle Network Hospitals and The Sasha Project LA.[283] 20 percent of the proceeds from her 2018 five-nail polishes line with Nail and Bone goes to Animal Haven, a New York-based non-profit rescue group.[198] In June 2019, Hilton was part of the annual, all-female Cash & Rocket auto rally, which took place across Europe and raised money for Sumbandila, TheHelen Bamber Foundation and Dream for Future Africa Foundation.[284][285]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic, Hilton performed a DJ set at the virtual music festival #TrillerFest, to drive donations for No Kid Hungry and Music Cares,[286] and a portion of the proceeds from her merchandise collection went to Frontline Foods and local restaurants feeding frontline workers.[224]
The release of the documentaryThis is Paris (2020), in which Hilton spoke about the abuse she endured as a teen in a series of boarding schools such asProvo Canyon School,[287][288][289] prompted an increase of interest on #BreakingCodeSilence, a viral movement organized by people who were sent in their youth to a "network of privately owned, powerfully punitive, and often wilderness-based therapy programs, residential treatment centers, therapeutic boarding schools, group homes, boot camps, and faith-based academies".[290] On October 9, 2020, she held a rally outside Provo Canyon School in Utah in protest of alleged abuse and programs for troubled teens.[291]
On February 8, 2021, Hilton appeared before the Utah State Legislature to testify on behalf of a proposed measure that would require more government oversight of youth residential treatment centers and require them to document when they use restraints. During her testimony, Hilton said that she had been emotionally and physically abused during her 11-month stay at Provo Canyon School when she was 17.[292] She accused staffers at Provo School of beating her, subjecting her to strip searches, force-feeding her medication, watching her shower, and sending her to solitary confinement without clothes as punishment.[293] On March 2, the Utah Legislature approved the bill, known as SB127.[294] On October 20, Hilton held a press conference at theUnited States Capitol, with lawmakersRo Khanna andJeff Merkley, to advocate for the introduction of the Accountability for Congregate Care Act, which would establish a bill of rights with protections for children in such facilities.[295] In 2022, she appeared before theUnited States House Committee on Ways and Means to testify on behalf of measures to improve child welfare in the United States.[296]
In 2023, Hilton joined both Democratic and Republican members of Congress in backing the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, which aims to "provide greater oversight and data transparency for institutional youth treatment programs and will help identify and prevent institutional child abuse". The bipartisan bill passed both chambers of Congress during the last months of the118th United States Congress and was signed into law by PresidentJoe Biden.[297][298][299]
Public image
Reception
A particularly polarizing figure since rising to fame, Hilton has often been the subject of harsh criticism.[300] Writing forThe New York Times in 2003, John Leland opined: "In a ravenous celebrity culture, Ms. Hilton's rise shows how far celebrity itself has been devalued".[300]
A 2006 poll conducted by theAssociated Press andAOL concluded that Hilton was the second-Worst Celebrity Role Model, behindBritney Spears.[301] According to a June 2007Gallup poll, nearly two-thirds of Americans (63%) felt very unsympathetic toward her,[302] and a November 2007 online survey of children conducted by E-Poll Market Research ranked her among the most unfriendly celebrities among children.[303] The 2007Guinness World Records named her the world's "most overrated celebrity",[304][305] andForbes ranked her as the most "overexposed" in 2006 and 2008.[306][307] The latter stated in 2008 that "65% of the U.S. population would use the term 'overexposed' to describe Hilton [...] To put that in perspective, most celebrities average between 3% and 7% on the E-Poll celebrity index during the peak of their careers".[308] In theForbes list, she also ranked second, fifth and eight in 2007, 2012, and 2014 respectively.[309][310][311] A 2011Ipsos poll concluded that she was the most unpopular celebrity with Americans (with 60 percent of respondents viewing her unfavorably).[312]
