Paris Hilton has spoken about being sexually assaulted and exploited as a teenager in a recent interview with Glamour UK. She recalls her first sexual experience at the age of 15 with an older man who she claims drugged and raped her. Hilton also talks about being groomed by one of her high school teachers and being caught kissing him in his car by her parents. After these experiences, her parents sent her to Provo Canyon School in Utah, which Hilton says was a traumatic experience. It was during this time that she created the “dumb blonde” caricature which she became known for as a coping mechanism. In the interview, Hilton also recalls an encounter with Harvey Weinstein at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000 when she was 19, where she claims he became aggressive towards her. Despite feeling ashamed about her past experiences, Hilton says that she is taking her power back by speaking about them publicly.
Hilton’s interview sheds light on the traumatic experiences she faced as a young woman in the public eye, which she says were exacerbated by the media’s treatment of her. She recalls being made fun of and ridiculed for her party girl image and the persona she had created, which she now sees as a way to cope with her trauma.
“I think the way people treated me and the way the media treated me, it was like, ‘Oh, she’s just this dumb blonde. She doesn’t know what she’s doing, she’s just partying all the time.’ But it was really a way of dealing with all the pain and the trauma that I had been through,” Hilton said.
Despite the challenges she faced, Hilton says she is now taking back control of her life and her narrative. Through therapy, she has been able to process her past trauma and is using her platform to advocate for change, particularly in regards to how society views and treats survivors of sexual assault.
“I feel like now is the time where I’m finally taking my power back and taking control of my life and my story,” she said. “And I want to use my platform to raise awareness and help other survivors out there and let them know that they’re not alone.”
Hilton’s decision to speak out about her experiences comes amid a larger cultural conversation around sexual assault and abuse, sparked in part by the #MeToo movement. By sharing her story, she is adding her voice to the chorus of survivors who are demanding change and justice.
In addition to her advocacy work, Hilton is also focused on her career, which has spanned multiple industries over the years. She recently released a documentary on her life, This Is Paris, and is set to release her memoir next month.
Overall, Hilton’s interview is a powerful reminder of the resilience of survivors and the importance of speaking out about trauma. By sharing her story, she is helping to break the silence around sexual assault and abuse and paving the way for others to do the same.
