Career

1999-2002

After originally modeling as a child at charity events,[29] Hilton signed with Donald Trump's modeling agency, T Management, at age 19.[29] She became a notable fixture in parties and social events, and her late-night persona was well-documented in local tabloids.[19] A New York Post article, describing Hilton, wrote: "The most outrageous is hotel-darling Paris Hilton, 19, a part-time model with a tendency to flash her thong".[19] Similarly, producer Cisco Adler called Hilton "a young party girl who gets sucked into the L.A. party scene and grew up a little too fast" in a Vanity Fair profile.[30] She played an ill-fated character in the independent teen thriller Sweetie Pie (2000).[21]

Hilton with Janice Dickinson on an October 2002 Lloyd Klein runway show

By 2001, Hilton had developed a reputation as a socialite, and was hailed as "New York's leading It Girl", whose fame was beginning to "extend beyond the New York tabloids".[29] She made a cameo appearance as herself in the comedy Zoolander, with Ben Stiller, and posed for David LaChapelle in Vanity Fair, alongside her sister Nicky, wearing a silver jacket with no top or bra, in September 2001.[19] She also graced several other magazine covers, including the UK's Tatler, Italy's Giola and the US' FHM.[31]

Amid her growing public profile, businessman George J. Maloof Jr. paid Hilton to wear a dress made from US$1 million in poker chips and attend the Palms Casino Resort opening in Las Vegas in November 2001,[32][33][34][35] which was the first of numerous offers for Hilton to show up in nightclubs for promotion,[36][32] and marked the beginning of what soon became, for celebrities, making a business out of partying.[37] In 2002, Hilton appeared in Vincent Gallo's "Honey Bunny" video,[38][39] and played the lead role in the straight-to-DVD horror film Nine Lives. Beyondhollywood.com, describing her role, asserted: "Hilton plays—what else?—a spoiled American socialite who shops on three continents in one day".[40] During the early 2000s, Hilton was a frequent model for Lloyd Klein's fashion shows.

2003-2007

Hilton's breakout came in 2003, when she starred with her socialite counterpart Nicole Richie in the Fox reality series The Simple Life, in which they lived for a month with a family in the rural community of Altus, Arkansas. The series premiered on December 2, 2003, shortly after the release of Hilton's sex tape,[41] and was a ratings success; its first episode attracted 13 million viewers, increasing Fox's adult 18-49 rating by 79 percent.[42] The high viewership was attributed to the exposure Hilton received for the tape.[43] She became known for her onscreen dumb blonde persona—a character she eventually distanced herself from, stating she was playing a role.[44][45]

The socialite introduced a lifestyle brand in 2004, helping to design a purse collection for the Japanese label Samantha Thavasa. A jewelry line designed by Hilton was sold on Amazon.com shortly after.[46][47] In the fall of 2004, she released an autobiography co-written by Merle Ginsberg, Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose,[48] with color photos and advice on life as an heiress.[49] The book was seventh on The New York Times Best Seller list.[50] Her quote, "Dress cute wherever you go; life is too short to blend in", was added to The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations in September 2009.[51] Hilton was involved in creating a perfume line by Parlux Fragrances. Originally planned for a small release, high demand led to increased availability by December 2004. Its introduction was followed by a 47-percent increase in Parlux sales, primarily of the Hilton-branded perfume.[52] After this success Parlux released several more perfumes with her name, including fragrances for men.[53]

Hilton at a 2005 conference in Munich

In February 2005, Hilton hosted NBC's Saturday Night Live, with Keane as the musical guest,[54] and in May, the slasher film House of Wax—her first major film role—[55][56] was released in theaters,[57] to mixed reviews.[58] Writing for View London, Matthew Turner remarked that Hilton "does better than you might expect",[59] while TV Guide called Hilton "talentless".[60] Her role earned her the Teen Choice Award for Best Scream and the 2005 Razzie for Worst Supporting Actress.[61] She also received a nomination for Best Frightened Performance at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards. House of Wax grossed over US$70 million worldwide.[62]

Hilton appeared in a television commercial entitled "Paris Car Wash," promoting Carl's Jr.'s Spicy Burger product, which started airing in May 2005.[63] By the fall of 2005, she had published her second book, Your Heiress Diary: Confess It All to Me,[64] and introduced another fragrance, Just Me.