Despite the noticeable public disapproval, Hilton was among the most popular searches on varioussearch engines (such as Google, AOL andLycos) between 2004 and 2008.[313][314] In 2004, she was named one of the "10 Most Fascinating People", according toBarbara Walters' annual primetime special ("Paris' Most Shocking Moments").[315]Forbes included her in itsCelebrity 100, which ranks the highest-paid celebrities, in 2004, 2005, and 2006. She ranked 59th, 23rd, 34th, and 35th inFHM's100 Sexiest Women poll in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2012, respectively,[316][317][318] and was 20th and 38th, respectively, onMaxim magazine'sHot 100 list in 2005 and 2006.[319][320] She has been included among the "50 Most Popular Women on the Web" by Google in 2010,[321] the "100 Hottest Women of All Time" byMen's Health in 2011,[322] the "50 Most Influential People in the NFT Industry" byFortune in 2021,[323] and the "40 Most Powerful Women on Reality TV" byVariety in 2023.[324]
The nature and extent of her fame is often questioned by critics, as she is not considered an artist nor performer. Blair Soden ofABC News noted: "She's made a lot of money with a hodgepodge of traditional celebrity revenue. But what she's best at is being Paris Hilton".[325] Writers indeed suggest that Hilton epitomizes thecelebutante: a celebrity for no particularly identifiable reason other than inherited wealth and lavish lifestyle. Cait Munro ofRefinery29 asserted: "Paris Hilton is an icon not just of the 2000s, but of a certain widely held image of what inherited wealth, undeserved fame, and American excess looks like".[326]
Much of her image has centered on her "party girl-heiress archetype" as well as her blonde hair and the stereotypes associated with it, especially stupidity, naïveté, sexual availability and artificiality.[327] The development of that character stemmed from the initial success ofThe Simple Life and her desire to embody "the ultimate brand based on [...] the right everything for a formula that far exceeded anybody else at that time", according to Jason Moore, her former manager.[328] He stated: "She was the ultimate package that corporate America would want to make for itself as a marketing tool, but it was already made for them. They say to be a famous person, people want to be you or [sleep with you], and she encompassed both of those".[328]
Fashion and language are two contributing factors to Hilton's star image. Known for her long bleached blonde hair,valley girl accent, and use of blue colored contact lenses over her naturally brown eyes, she developed her personal aesthetic through mainly pink attire,Juicy Couture tracksuits, rhinestones, trucker hats, oversized sunglasses, and the "accessory dog". She mimed "high-fashion poses learned fromdrag queens" and created what was described as the "Paris talk". For instance, she often uses one-liners and a breathy, childish voice in television shows and interviews.[329][330][331] Among the designer accessories she was regularly seen with was theDior Saddle bag, which gained popularity in the early 2000s and was frequently cited as anIt bag, with Hilton among the public figures credited with its rise in popularity.[332][333]
"Throughout the noughties [2000s], Paris became [an example] for girls who were as unapologetically privileged and as spoilt as her; girls who shared the belief that everyone should "stop being jealous". Girls who centred their carefree lives around shopping, sunbathing and partying with their miniscule [sic] accessory-dogs. For everyone else, she was a bit of aneejit. To this day Paris Hilton continues to represent the epitome ofnaff; she's still striking the same poses, wearing the same glitzy gowns,faffing over her dogs as ferociously as ever [...]"[334]
Her dim-witted blonde persona, a carefully crafted act, found significant credence among the general public, which she has described as an obstacle in her career. She once remarked: "People assume before they meet me that I'm a really ditzy dumb blonde. That's the one thing that kind of annoys me sometimes. They just think because of the reality show that's who I really am. But that was just a character that I created. I didn't realize what a huge success [it would be...] With everything that's happening, though, with my business, I think people can understand that you couldn't possibly get this far being a dumb blonde".[335]
Catchphrases
"That's hot", "loves it" and "sliving" are Hilton's catchphrases.[336] All three are registered as trademarks for products, like clothing apparel, electronic devices, and alcoholic beverages.[336]
On September 6, 2007, Hilton filed aninjunction lawsuit againstHallmark Cards Inc., titledHilton v. Hallmark Cards, inU.S. District Court over the unlawful use of her picture and catchphrase "That's hot" on a greeting card. The card is titled "Paris's First Day as a Waitress" with a photograph of Hilton's face on a cartoon of a waitress serving a plate of food, with a dialogue bubble saying "Don't touch that, it's hot" (which had aregistered trademark on February 13, 2007). Hilton's attorney Brent Blakely said that theinfringement damages would be based on profits from the greeting cards. Julie O'Dell said that Hallmark used the card as parody, protected underfair use law.[337] TheCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reviewed the case and "denied Hallmark's motion to dismiss". Hilton and Hallmark Cards Inc. latersettled out of court.[338]
