After her popular stint on The Simple Life, Paris Hilton went on to become a DJ and businesswoman.
And in 2020, a new documentary revealed the truth about the superstar.
Here is what you need to know about the stunning transformation of Paris Hilton.
When Paris Hilton was born on February 17, 1981 in New York, she was already destined
to live an incredibly privileged life.
Paris is the oldest child of Richard Hilton, a real-estate developer, and Kathy Richards
Hilton, a famous socialite.
Basically, the Hilton family has a long history of success and wealth.
Paris' great-grandfather, Conrad Hilton, built the famous Hilton hotel empire throughout
the early 1900s.
Conrad was also briefly married to actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, while his son, Conrad Jr.,
later married Elizabeth Taylor, though the marriage only lasted a year.
It's easy to see how Paris had a significant advantage from the moment she was born.
Despite her origins, Paris has always been clear about her desire to earn her own money.
As Hilton told Esquire,
"Because of my last name and the way I look, some people think I'm a spoiled brat.
But I'm not like that at all.
I'm one of the most down-to-earth people I know out of anyone in Hollywood."
After becoming a mega celebrity on The Simple Life, Paris Hilton found huge success with
her line of fragrances.
As she revealed to Gay Times,
"I love perfumes and have done since I was a little girl.[...]
I remember when I was making my first, and now I’m soon to be launching my 25th fragrance
which is such a dream come true."
As it turns out, creating a fragrance empire was actually a lifelong dream for Hilton.
The star explained to Glamour in 2015,
"I've worn perfume since I was six [...] I used to go into my mom's boudoir when she
was out and spray myself all over."
Fans of Paris Hilton might assume that the star has always enjoyed a carefree, luxurious
life.
However, in 2020, the world learned that the heiress was hiding a dark history of trauma
and abuse.
In Paris Hilton's revealing documentary, This Is Paris, the heiress opened up about her
experiences at several boarding schools as a teen.
Hilton's parents sent her first to a series of "emotional growth" schools, where she was
allegedly forced to do manual labor and was occasionally beaten.
Later in the documentary, Hilton explained how she was taken from her home by strangers
in the middle of the night and sent to the Provo Canyon School, which Hilton described
as "the worst of the worst."
She said that she and her schoolmates were mentally and physically abused, given pills,
and beaten by the staff.
At one point, she was placed in solitary confinement.
"It wasn't something I ever wanted to talk about in public."
These horrific experiences gave Hilton a lifelong determination, as she explained,
"I was going to do everything in my power to be so successful that my parents could
never control me again."
As a teen, Paris Hilton dreamed of becoming a model.
So when she and her family moved to New York, Hilton was entranced by the glittering lifestyle
of the modeling world.
Hilton explained to the Evening Standard,
"Before New York I didn't really wear dresses and never went to parties."
However, Hilton's parents were strict, so she initially struggled in her pursuit of
fame.
Hilton revealed on MTV's When I Was 17,
"A lot of the times, what I would do is actually sneak out at night."
She also explained how she found ways of ducking past the hotel's security system, leaving
a pile of pillows and a wig under her duvet.
Of course, as the documentary This Is Paris revealed, this rebellious streak resulted
in Hilton being sent away.
When Hilton turned 18, she was finally free to pursue her dreams of modeling.
The reign of Paris Hilton began in the late '90s, when she and her sister Nicky became
the "It" girls of New York.
They attended the biggest parties, and the world was their oyster.
Around the same time, the paparazzi began following the sisters around the city constantly,
especially on their late-night escapades.
Then in 2000, the New York Post covered Paris' ever-growing fan base, who tried to catch
a glimpse of the heiress at nightclubs.
It seemed that Paris and Nicky Hilton were ushering in a new era of celebrity.
In 2003, Paris Hilton starred on The Simple Life, and the hit show made her internationally
famous.
She explained to Gay Times,
"It changed my whole life since it was the first of its kind.
There really was nothing out there like it in the world.
After that show, I got to go all around the world and it really just started my career
in this business."
Of course, Hilton's new level of fame could also be pretty exhausting and overwhelming.
She confessed that dealing with the paparazzi and made up stories in the media was a difficult
adjustment.
Even though The Simple Life was marketed as a reality TV show, it turns out tht Hilton
was playing a character.
In the 2020 documentary This Is Paris, she opened up about how the bubbly, baby-voiced
Paris of The Simple Life had become difficult to live with.
"I just had this plan, and then created his brand and this persona and this character,
and I've been stuck with her ever since.
[...] I didn't used to be that way."
"I don't even know who I am sometimes."
Paris Hilton hasn't exactly been lucky in love.
In This Is Paris, the star confessed that at least five of her past boyfriends had been
physically abusive.
She recalled,
"I've been in a lot of relationships where people — they just get so controlling and
get so angry that they become physical."
A few of the instances of physical abuse were made public at the time, too.
In 2004, the New York Post reported that Hilton's ex-boyfriend Nick Carter had allegedly given
her some horrific bruises after a fight.
Hilton went on to explain that she was potentially more susceptible to abusive relationships
because of her time at the boarding school in Utah.