The Simple Life was canceled by Fox after three seasons in 2005 following a dispute between Hilton and Richie. Neither Richie nor Hilton spoke publicly about their split, although it was speculated that they fell out after Richie showed one of Hilton's homemade sex tapes to a group of their friends.[65] They reconciled in October 2006.[66] After The Simple Life was cancelled, other networks (NBC, The WB, VH1 and MTV) were reportedly interested in obtaining the rights for new seasons of the show.[67] On November 28, 2005, E! announced that it had picked up The Simple Life, ordering the production of a fourth season and obtaining the rights to repeat the first three seasons. Shooting for the new season began on February 27, 2006.[68] The fourth-season premiere of the show was a ratings success for its new network.[69]

Hilton released her self-titled debut album, Paris, on August 22, 2006. The album reached number six on the Billboard 200, and sold over 600,000 copies worldwide.[70] Its first single, "Stars Are Blind", was played on more than 125 pop stations in the U.S.[71] The song was a worldwide hit,[72] reaching the top ten in 17 countries.[73] Critical reception was generally mixed,[74] but AllMusic called the album "more fun than anything released by Britney Spears or Jessica Simpson".[75]

Her film Bottoms Up was released straight-to-DVD in late 2006. Australia's Urban Cinefile, describing Hilton, wrote that she "spends most of her screen time flicking her hair as she delivers lines like 'books are those things you read.'"[76] National Lampoon's Pledge This!, another film in which Hilton starred, was also released in DVD in 2006; she missed its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, protesting the addition of several nude scenes: "I was so angry I snubbed my own premiere."[77] In August 2008 Worldwide Entertainment Group sued Hilton in Miami District Court, alleging that she did not fulfill her contractual agreement to provide "reasonable promotion and publicity" for the film.[78] She reportedly received US$1 million for her role. Also in 2006, Hilton licensed her name to Gameloft for their mobile video game Paris Hilton's Diamond Quest.

Hilton at the 2007 Scream Awards

On January 10, 2007, Hilton introduced her DreamCatchers line of hair extensions in partnership with Hair Tech International.[79] Due to her incarceration, The Simple Life finished its run at the end of its fifth season in July 2007. In early August, Hilton signed a licensing agreement with Antebi for a signature footwear line (Paris Hilton Footwear, featuring stilettos, platforms, flats, wedges and a sports collection) which reached stores in 2008.[80] In mid-August, she introduced a line of tops, dresses, coats and jeans at the Kitson Boutique in Los Angeles.[81] In December 2007, she posed nude (covered with gold paint) to promote "Rich Prosecco", a canned version of the Italian sparkling wine,[82][83] traveling to Germany to appear in print ads for the wine.[84]

In 2007, Hilton also modeled for 2 B Free[85] and introduced her fourth perfume, Can Can.[86]

2008-2011

In February 2008, The Hottie and the Nottie, a romantic comedy in which Hilton starred, was released theatrically;[87] the film was a critical and commercial failure,[88] with Hilton eventually receiving the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress. Hilton's love for dogs led her to create a canine apparel line, Little Lily by Paris Hilton, with some of the proceeds benefiting animal rescue, in early 2008.[89] In April 2008, she appeared in the My Name Is Earl episode "I Won't Die with a Little Help from My Friends".[90]

On August 6, 2008 Hilton appeared in an online video, Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Ad, directed by Adam McKay and posted on the Funny or Die website.[91] The video, featuring Hilton in a parody advertisement, was made in response to a television campaign ad ("Celeb") by the 2008 John McCain presidential campaign.[92][93] In "Celeb" McCain compared Barack Obama to celebrities such as Hilton and Britney Spears, questioning his readiness to lead and criticizing his energy policy.[92][94][95] In what The Washington Post said "might just be her best acting role yet",[96] Hilton wore a leopard-print swimsuit in the video.[97] It had seven million views in two days, receiving worldwide press coverage and written and verbal responses from both campaigns.[98]

At the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival a documentary about Hilton, Paris, Not France, was screened.[99] She starred in a MTV reality series, Paris Hilton's My New BFF, about her search for a new best friend,[100] which premiered shortly after, on September 30, 2008.[101] The series was a hit and topped all other cable shows in its time slot.[102] In October, she appeared in a second parody video on Funny or Die, "Paris Hilton Gets Presidential with Martin Sheen", with Martin Sheen; Sheen's son, actor Charlie Sheen, made a cameo appearance.[103] Hilton, in a green evening dress and wearing heavy makeup, discusses political issues with Martin Sheen in his West Wing role.[104]