Media presence
A subject of press and public attention due to her extravagantHollywood lifestyle, Hilton's media exploits started in the late 1990s, when she became a fixture in NYC's late-night circuit.[40] A combination of what has been described as "vulgarTrump-era exhibitionism andGirls Gone Wild antics" led publications such asHamptons,The New Yorker, and particularlyThe New York Post, to often feature Hilton in their social columns.[40]
After her pictorial byDavid LaChapelle and September 2000 article forVanity Fair, Hilton was hailed as "New York's leadingIt Girl", whose fame was beginning to "extend beyond the [local] tabloids", byThe Guardian in February 2001.[29] The scandal involving her sex tape, which arose shortly before the December 2003 premiere ofThe Simple Life, ultimately catapulted her into global fame and made her an overnight subject of media frenzy,paparazzi attention and public scrutiny. The sudden and unusual interest on her life ledEntertainment Weekly to write that, "[w]e in the media have become Paris-ites".[339] Similarly,CNN.com described her presence as a "staple of the daily news cycles" that became "impossible to escape".[328] In an effort to "rehabilite her public image" and "capitalise" on the increased curiosity following the release of her sex tape, Hilton started to promote herself through different forms of mass media such as advertising, publishing and broadcasting.[328]
Throughout the 2000s, a decade widely associated with her heyday,[340][341][342][343][344] Hilton's media ubiquity fed the then-booming online gossip industry and cemented her "It Girl" status. The exposure nurtured an "ambivalent" but symbiotic relationship between Hilton and the press, from which both parties benefited.[345] On different occasions, she has complained about the way she was treated by the media in her twenties, particularly about their narrative on her and constant presence in her proximity, whereas at other times she sought their attention and hand information to reporters herself.[346] Moreover, she regularly planned public occurrences, described as "pseudo-events", with the purpose of being photographed and reported on.
Sheeraz Hasan, who foundedHollywood.TV and briefly served as her media consultant,[347] stated: "I built the foundation of one of the biggest paparazzi companies in the world on the back of Paris Hilton. I had over 100 guys in Los Angeles [...] all of them making a living off" Hilton.[348] Emerging media outlets often received criticism for having apersonality cult around figures such as Hilton,[349] butTMZ founderHarvey Levin attributed their coverage on her to how it helped draw a high viewership to the website.[349]Perez Hilton, on his part, purports to have befriended Hilton, who became the source of his stage name and frequent subject of his posts. It has been noted, for example, that he rarely reports on stories or rumors casting her in a negative or unflattering light,[350] and that, unlike most gossip blogs, he often acknowledges and praises her positive achievements.[351] In August 2006, YouTube promoted hereponymous debut album as part of its first targeted advertising launch.[352]
AMinnesota billboard informing about Hilton's prison time in June 2007
The media's over-saturation on Hilton had reached a peak in 2007 amid her much-publicized legal problems.[353] She became the fifth most heavily covered story of the week of June 4 in North America.[354] According toPew Research Center, roughly a third of Americans (34%) followed news about Hilton very or fairly closely, with public interest in her surpassing that in the2008 presidential campaign,The G8 summit, and talks betweenGeorge W. Bush andVladimir Putin.[354] As a response, theAssociated Press attempted to not mention her for the week of February 19, 2007,[355]Mika Brzezinski refused to read a report about Hilton's release from jail on the June 26, 2007, broadcast ofMorning Joe,[356] andUs Weekly published its first "100% Paris-Free" issue on June 29, 2007.[357]
Despite the institution of a reporting ban on Hilton,[355]Forbes ranked her as the most "overexposed" celebrity a second time in 2008.[358] A televisioncampaign ad by the2008 John McCain presidential campaign,[359][360] in which McCain comparedBarack Obama to celebrities such as Hilton andBritney Spears,[359][361][362] prompted a direct response from her through aFunny or Die video entitledParis Hilton Responds to McCain Ad,[363] which was viewed by more than seven million people in two days and received worldwide press coverage as well as written and verbal responses from both campaigns.[364]
