(upbeat music)
- [Interviewer] Kathy, they say, mom knows best.
So thank you for helping us get to know your daughter
a little bit better today.
- Thank you for having me.
- [Interviewer] So let's get started.
How is the Paris you know,
different from the Paris he world knows?
- The Paris that I know is a very, very sensitive,
thoughtful, sweet, and with everything she's gone through,
there's still some of the innocence left.
And I think that is beautiful.
- [Interviewer] Growing up, before the career,
before the fame, before all the attention,
when were you the most proud of Paris as a little girl?
- I would say that at Buckley, her school,
she had a part in the play and she was much taller
than all of the other kids.
I think she maybe played a tree once.
- Tree, what?
- I mean she played a lot of different things.
And I would say her piano recital.
- The one where I dressed as Ariel, The Little Mermaid.
- Yes, she always would dress like The Little Mermaid.
And you'd find that orange wig.
- Red.
- A rat nest with all the knots and everything,
and Paris would wear it every day after school.
I've got to find that picture.
- What?
I don't remember that. - Hysterical.
And it was a big rat nest in the back.
And I thought, you know what?
Fine. - Why didn't you brush it?
Thanks.
(stuttering)
- Who could get it brushed through that thing?
(chuckling)
- Get me a new wig.
(chuckling)
- [Interviewer] Maybe that's what you're trying to say.
Need more wigs.
Paris, we've seen your mom on TV a little bit this year.
How is your mom different from the Kathy the world knows?
- Well, my mom has just herself on that show.
She just has fun.
She's laid back, chill, hilarious.
And I'm happy that the world gets to see
just how funny she is, because there's no one funnier.
And that's where I get my personality from.
And a lot of my humor.
(laughing)
- [Interviewer] Do you think that's true, Kathy?
- We have a lot of similarities.
My husband says that we are so much alike.
And my son-in-law James said, I am the fifth child.
Right? - Yes.
We're both kids at heart.
- [Interviewer] Kathy what's something that you think
people would be surprised to know
that the two of you have in common?
- Being pranksters.
- I think we just have always been pranksters.
We love doing prank calls, just practical jokes.
- Nothing mean.
(laughing)
- [Interviewer] In theory,
what does a prank call from Kathy Hilton sound like?
- I have a friend that had put her son in this school.
You know how everybody is all excited?
Parents night, back to school night.
And they sign their name for pizza night.
And my friend is the very forgetful type.
So I called her and I said--
- Who did you pretend you were?
- Ms. Wilson from the Buckley School.
I said, you know, we've got a big problem here.
I said, we have 24 children that are starving.
And 48 parents that are furious.
You had signed up saying you were gonna bring pizza
and all this.
She was flipping out.
(chucking)
- You're so random. - So.
- [Interviewer] I love that.
Paris, how are you and your mom dissimilar?
- Well, you know everything about all the technology.
- Oh yes.
- And that doesn't interest me at all.
- I'm very tech savvy.
I'm an undercover nerd tech gadget.
I'm obsessed with all of that.
And my mom, I don't think even knows how to use a microwave.
She doesn't know how to turn on the TV.
- I would not know how to call Grubhub.
- I've taught her how to do Instagram,
and now she's going on IG Live all the time.
- I don't know, I don't do it myself.
I have somebody help me.
But I love it.
- And then to reach me, instead of texting me, she'll--
- Twitter.
- In the comments or she'll Tweet, call your mother now,
or I'm gonna get on a broomstick and come to you.
- Yeah, I'm gonna come on a broomstick and come get you.
And then every one of the people that follow her,
a lot of them, especially the little Hiltons,
they all get on a mission.
Paris, did you call your mom?
Call your mom right now.
So she'll go, what?
(chuckling)
- [Interviewer] It is kind of the best way to get it.
This way, you know the message
is definitely getting there, right?
- Yes.
(chuckling)
- [Interviewer] Kathy, growing up, how would you describe
the special bond that you and Paris had?
- She was my first.
She was our first baby and this little doll.
And it changed my life.
I think growing up in New York
and my husband being in business,
I was very, living in this very rigid box.
And I think that's why I was probably so strict with Paris.
And maybe that's why she rebelled a bit.
Seeing her come out on top and take such a negative,
that one of the things with her having to go to that school,
and turning it into a positive,
that there's some silver lining,
that's life changing for people.
And being able to fight and get out there
and serve others to me is..
- [Interviewer] Paris, you've been really brave,
being so candid about what you went through growing up.
Kathy, have you learned anything that kind of surprised you
about what Paris went through?
- I meant, I didn't know.
I swear to God, there's no way.
- No parents know that.
- My, do you know that I found out?
Two of my very good girlfriends, one's my best friend.