"I had become so used to it at Provo, that it made me feel like it was normal.
[...] Looking back, I can't believe I let people treat me like that."
"I don't really know many genuine people."
We have to say, it's incredibly tragic to hear about what was going on behind the scenes
of Hilton's glamorous life.
It's pretty hard to imagine a time when we weren't snapping shots of ourselves on our
smartphones for social media.
In fact, for many Zoomers, the selfie is practically a necessity.
However, when Paris Hilton was a young woman, selfies weren't exactly the cultural phenomenon
they are today.
As Hilton herself tweeted in 2017,
"11 years ago today, Me & Britney invented the selfie!"
According to W magazine, Hilton is often credited with taking one of the very first selfies.
And even if she didn't exactly invent the artform, it's pretty clear that she played
a big role in making it a popular type of picture.
The star told W,
"If a beeper had a camera, I would have taken a selfie with it [...] I think I have a selfie
from when I was a little kid, like on a disposable camera."
Sounds like Hilton has always been desperate to get herself in front of the camera, even
if no one else was around to take the picture.
After The Simple Life, Paris Hilton pursued a career as an actress and a singer.
She released her debut album, Paris, in 2006.
The first single, "Stars Are Blind," was actually pretty successful, and according to Paper,
even Lady Gaga was a fan of the track.
However, after two albums, it was pretty clear that Hilton wasn't destined for a long career
as a pop star, and her first single was probably the peak of her short-lived career.
In terms of acting, Hilton also met with little success.
She took on cameos in several movies, and appeared opposite Chad Michael Murray in House
of Wax.
Most often, she was cast as herself, or rather as the caricature of herself that had become
famous on The Simple Life.
Then in 2010, Hilton was given the Razzie for Worst Actress of the Decade, which probably
wasn't her finest moment.
After working as a model, a singer, a reality star, and an actress, Paris Hilton tried a
fifth career path in 2012 when she became a DJ.
Thanks to her connections, she didn't exactly have to work her way up to the top of her
field.
As she told Billboard in 2017,
"I started DJing like seven years ago.
My first show was in Brazil.
Like 30,000 people, closing for Jennifer Lopez, it was so much fun.
I loved it so much that after that I really just got more into it [...] I’ve just been
having the time of my life.
I didn’t realize what a huge success I would be."
After her first show, Hilton developed a passion for spinning.
As she revealed to Billboard,
"The first time I ever played, I was so nervous, shy, but now I’ve been doing it for so long
that I feel so comfortable on stage.
I just love feeling the vibe and the energy and the people and I’ve been studying with
some of the best people in the world."
Hilton added that she loves surprising audiences with her talent for DJing.
Plus, Hilton doesn't shy away from self-promotion and apparently always ends her shows with
her hit single "Stars Are Blind."
After spending a few decades in the limelight, Paris Hilton took a step back.
And even though the heiress is no longer plastered all over the tabloids, she's stayed pretty
busy behind the scenes.
She spoke to Glamour about her decision to become more private in 2015, saying,
"When I first came onto the scene I was going out to every club every night, it was crazy
[...] But I've grown up.
I'm on a plane 200 days of the year.
I'm always working; I'm 100 percent focused on my business and brand and I've never been
happier."
Hilton's business is doing well, too.
In 2017, Evening Standard reported that Hilton's fragrances alone had brought in over $1.25
billion.
Sounds like Hilton really has grown up since her crazy days in the spotlight, and has been
spending her time building her incredibly successful brand, instead.
Paris Hilton has long been an icon for the LGBTQ+ community.
In 2018, she posted a heartfelt message on Twitter to the community, writing,
"Sending love to everyone in the #LGBTQ Community!
I stand for you I support you I applaud you for being free to be who you are."
Hilton later spoke to Gay Times about how she is keen to support gay and trans rights,
and said,
"I have several friends in the trans community and have heard their stories of what they
went through and the hardships.
I think that they’re so courageous and they inspire me.
[...] I plan to use my platform to speak out and to continue to give this community a voice."
Hilton went on to say that she'd love to make her products as inclusive as possible, and
she's even considered creating a gender-fluid makeup line.
It's exciting that Hilton is using her platform to take a stand on the political and social
issues she cares about.
Paris Hilton's 2020 documentary, This Is Paris, completely transformed the public's perception
of the heiress, who's long left her ditzy, club-going days behind her.
One of the biggest revelations in the film is that the high-pitched, childlike voice
she used in The Simple Life was actually part of the act.
She confessed in an interview with Vogue,
"I easily could have made this some vanity project if I wanted to, but I feel like I've
done that my entire career."
Paris Hilton also entered into a new relationship with Carter Reum, and it seems as though the
businessman is the real deal.
In August 2020, Hilton wrote on Instagram,
"When we first met, I had no idea of the amazing journey I was about to embark on.
My life was always empty, like I was missing something.
[...] But when I met you, I knew you were the one.
[...] I believe that everything happens for a reason because everything in my life, all
the good and the bad, has led me right to you."
With her honest documentary and her healthy relationship, it seems like 2020 has been
a pretty transformative year for Hilton.
We can't wait to see where her new honest approach leads her next.
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