By December 2009, Hilton's presence in mass media had reportedly started to wane and become less noteworthy.[328] That month, CNN.com published a story asking, "Why has Paris Hilton disappeared?", in which her absence from daily news circles was attributed to an over-saturated public and a new collective interest on other celebrities.[328] In subsequent years, she remained in the media spotlight, albeit was noted to have "somewhat receded from view".[365]
Hilton developed an online and social media presence and, as of 2021, reached over 60 million users across her social platforms, includingInstagram, Twitter,TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. In March 2012, an experiment conducted byThe Next Web concluded that Hilton generated less traffic than actorCharlie Sheen on Twitter,[366] but she hastrended on the platform on several occasions.[132][367] In 2020, according to aDeadline report, there were over 257 million views on videos mentioning her name on social media and her catchphrase "That's Hot" resulted in more than 4.8 billion impressions on TikTok.[368][369] TikTok videos tagged with her name had collectively received more than 2 billion views, as of 2022.[370] To date, her YouTube channel has accumulated over 250 million views.[371]
It has been said that Hilton's rise to fame, coinciding with society's increased fixation on celebrity and the internet becoming a more accessible medium,[388] facilitated the insurgency of an unprecedented type of celebrity—which was initially promoted by reality television and has since intensified with the posterior growth of social media—whose displays of its private life became an unusual focus of public interest, and therefore, their own source of income.[6][389][390]
In 2018,Lili Anolik, ofVanity Fair, observed that Hilton "instinctively grasped that the great cultural contribution of the movies was movie stars", and further said that since "anybody with a phone was now a potential cineaste" and "true movie stars require[d] raw presence, not refined acting skills", she needed "only ever perform herself, or, rather, 'herself'[:] a gorgeous blonde ditz, the modern-dayMonroe".[391] In 2020,Los Angeles Times' editor Lindzi Scharf regarded her as "the woman who will likely go down in history for putting the 'i' in influencer".[392]GQ's Carrie Battan had previously called her "the figure who set off Hollywood 2.0's Big Bang, the effects of which continue to radiate through the industry today. Hilton, the one who made it possible to be famous for doing nothing, was so sought-after in the [...] 2000s that you couldn't get her to walk to her mailbox without giving her a check".[33] Bert Marcus, the director of the documentaryThe American Meme (2018), echoed that sentiment, remarking that she "paved the way for creating a brand and a celebrity out of being herself and she turned it into a phenomenon," whileInstagram celebrity and entrepreneurThe Fat Jew, who was one of the subjects in the aforementioned documentary, credited her for "inventing the way the world thinks about influence".[393]
Hilton signing autographs in 2008
Hilton made part of the early-2000s popularization of reality television into mainstream pop culture.[394]Vice, in a 2015 profile, noted that afterThe Simple Life premiered in 2003, "cable channels began programming reality television shows. MTV's second golden age consisted ofThe Hills;Andy Cohen reinventedBravo with a repertoire ofThe Real Housewives, andTLC started teaching Americans aboutDance Moms andHoney Boo Boo".[40]Dazed once considered that every "[reality] star who cashes in after the series by collaborating with brands is essentially selling a sort of post-Hilton aspirational glamour".[395] TheKardashian family,Heidi Montag,Spencer Pratt,Tila Tequila,Danielle Staub, Alexa Chung,Brittny Gastineau, andSnooki are some of the personalities who are said to have followed in her footsteps.[396][397][398]Kim Kardashian acknowledged Hilton for "giving" her a career,[399] whileTana Mongeau stated that the media personality "paved the way for me. A girl like me who is literally famous for nothing—Paris Hilton taught us how to make that a business, you know what I mean".[400]
Hilton's influence on fashion,tabloid journalism, and Hollywood throughout the 2000s led her to be considered an American pop cultureicon.[401][402] The height of her fame contributed to the growth of whatThe New York Times described as a "misogynist" and intrusive celebrity culture, monopolized by tabloids and paparazzi.[403] For instance, a paparazzi photograph of her, at that time, could range from US$8,000 to US$1 million,[404] celebrity-focused newspapers and media agencies (e.g. TMZ and Hollywood.TV) attributed part of their large viewership to their coverage on Hilton,[349] and a network of gossip blogs such as PerezHilton.com emerged after she rose to fame.[351] The clothing style that defined her image in her heyday—tracksuits, rhinestones, trucker hats and "the accessory dog"—became a popular fashion trend and helped popularize brands such asJuicy Couture andVon Dutch.[405][406] TheJulien Macdonalddress Hilton wore for her 21st birthday has been recreated numerous times,[407][408] while a 2011 report fromThe Kennel Club associated her with "the upsurge of popularity" in "so-called handbag dogs".People magazine wrote in a March 2017 article: "Formillennials, Paris Hilton has always been and will always be aliving legend. The socialite has come to perfectly define not only the millennial fashion aesthetic, but also a bygone era of celebrity where social media was nonexistent, as were stylists, and getting papped while partying was simply derigueur" (to get "papped" is to be followed and photographed bypaparazzi).[409][410]