Once again, I would not have wanted anyone to know
that we sent Paris to a school like that
because this will ruin our reputation.
You know?
It was our secret.
And as much as the press and the world knew everything
and exaggerated things,
this was our secret and we wouldn't even talk about it.
- Well, you just thought it was a normal boarding school.
You didn't know.
- It was the best.
It was considered the finest.
Every month they would give a parents weekend.
Never said anything to me.
- [Interviewer] What has it meant to you
to see how much support you've had from your family
and from your mom in talking about this,
in what's happened in the aftermath of this coming out?
- Well, it was something that I never wanted
to discuss with anyone.
When I left there,
I made a promise that I would never talk about it
with my family, my friends, even myself.
So something that I held in for so many years,
since I was a teenager.
And I wasn't planning on talking about it.
And then it just came out when I was doing the documentary
and I became very close with the director,
and this was around seven months into shooting.
And that's when I opened up to her about it.
And she, I said, I don't want this in the film.
And she's like, Paris, this needs to be.
And she started showing me all this research
that it was still happening today.
And I knew that if I didn't say something,
I couldn't sleep well at night
knowing that this was still happening to children.
And now to see what a difference it's made in others' lives.
And I just made my first law in Utah.
So everything that happened to me back then
would be illegal today.
And next, I am going to Washington DC
and I'm taking this to a federal level.
So in all 50 states, this will be illegal.
So I really feel that maybe this did happen for a reason
and God gave me this special gift.
So that one day that I could use my voice to save others.
- That's what I've said.
- And turn my pain into a real purpose.
- Take the lemons and make lemonade.
- Mm hmm. - [Interviewer] Absolutely.
One of the other things that I thought was really
interesting in the documentary, Paris, is how you talk about
the persona that you used out in the world almost as armor.
This version of Paris that a lot of people knew.
Do you feel a sense of freedom or ease
now that the world knows this was a character
and you can kind of be yourself more?
- Yeah, I feel that just--
- It's not a total, I'm sorry.
It is, you say it's, there is part of that
that really is you.
- Yeah, some parts.
- You're not stupid, but you're--
- No, I'm not.
I'm not a dumb blonde.
I'm just very good at pretending to be one.
And I think I just developed that character
from being in there and just traumatized.
And I wanted to kind of invent this fantasy
perfect Barbie doll life.
- Kind of like a shield.
- Yeah, it was like a shield and it was like armor.
And then, right away to get "The Simple Life"
and the producers say,
we want you to act like a dumb blonde,
pretend you've never worked a day in your life.
Basically play up this character.
So I was just doing what I was told.
And I didn't realize what a huge success it would be
and that I had to continue that character
season after season.
And then also on all the talk shows and interviews.
And then it just became like, I was just so used to it.
And I think also with the media constantly making up stories
about me and all these things happening.
I just think to myself, it doesn't really hurt me as much
because they're not making fun of me.
They're making fun of a character that I invented.
A lot of people have underestimated me.
And I think it just feels good to prove people wrong.
- I went to a therapist just to,
when we were living in New York, to discuss.
And he said all along, I knew what a brilliant young woman.
And he said, these people like her
that fall down a little bit
and go off into these directions,
they become workaholics to prove.
It becomes like their drug to become successful
and to keep busy all the time and all that,
to prove people wrong.
- [Interviewer] I'm just curious.
In creating the persona Paris,
did there ever come a point when the voice became
taxing to continually put on?
- It's just something that I do when I'm shy.
- Yeah, That's something to address.
- My whole life.
Since I was a little girl,
if I wanted something, I would do it.
Or if I was feeling shy or uncomfortable.
I still do it now.
- You go in and out.
- I go in and out.
I don't know.
It's just something that I think I've been doing forever.
- Like Michael Jackson.
You'll be like, oh yes.
No, I'm not gonna take that deal.
(laughing)
That's how she is.
But she also, I used to say to her, Paris,
when you go on a talk show
and you walking out on the set, you do this thing.
- It's a runway look.
- I go, why do you do that?
She goes, I don't know.
'Cause I'm shy.
I'm uncomfortable.
I said, can you just walk out normal?
- [Interviewer] That makes it feel better.
That makes it feel normal, right?
- Yes.
(chuckling)
- [Interviewer] Let's turn to the show.
I'm curious, was cooking something you did
a lot together growing up?
- I used to love going in the kitchen with my mom,
growing up, during the holiday.
- During the holidays.
I mean, like Easter, Christmas.
- [Paris] Thanksgiving.
- Thanksgiving, October, Halloween,
which is her favorite holiday.
We'd do the big chili and do all that for
before we went out trick or treating.
- [Interviewer] Is your mom a good cook
from how she taught you?
- Yes, she makes amazing lasagna and pastas,
and basically everything.
