Difficult childhood, rape, and son's hate. What problems and traumas are hidden behind the glamorous picture of Paris Hilton's life

There is hardly a person in the world who is unfamiliar with the name Paris Hilton. Despite her scandalous glamorous image, the heiress of the family empire, the world's largest hotel and resort chain, Hilton, has experienced many difficulties in her life. Some may accuse the icon of the 'noughties' of achieving fame and success only thanks to her parents' money, but this would be a huge mistake. Hilton made her name on her own, working hard and tirelessly to earn her own billions.

On February 17, the socialite, considered the first blogger and original influencer, turned 43. On this occasion, OBOZ.UA decided to tell you about the rather difficult life of the main star of the crazy 2000s.

A childhood of harshness

So, as everyone knows, Paris was born into a very wealthy family: her great-grandfather was Conrad Hilton, the founder of the world's largest hotel chain Hilton. It was he and his heirs who made the most elite hotels the way we know them today: with restaurants, spas, swimming pools, clubs, casinos, etc. So, people like Paris are usually said to be: "born with a silver spoon in her mouth". Perhaps it was true. However, the childhood of the daughter of billionaires was not as rosy as fans and the press gossiped about.

For more than 20 years, the socialite did not dare to tell the world the truth about her past, which ultimately made her who she is today, even though it could have easily broken many others.

It's no secret that for a long time Paris, who, by the way, was named after the city of Paris, was the queen of scandalous headlines in the most famous magazines. It all started when she was a teenager. The mother of the most famous blonde in the world, former actress Kathy Hilton, was very strict. From childhood, she told her daughter not to even dream of modeling or acting, but instead to focus on the family business. Paris was also forbidden to attend discos and even school dances.

Strictness and prohibitions, as is often the case, awakened the girl's rebellious nature. Are you forbidden to go to school dances? I'll do bright makeup, put on the shortest skirt and go to the club. This was the principle of the young rebel's logic. Her mother, meanwhile, was calling all the clubs and swearing that she would close them down if she found out that her daughter was there.

Even then, the media published photos of a spectacular, but still very young blonde, who was allegedly "not being watched by her parents." Katie was furious about this, and her level of strictness increased. When Paris was 17 years old, her mother sent her to a re-education facility for troubled children. It was the Provo Canyon School, a boarding school where Hilton ended up staying for 11 months.

More than 20 years later, she recalled her time in the facility as follows: "From the moment I woke up until I went to bed, all day long I was shouted in the face, yelled at, tortured continuously. The staff said terrible things. They were constantly making me feel bad and mocking me. I think their goal was to break us. They used physical violence, beat and choked us. They wanted to instill fear in the children so that we would be too scared to disobey them."

Rape

The staff of the boarding school conducted so-called "cervical examinations" on the students. Only as an adult did the celebrity realize that this was sexual violence.

"Late at night, it was about three or four o'clock, they took me and the other girls to a room for a so-called medical examination. It wasn't even with a doctor. There were several different workers there who put us on a table, made us lie still, and stuck their fingers inside us. I did not understand what they were doing. But they were not doctors. It was scary, and I blocked these memories for many years. I cried while they held me and said: "No!". They just said: "Shut up. Lie still or you'll go to solitary confinement,'" Paris said in a documentary about her life.

By the way, the threats about the punishment cell were not just intimidation. There was a punishment cell at the school, and girls were sent there for "inappropriate behavior." Hilton, for example, did not take the medication that the school's students were being forced to take. When the staff noticed this, they placed her in such a room for 20 hours, forcing her to undress first. An important clarification: there was no heating or even a blanket in the punishment cell.

"I had panic attacks and cried every day. I was so miserable. I felt like a prisoner and hated life. Attempts to tell my parents about the conditions at school were to no avail. I hardly communicated with my family. Maybe once every two or three months. We were cut off from the outside world. And when I tried to tell them once, I got into so much trouble that I was afraid to talk about it again. They would grab the phone or tear up the letters I wrote, saying, "No one will believe you." And the staff would tell parents that the children were lying. So my parents had no idea what was going on," Hilton added as an adult.

After returning from boarding school, Paris finally realized how much she loved freedom and therefore needed independence. She didn't refuse to be shocking in public, but at the same time, she realized that she had to work very hard to earn her own money. In addition, the socialite realized that being in school had a great impact on her psyche - she could no longer trust people because even her closest ones had betrayed her at some point.

The world's first influencer with a unique style

Paris is recognized as the world's first influencer and blogger. It was her idea to get paid for attending various venues, parties, and shows, because wherever Hilton went, paparazzi and people showed up, and thus money.

Paris is also called the person who invented the selfie. It's impossible to say whether she was the first person to think of taking a picture of her face, but all over the world, her name is associated with the emergence of the selfie.

If someone talks about Paris Hilton, what do you immediately imagine? Of course, plush tracksuits with low-rise pants, mini-dresses, short tops, and, of course, all in the most pink colors. And also snow-white hair and a small puppy in your arms. Whether you like this aesthetic or not, it has become a cult look and is associated with Paris.

Paris Hilton is a mom

We can talk for a long time about the scandals Paris Hilton has been involved in, the endless lawsuits, and her thorny path to a net worth of more than one billion dollars. But I want to focus more on the personal. On January 25, 2023, the socialite and businesswoman announced that she had become a mother for the first time.

"You're already loved beyond words," Hilton, who was almost 42 at the time, touchingly said to her son.

The boy was named Phoenix. He was born through surrogacy. Paris and her husband, businessman Carter Reum, who got engaged in February 2021, dreamed of becoming parents and even prepared for IVF. At one point, the socialite even froze her own eggs. The celebrity failed to get pregnant on her own, so the couple decided to resort to the services of a surrogate.

The star regularly shares photos with his son. They clearly show how much Hilton loves his child. However, photos with Phoenix have often caused controversy and even scandals online. One of them happened because of the shape of the child's head. Fans thought it was "too big," so they assumed that the boy was "sick," and that his star mom was not looking after him well and was allegedly "ignoring obvious problems."

After a flurry of hate and criticism, Paris responded briefly: "He just has a big brain."

Another reason for the hate was a video in which Paris and her son were joined by Kathy Hilton, the socialite's mother and Phoenix's grandmother (Paris said she had forgiven her mother for her abuse in her teens). It was the first time she saw her grandson and learned that her daughter had become a mother.

Well, the fans saw the grandmother taking care of the baby, and it made them feel uneasy. The audience especially did not like the moment when the newborn Phoenix is picked up without supporting his neck and head. "Has she never held a baby in her arms before?" netizens wrote under the video.

And at the end of November 2023, Paris puzzled her fans with a post that she had given birth to a baby girl named London. "Grateful for my daughter," the star wrote, attaching a photo of a tiny suit with the newborn's name embroidered on it. However, now the businesswoman does not mention her daughter, and only posts photos or videos with her son on social media.