Hilton has been discussed by journalists and scholars interested in the role of celebrities and their influence through the media.[315] Feminist theoristCamille Paglia described her as a "groundbreaking" figure in Hollywood, while in her bookThe Bling Ring, an account on the group of thieves who robbed Hilton's house,Nancy Jo Sales positioned her as a "celebrity symbol of how destructive individualism ruled the 2000s".[40]Jej Perfekcyjność, a Polish sociologist and queer activist, created and organised a yearly event known as International Paris Hilton Day, which took place inWarsaw since 2006, on the first Sunday of May. However, the celebration was cancelled in 2010, following aplane crash near Smolensk, and was permanently discontinued in 2013, due to controversial comments made by Hilton the previous year.[411] On August 29, 2006, the mayor ofLas Vegas proclaimed the day "Paris Hilton Day" and gave Hilton a key to the city.[412] Her quote, "Dress cute wherever you go; life is too short to blend in", was added toThe Oxford Dictionary of Quotations in September 2009.[413]
In 2005,Madame Tussauds unveiled Hilton's wax figure to coincide with the release ofHouse of Wax.[422] In 2006, she became a target of the street artistBanksy, when 500 copies of her album in 48 record shops across the United Kingdom were replaced with his own alternative version. His rework of the album featured remixes produced by himself andDanger Mouse. The track list contained satire song titles such as "Why Am I Famous?", "What Have I Done?" and "What Am I For?". He also changed the cover sleeve and booklet to display pictures of the singer topless.[423][424][425] In 2017, she was one of the subjects of an art exhibit called "Nicole Richie's 2007 Memorial Day BBQ", which was unveiled at Brooklyn's THNK 1994 Museum.[426][427] InThe Good Place episode "The Brainy Bunch" (2018), an American-themed restaurant includes a wall art featuring an alternative Mount Rushmore formed by Hilton,David Hasselhoff,Judge Judy, andHulk Hogan.[428] She has also been a subject of other media depictions such as print biographies, documentaries and television specials.[429]
Throughout Hilton's adulthood, numerous aspects of her personal life—particularly, her uninhibited and extravagantjet set lifestyle, her extensive list of friendships, relationships and romantic associations with other high-profile figures, heavy partying, and reported instances of inappropriate behavior—have drawn a large amount of media attention and public disapproval.[430][431][432]
Hilton is known for her love of small dogs, and has had a femaleChihuahua named Tinkerbell among many other pets. Hilton was frequently seen carrying Tinkerbell (dubbed an "accessory dog") at social events and functions, and in all five seasons of television reality showThe Simple Life.[433][434] In April 2015, it was reported that Tinkerbell had died at age 14.[435] In one of her properties, Hilton had a 300-square-foot house with air conditioning, heating, and designer furniture built for her pets at an estimated cost of US$325,000.[436][437]
In 2000, a then-19-year-old Hilton drew attention from tabloids when she andLeonardo DiCaprio were seen together on the NYC late-night circuit. That led to one of her first magazine profiles, withVanity Fair, in which she denied that they were involved.[443] She dated actorEdward Furlong in 2000, and poker playerRick Salomon, with whom she filmed her sex tape, in 2001.[444] She was engaged to fashion model Jason Shaw from 2002 to 2003.[445] They have reportedly remained friends since their split. She had a seven-month relationship with singerNick Carter in 2004;[446] Carter opened up about their relationship in his 2013 autobiography. "Paris was the worst person in the world for me to hook up with," he wrote. "[She] fed my worst impulses as far as partying."[444]
