Paris Hilton says media ‘cruelty’ towards her wouldn’t be accepted today

Paris Hilton has spoken out about the "cruel" treatment she endured from the media as a young woman, asserting that while the industry has evolved, further action is required to improve how individuals are portrayed.

The 44-year-old socialite, known for her role in the 2000s reality series The Simple Life alongside Nicole Richie, reflected on the intense scrutiny she faced.

Speaking to the Press Association, she described the experience as "harassment" and detailed its profound impact. "Back then the media was so cruel to myself and to a few other women and it just felt like harassment," she stated. "It was entertainment for people back then and the things that people would say to us would not be accepted today."

While acknowledging progress, she added: "I think it has changed a lot but I can see that some people just haven’t got that memo and are continuing it. There definitely needs to be work done but at least it is evolving in a more positive way for people."

Hilton has frequently addressed the "dumb blonde" label she was given, revealing it was a carefully constructed persona designed as "armour" for self-protection.

Significant attention has been focused on Hilton’s teenage life following her 2020 documentary, This Is Paris, where she disclosed physical and psychological abuse suffered at boarding schools for troubled teenagers. Since then, she has become a vocal activist in the US, campaigning against the treatment programmes prevalent in the "troubled teen industry".

Elaborating on her public image, she explained: "The character and the persona that I created was an armour and a shield to really protect me, because I’d been through so much and nobody knew that, and I felt like I just was playing this character, so that I wouldn’t really have to go deep or go into what I had been through, because I wasn’t ready at that point."

She noted that her relationship with the persona has shifted: "Now I kind of pull out the character sometimes, not as a protection, more as just the silly fun side of me. People know that it is a character, I love that people know that there is a lot more to me than that, and a lot of a deeper, more intelligent person."

Now a mother to two young children with her husband, Carter Reum, the DJ and businesswoman describes motherhood as her "greatest joy".

She expressed her deep protectiveness over her family, stating: "My two babies are my world and just bring me so much love and happiness. We just have so much fun together." This new chapter has further fuelled her advocacy.

"Being a mother, I’m so protective and I think that’s another reason why I use my voice so much, especially having a daughter, because I don’t ever want her to feel the way that I did or to go through the things that I went through."

Hilton’s new documentary, Infinite Icon: A Visual Memoir, which chronicles her return to music, is set for release on 30 January.