Ditzy persona Paris Hilton’s armour in often mean world
Paris Hilton says the media was “cruel” to her as a young woman and that more needs to be done about the way it treats people despite many changes in the industry.
The Hilton Hotel heiress rose to fame in the 2000s reality TV series The Simple Life alongside Nicole Richie; Here they abandoned their glamorous Los Angeles lifestyles to live with normal families and try different careers.
Speaking to the Press Association, she spoke about the “harassment” she faced from the media as a young woman in the limelight, and the impact it had on her.
“At the time, the media was very cruel to me and a few other women, and it felt like harassment to me,” she said.
“It was entertainment for people back then, and the things people would tell us are not accepted today.”
Hilton says the situation has changed a lot, but some people “just don’t get that memo.” The work needs to be done, but at least things are developing in a more positive way.
She was often criticized for being a “dumb blonde” and has since said that this was a persona she created as “armor” to protect herself.
His new documentary, Infinite Icon: A Visual Memoir, is about his return to music.
The 2020 documentary This Is Paris made headlines when she revealed that she was physically and psychologically abused while at boarding schools attended by troubled teenagers.
He has since become an enthusiastic activist in the US, opposing treatment programs in the “troubled youth industry”.
“The character and the persona that I created was an armor and a shield that would really protect me, because I had been through so much and no one knew it, and I just felt like I was playing this character so I wouldn’t have to go deep or get into what I was going through because I wasn’t ready at that point,” he said.
“Now sometimes I bring out the character less as a bodyguard and more as my goofy fun side.
“People know it’s a character, I love it when people know there’s so much more to me than that, there’s a deeper, smarter person.
“That will always be a part of me, and I think a lot of people in the entertainment industry have their own persona or it’s like the mask they wear when they’re having fun.”
The DJ and businesswoman and her husband Carter Reum are the parents of two young children and she describes herself as very “protective” of them.
“Being a mother was my greatest joy in life,” she said.
“My two babies are my world and bring me so much love and happiness. We have so much fun together.
“Seeing the world through their eyes, going to Disneyland together, celebrating the holidays with them, and seeing how excited they get about everything is everything to me.”
The hotel heiress and former reality TV star said she is so grateful to have found “such an amazing husband” and to be able to create such a beautiful life with her children.
“As a mother, I’m very protective, and I think that’s another reason why I use my voice so much, especially having a daughter, because I never want her to feel the way I do or go through what I’m going through.”
Infinite Icon: A Visual Memoir is out January 30th.
Lifeline 13 11 14
Child Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Australia’s Associated Press is the beating heart of Australian news. AAP is Australia’s only independent national news channel and has been providing accurate, reliable and fast-paced news content to the media industry, government and corporate sector for 85 years. We inform Australia.