Hilton started dating Greek shipping heirParis Latsis in December 2004,[447] and they became engaged seven months later.[444] In November 2005, they called the wedding off.[444] She next had a relationship with another Greek heir, Stavros Niarchos, whom she dated on and off between December 2005 and March 2007.[444] Hilton datedGood Charlotte guitaristBenji Madden from February until November 2008.[448][449][450][451] An on-and-off relationship withThe Hills starDoug Reinhardt followed,[452] but they broke up definitively in April 2010, when she became concerned that he was using her to further his career.[citation needed] She next had a one-year relationship with Las Vegas nightclub owner Cy Waits.[453] She dated Spanish model River Viiperi between 2012 and 2014,[454] and businessman Thomas Gross between 2015 and 2016.[455] ActorChris Zylka proposed to her in January 2018, during a vacation inAspen, after one year of dating.[456][457] They called off their engagement in November 2018.[458]
In December 2019, Hilton started a relationship with businessmanCarter Reum.[459] After becoming engaged on February 13, 2021,[460] Hilton and Reum were married in Los Angeles on November 11.[461][462] They have a son and a daughter born via surrogacy in January and November 2023, respectively.[463][464]
In 2003, asex tape featuring Hilton and then-boyfriendRick Salomon was leaked onto the Internet shortly before the premiere ofThe Simple Life. Salomon filed a lawsuit against the company that distributed the tape, and against the Hilton family, whom he accused of tarnishing his reputation by suggesting that he had exploited Hilton.[465] Hilton later sued the company that released the tape, Kahatani Ltd., for US$30 million for violation of privacy and emotional distress.[466]
Under the title1 Night in Paris, Salomon began distributing the tape himself in April 2004 through the adult film companyRed Light District Video.[467] In July 2004, Salomon dropped his lawsuit against the Hilton family after Paris Hilton's privacy lawsuit was thrown out of court. Salomon and Red Light District Video agreed to pay Hilton US$400,000 plus a percentage of the tape's sale profit.[468] In 2013, Hilton claimed she never made money off her sex tape: "[I] never made a dollar. I make enough money in nice ways. My fragrance [line] makes enough, I don't need to worry about that."[469]
Legal issues
On September 7, 2006, Hilton was arrested by theLos Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and charged withdriving under the influence of alcohol, with ablood alcohol content of 0.08%.[470][471][472] In November 2006, Hilton's driver's license was suspended, and on January 22, 2007, she pleadedno contest to areckless driving charge.[473] Her sentence was 36 months'probation and fines totaling about US$1,500.[474] On February 27, 2007, she was stopped for driving with a suspended license, and she signed an agreement that she was not permitted to drive.[475][476] The next month, she was caught driving 70 mph in a 35 mph zone without headlights at night with a suspended license. Prosecutors in the office of theLos Angeles City Attorney charged that these infractions and her failure to enroll in a court-ordered alcohol-education program violated her probation.[477] On May 4, 2007, Hilton was sentenced by JudgeMichael T. Sauer to 45 days in jail for the probation violation.[478][479] She planned to appeal the sentence, supporting an online petition (created on May 5 by Joshua Morales) asking California governorArnold Schwarzenegger for a pardon.[480][481] Hilton changed lawyers and dropped her plans to appeal.[482]
Hilton was required to begin her jail term on June 5, 2007,[483] and entered the Century Regional Detention Facility (a women's prison inLynwood, California) after attending the2007 MTV Movie Awards on June 3, 2007. On June 7, 2007,Los Angeles County Sheriff,Lee Baca signed an order resentencing Hilton to 40 days ofhome confinement with anelectronic monitoring device due to an unspecified medical condition.[484] Baca said, "My message to those who don't like celebrities is that punishing celebrities more than the average American is not justice."[485] He added, "The special treatment, in a sense, appears to be because of her celebrity status ... She got more time in jail."[486] Judge Michael Sauer summoned her to reappear in court the following morning (June 8), since her original sentence specified imprisonment: "No work furlough. No work release. No electronic monitoring."[487] At the hearing, Sauer declined a briefing in chambers by Hilton's attorney on her medical condition and sent her back to jail to serve the original 45-day sentence. When she heard the decision, Hilton shouted "It's not right!" Screaming, she asked to hug her mother.[488] Hilton was moved to the medical wing of theTwin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles, and returned to the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood on June 13.[489] Hilton was released from jail on Tuesday, June 26, 2007.[490]