- Italian food.
But I don't cook all the time.
When I do, I do.
- She likes to go out to dinner.
- [Interviewer] I mean, don't we all?
Where did the idea for the show come from?
- Well, it was during the pandemic
and I was at home more than ever,
'cause usually I was traveling 250 days out of the year.
So I was just at home and I wrote on my Twitter
to all my fans, what kind of video content
do you guys want to see on YouTube?
And then Raul, who's one of my super fans wrote,
you should cook your famous lasagna.
So I thought it would just be a video on YouTube.
- Oh, that's right.
- And then all of a sudden it went viral
and just there's millions of views.
And people were writing all these articles
and they thought it was a real cooking show.
And then we did our deal with Netflix and just never thought
that I would have a cooking show.
It's kind of random when you think about it,
but it's so much fun.
And it just reminds me of "The Simple Life",
just the vibes of it.
And I just had the best time.
- [Interviewer] Kathy looking back,
what's the best advice you gave Paris that she didn't take?
- Not to do "The Simple Life".
And I was wrong.
And it ended up being my favorite.
I laugh to this day.
- [Interviewer] What was it about that opportunity
that you just didn't think was a good idea?
- I just didn't know what it was gonna be.
And I just thought, I want her to be in school,
go to college, have a real job,
and understand that she is gonna have to make her own money.
Not to depend on a man.
We're living in a new world today.
- [Interviewer] That's right.
Well, she found a way to do that.
- Yeah. - Yes.
- [Interviewer] Paris, what's some advice your mom gave you
that you wish you had taken?
- Hmm, I usually always listen to my mom
because mother knows best,
but I do wish I would've listened to you about just letting
certain people into my life.
Because I've always been very, just nice to everyone and--
- Believes everything everybody says.
- Yeah, I think just letting certain people
into my life that should never have been there,
I think was advice I didn't listen to.
- That took real advantage, and I would see it.
And people that were close would see it.
And she didn't want to hear about it.
- [Interviewer] Paris has talked about wanting
to become a mom.
Kathy, what motherly advice would you pass on to her?
- I would say that you have to be careful
not to spoil the child, because you are successful
and you would be able to do whatever you want.
When we had, dad and I, had you and Nicky,
we couldn't afford to.
So that's probably what gave you that drive
to get out there and do something.
They don't need all these little cars.
One little thing, but you know,
they have those little plastic cars?
- I love those.
- I know you do.
- I've already bought a bunch of them.
- Well.
- [Interviewer] Paris, what have you learned
about being a parent from your mother?
- I've learned so much from my mom,
but one thing that I've always loved about you
is just how special you made the holidays, always.
You just loved to have happiness and family values
and good manners.
And I just learned everything I know.
And also just the importance of work ethic and working hard
and really instilling that in myself and my sister
and my brother since a very young age.
- Think of the ones that we know
that have been handed everything.
- They're miserable.
They're miserable.
They're not happy.
If you keep giving me candy every day
and just whatever, you get sick.
It's not good.
- [Interviewer] Kathy, what kind of mom
do you think Paris will be?
- I can't wait.
I think she is going to be so overjoyed by this experience
and just the best mom.
And Carter, I have to say, he's gonna be the best father.
He is so great with my nieces and nephews.
They love him.
And he just spends hours playing with them at the beach,
throwing them up in the air, giving them piggyback rides.
He has a lot of patience and she does too.
- [Interviewer] Okay, Paris,
I'm giving you the final question.
What do you want to ask your mother?
- If you didn't name me Paris,
what would you have named me?
- We actually thought about London.
- Really?
- Mm hmm.
- Why did you name me Paris?
- Because it's a city of beauty and lights.
- When I was little, kids would make fun of me
because my name was Paris and then Hilton.
So they would always, 'cause it was a city and a hotel.
You know how kids are.
They'd always kind of make fun of me, but now I'm like,
I'm so proud to have that name.
So original and unique, like me.
- What I've been trying to teach Paris lately.
Just let go.
Everything's good.
You deserve your happiness right now.
It's okay.
And you don't have to be perfect.
Do you get what I'm saying?
- Yeah.
- Just be yourself.
- I am.
(chuckling)
- No, sometimes I think you're,
you still put that shield up a little bit, but you're great.
You're a good person.
You do well, you do well for others.
You're thoughtful.
I need you to show up at something for me
on the 18th of September.
- For what?
- Are you in town?
- I don't know.
In LA or New York?
- It's a charity event.
No, it's here.
- Okay.
I'll be there.
(chuckling)
- Okay.
(upbeat music)
- [Interviewer] Thank you both so much.
It was so nice to meet you.
So nice to meet you, thank you.
- [Kathy] You too, stay safe.
- [Interviewer] You as well.