SHE was the socialite heiress who found fame as the ‘dumb blonde’ on the massive reality hit The Simple Life.
But turned out to be a smart cookie when it comes to business – building a £4billion empire which has outstripped the wealth of her great-grandfather and founder .
Now she reveals the airhead image she created for the reality show “masked the trauma”; of being abused as a teen.
And the 44-year-old star says the pain of her past is what has spurred her on to success.
For over three decades, Paris hid how she suffered abuse at the hands of leaders, preferring to “turn my pain into a purpose”;.
However, in a compelling and emotional interview, Paris has detailed for the first time how being an entrepreneur has helped her heal.
Speaking at the CNBC Changemakers’ Event, which celebrated female business and philanthropic trailblazers, Paris says: “I got sent away to this boarding school and my parents had no idea just how horrible these places were.
“When I was in there, I just promised myself, ‘I'm going to work so hard and become so successful that one day no one will ever be able to control me or tell me what to do'.
“That's something that really gave me that drive.
“And I always thought that success would just make me happy and I’d never have to depend on anyone but myself.”;
Paris agreed to play the “dumb blonde”; opposite “troublemaker”; best friend for five years on 2003's MTV reality hit as “protection”;.
“That character I built was a trauma response to what I went through. I wanted to build this fantasy world so I didn’t have to think about what I was going through.
“And with the media it meant I didn’t have to open up. It was a shield and mask.
“So turning my pain into a purpose has been the most healing experience of my life.”;
A rebellious teen, Paris was sent to the controversial Provo Canyon School in , at 16.
In director Alexandra Dean’s 2020 doc , she recalled being “kidnapped”; from her bed in the middle of the night.
“I started screaming for my mum and dad to help me and no one came,” Hilton says. “I saw my parents standing by their door, crying. And I was like, ‘Please help me. What's happening?' And no one would tell me what was happening.”
At the brutal school, she recalled being “ across the face, watched in the shower by male staff”; and she also reveals she was stripped naked and put into solitary confinement.
She also says she was force-fed unidentified pills by staff.
After speaking out in the documentary, and giving evidence to , she was contacted by hundreds of other victims of abusive ‘Wilderness schools’ – and has become an effective campaigner.
That character I built was a trauma response to what I went through. I wanted to build this fantasy world so I didn’t have to think about what I was going through.
Paris Hilton
“I just opened up to (Alexandra) about the schools that I went to,”; she says.
“I promised myself I would never tell anyone about this because I didn't want this to be my story and I just didn't even want to think about it because it was just too painful.
“But it just made me realise that I could use my voice to help make a difference for so many children and now today, we just passed our 12th state law to protect children.”
Responding to Paris' allegations, Provo Canyon's owners said that the school was sold in 2000 and therefore cannot comment on its operations or student experience before that time.
They also stressed that they do not condone or promote any form of abuse.
Nonetheless, Paris helped pass the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act in Congress along with a dozen other state laws, which she feels “is going to protect 13million children”.
At the same time, her drive for success has seen her build an impressive empire, through DJing, TV deals and fragrances, but she promises this is the just beginning.
‘Work ethic'
She plans to build a brand as big as the – vowing to work 24 hours a day to venture into new commercial areas.
Her drive has seen her beating the odds and exceeding even the family's fortunes – including her grandfather Barron, who inherited the Hilton hotel chain and later donated 97 per cent of his £2.4billion to good causes.
“My family really instilled a hard work ethic in myself and also just about hospitality in the hotel business and treating everyone always with kindness,” she says.
“Business is something that really runs in my blood. I always wanted to build something on my own.
“I didn't want to be known as the Hilton Hotel granddaughter. I wanted to be known as Paris.
“And something that my grandfather always used to say to me: ‘Paris, it's so funny. I used to be known as Barron Hilton and now I'm known as Paris Hilton's grandpa.'
“That always made me really proud to hear and I've always just wanted to really prove myself as well.”;
The star promises her multi-media and commerce firm 11:11 Media can be built “into the next Disney....the way Bob Iger sees Disney is the way I see 11:11 Media, where it really puts together commerce and community and built this whole ecosystem that involves everything from television, videos and audio products to the metaverse and beyond.
“I have always been an undercover nerd, so I'm obsessed with technology, being ahead of the curve.
“I just feel that I really am ahead of my time and I don't know if that's because I'm an Aquarius or if , which I consider my superpower, but somehow I've always just turned a couple of steps ahead.”;
Smiling, she added ADHD is the “creative inside of me”; allowing her to multi-task business opportunities.
“It's hard to sleep at night because I'm constantly just thinking of new ideas and the bad part is I lose my phone a lot, my house keys, but I really believe it is my superpower.
“People think of it as a negative thing and that's what you're always told. But I really wanted to reframe that and let others know that it can be their superpower too and not hold them back.
“I just do things that I love and I'm passionate about. I love music, entertainment, making products and my impact work. I love to make people happy.
“I don't want to be put inside one box. I'm so lucky that I've been able to do everything that I love so much and be successful at it at the same time.”;
Paris, who shares a son, two, and one-year-old daughter with businessman husband Carter Ruem, says she has weathered her own storms and wants to help others do the same.
“I'm so proud of the woman I am and what I've been through, what I've survived,
“Now with my incredible husband and my two beautiful babies, I'm so happy and I love now that I can use my voice to make a difference, uplift women and just be who I was always meant to be.
“I've always loved proving people wrong. So now I get to do that all the time.”;