Hilton was influenced by minister Marty Angelo in jail, referring to a "new beginning" in an interview with talk-show hostLarry King on June 28, 2007 (two days after her release)[491] and quoting from Angelo's autobiography (Once Life Matters: A New Beginning). On June 9, Angelo unsuccessfully petitioned Sauer[492] to let him serve the remainder of Hilton's sentence if the judge would release her to an alternative treatment program.[493] Hilton told King during the interview that she had takenAdderall forADHD since childhood.[494]
On July 2, 2010, Hilton was accused of smoking marijuana at the2010 FIFA World Cup game between Brazil and the Netherlands. Although she was escorted from theNelson Mandela Bay Stadium by local police, the case was later dismissed. Her publicist, Dawn Miller, said: "I can confirm that the incident was a complete misunderstanding and it was actually another person in the group who did it".[495][496] Two weeks later, Hilton was detained and released after she was caught withcannabis atCorsica'sFigari Sud-Corse Airport.[497]
On August 27, 2010, Hilton was arrested by theLas Vegas Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion ofcocaine possession in Las Vegas and her boyfriend, Cy Waits, was charged with driving under the influence. Hilton and Waits were booked into the Clark County jail, where Hilton was kept handcuffed on a booking room bench, fingerprinted, photographed andreleased on her own recognizance.[498][499][500] Hilton's defense initially claimed that the handbag (containing 0.8 g of cocaine) was not hers.[501] She later claimed personal items (including cash and credit cards) from the bag, acknowledging that it was hers. To avoid a felony conviction, Hilton pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors on September 17, 2010. Under the terms of theplea bargain she was sentenced to one year of probation, 200 hours of community service, a US$2,000 fine and the completion of a drug-abuse treatment program on September 20.[502] Clark County District Attorney David Roger said, "If she was arrested for anything besides a minor traffic violation she will spend a year in jail. There will be no discussion. The court will have no discretion."[502]
On September 21, 2010, on their way to a Tokyo press conference to promote fashion and fragrance lines, Hilton and her sisterNicky were stopped by immigration officers atNarita Airport because of Hilton's drug-possession conviction the previous day. Under Japan's strict drug laws, travelers convicted of a drug crime are usually denied entry into the country.[503][504] Airport officials questioned Hilton "for hours", and she and Nicky were detained overnight at the airport hotel.[503] On September 22, Japanese authorities denied Hilton entry, and she wasdeported back to the United States. Other stops on their Asian promotional tour were canceled due to Indonesia and Malaysia's anti-drug laws.[504]
Bling Ring
Between 2008 and 2009, Hilton's house was burgled several times by theBling Ring, a group of fashion-motivated thieves. She was the group's first and main celebrity target, with a majority of the stolen property belonging to her.[citation needed] They reportedly burgled Hilton's residence seven times. It was not until nearly US$2 million were stolen in jewellery, clothing, cash, and other items from Hilton that she made a report.[citation needed] She allowedSofia Coppola to shoot some scenes forThe Bling Ring (2013) at her house.[505]
Stalking and other incidents
On January 22, 2007, her private life became public on ParisExposed.com, a website with images of personal documents, video and other material allegedly obtained when the contents of a storage locker rented by Hilton were auctioned in lieu of a US$208 payment. The website, which charged for online access to the material, had 1.2 million visitors in just over 40 hours.[506] Among its contents were medications, diaries, photographs, contracts, love letters and a video shot byJoe Francis ofGirls Gone Wild, in which Hilton repeats racist and homophobic slurs.[507][508] Hilton obtained a temporary injunction against ParisExposed.com which shut down the website.[509]
In August 2010, Nathan Lee Parada was arrested after security men spotted him wielding two knives outside Hilton's house.[510] He was found guilty on one felony count of attempted first-degree residential burglary and was sentenced to two years in state prison.[511] In October 2010, James Rainford bicycled past guards at the entrance to her gated community, went to her house, and began pounding on her door. He was arrested and earned three years' probation, along with a restraining order from Hilton. In April 2011, Rainford was arrested a second time for attacking her boyfriend Cy Waits outside Van Nuys Superior Court, where Hilton was headed to testify against Nathan Lee Parada, and he was arrested again in July outside herMalibu, California, beach house.[512][513] He was charged with two felony stalking counts and three misdemeanor counts of disobeying a court order,[514] but a judge found him to be "mentally incompetent to stand trial" and he was sent to a state mental hospital.
On September 20, 2012, an audio of what was perceived ashomophobic comments made by Hilton, leaked onto the Internet.[515][516] Following the backlash caused, she issued an apology throughGLAAD.[517][518][519][520]
In November 2013, an "obsessed fan", flew a plane over Malibu with two banners, one of which read, "Can't Get Paris Whitney Hilton Out of My Mind." The other read, "Mr. & Mrs. Hilton, may I court your daughter Paris?". The same person reportedly posed as a flower deliveryman to gain access to her gated community, where he left her a classicCadillac, in 2015.[521] In October 2014, Lukas Redanz, a man who was completely covered with tattoos of Hilton and appeared to be "extremely drunk", was arrested after he reportedly went to her gated community "to see her".[522] In December 2014, Hilton filed a report with the Los Angeles Police Department after receiving anti-Semitic messages on social media from a man who believed she was Jewish; he threatened to rape and kill her.[523][524][525]
Between 2015 and 2017, Hilton was the target of an identity theft scheme by Paytsar Bkhchadzhyan, a woman who used Hilton's credit cards to book a party at theHollywood Roosevelt Hotel worth around $53,000. She also pretended to be Hilton in emails to her employees, convincing them to transfer $106,000 to her account, and hacked her sister Nicky and father Rick Hilton in an attempt to gain passwords to various other accounts. She also stole nude photos of Hilton from heriCloud account.[526] Bkhchadzhyan was arrested in 2017 for bank fraud conspiracy, and was later sentenced to 57 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution.[527]
Wealth
According toForbes, Hilton earned about US$2 million between 2003 and 2004, US$6.5 million between 2004 and 2005,[9] US$7 million between 2005 and 2006,[528] and US$8 million between 2008 and 2009.[529] By 2011,CNN.com reported Hilton's annual earnings to be over US$10 million.[530]
In December 2007, Hilton's grandfatherBarron Hilton pledged 97 percent of his estate (the Hilton family fortune) to a charitable organization founded by her great-grandfatherConrad Hilton: theConrad N. Hilton Foundation.[531] As a result, his grandchildren's inheritance was reduced.[532][533] An immediate pledge of US$1.2 billion (proceeds from the sale of Hilton Hotels Corporation) was made, with a further US$1.1 billion due after his death.[531] Barron cited the actions of his father, Conrad Hilton, as the motivation for his pledge.[531] Conrad had also left the majority of his estate to the foundation, and Barron contested his father's will to regain a sizable amount of Hilton company stock in a settlement.[534]
Much of Hilton's wealth comes from numerous endorsements, as well as her retail business, which includes numerous product lines and stores, and has generated sales of over US$4 billion.[535] Her regular fees for both DJing and personal appearances in parties and events have been reported to be between US$250,000 and US$1 million.[536][535][537] In 2009, for instance, Hilton,50 Cent andLenny Kravitz received US$4 million for the 51st-birthday party ofEd Hardy founderChristian Audigier,[33] and in 2014, she earned US$2.7 million for four nights' work—US$347,000 an hour—as part of her two-month residence in Ibiza.[538][539][540]
^abcPorter, Charlie (February 16, 2001). "New York style: 'Is this article going to trash me?': Heiress, star of the social columns and now a top model.. Charlie Porter meets Paris Hilton".The Guardian (London). p. Guardian Features, p. 8.
^Maher, Kevin. "The Paris-bashing should stop here."The Times (London). March 20, 2008, p. 16. Retrieved May 13, 2008. "Guinness World Records has her as the World's Most Overrated Celebrity."
^Gumbel, Andrew. "Paris Hilton is granted a shorter sentence — if she behaves herself."The Independent (London, UK). May 18, 2007, p. 1; retrieved May 13, 2008. "She is set to appear in this year's Guinness World Records as the world's 'most overrated celebrity'."
^abcLavandeira, Mario (December 30, 2006)."Doing It for the Kids". Perezhilton.com. Archived fromthe original on March 13, 2007. RetrievedFebruary 6, 2007.
^Hilton, Paris (January 2, 2018)."I said Yas!". Paris Hilton verifiedInstagram account. Archived fromthe original on March 18, 2018. RetrievedApril 1, 2018.So happy & excited to be engaged to the love of my life.
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