In her next film, the Gothic rock musical Repo! The Genetic Opera,[105] she played Amber Sweet, the surgery and painkiller-addicted daughter of a biotech magnate. After screening at the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con International, the film received a limited release.[106] Horror.com said: "Not only is this by far Hilton's best role, she's actually got a grain of gravitas in the end".[107] However, Jam! Movies called her a "hopeless twit as an actress".[108] She was nominated for the 2009 Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress for the role.[109] Around that time, Hilton released her fifth fragrance for women, Fairy Dust.[110]

Hilton at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival

As a result of the American version's success, on January 29, 2009 Paris Hilton's British Best Friend debuted on ITV2 in England.[111] The second season of Paris Hilton's My New BFF premiered on June 2, 2009. Hilton shot at the time Paris Hilton's Dubai BFF,[112] which was finally broadcast in 2011. In May 2009, Hilton won the Female Celebrity Fragrance of the Year Award at the 2009 Fifi Awards,[113][114] in July, her sixth fragrance for women, Siren, was introduced,[115] and in August, she appeared in the fifth episode of Supernatural's fifth season.[116][117] She was involved in the creation of a sunglass line by Gripping Eyewear, which she introduced in October.[118] In November, Hilton introduced a hair-and-beauty-products line which included shampoos, conditioners and hair vitamins.[119]

In February 2010, Hilton participated in an advertising campaign for the Brazilian beer Devassa Bem Loura, whose slogan roughly translates into English as "very blonde bitch".[120] As part of the campaign, she rode the brewery's float in the Rio Carnival.[121] On August 10, Hilton released her 10th fragrance, Tease, which was inspired by Marilyn Monroe.[122] On August 19, she launched a footwear line in Las Vegas.[123] The critically acclaimed documentary Teenage Paparazzo, in which Hilton appeared, aired on HBO on September 27.[124]

She had her first voice-over role in the ABC made-for-television film The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation.[125][126] The film aired on November 28, 2010[126] and received good ratings, with 2.611 million viewers.[127] In December 2010, Hilton launched her motorcycle team;[128][129] her Spanish driver, Maverick Viñales, won the final race and finished third overall in the 125cc world championship the following November.[130] She modeled for a second time at the 2011 Brazil Fashion Week (her first time was in early 2010). In February, Hilton introduced a fragrance line, the Passport Collection, with perfumes inspired by cities such as Paris, South Beach, Florida and Tokyo.[131] The following month, she introduced a footwear collection in Mexico.[132][133][134] Around that time, she introduced a mobile application which became available for iPhone and iPod touch.[135]

On May 12, 2011, Hilton opened her third store in the Philippines, at the Abreeza Mall in Davao City.[136] On June 1, she returned to reality television in Oxygen's The World According to Paris.[137] The show, which followed her daily life,[138] was not a success,[139] which led to a belief that Hilton's popularity was fading.[140] The New York Times wrote that she "is an attractive woman with proven talent for marketing and self-promotion, though as a reality heroine she seems a little passé it's hard to see how she can recapture the kind of audience she enjoyed in her heyday—even by streaming her premiere live on Facebook".[141] Nevertheless, she was labeled a "Billion Dollar Entrepreneur" by Variety magazine, and was featured on its cover.[142][143] Hilton opened her fourth store in the Philippines on August 18, 2011.[144][145][145][146] In September, she introduced a footwear line in Istanbul,[147][148] and a Paris Hilton store opened in India.[149] Hilton modeled for designer Andre Tan during Ukraine Fashion Week in October 2011.

2012-present

Hilton in Australia, during a 2012 visit

In February 2012, Hilton introduced a new line of sunglasses in Shanghai,[150] which she called a "huge success",[151] and in May, she released her fifteenth perfume, Dazzle.[152][153][154][155] In June, Hilton made her debut as a DJ at a Brazilian pop-music festival,[156] attracting a great deal of controversy and negative responses from DJs Deadmau5,[157] Samantha Ronson[158] and Afrojack.[159] Shortly after her performance, she became a trending topic on Twitter.[160]

In August 2012, her footwear line was nominated for the Best Celebrity Licensee of the Year award at the International Licensing Excellence Awards,[161] and the socialite appeared in a music video for Korean singer Kim Jang-hoon,[162] which was filmed on Malibu Beach. She was reportedly paid US$1 million for her appearance in the video,[163][164] which premiered in 3D in October 2012.[165] In November, Hilton opened a store in Mecca; since it is considered the "holiest city in the Muslim world" and Saudi Arabia is a conservative country, controversy about her personal life swirled on Twitter.[166][167][168] In early December, she modeled for designers Shane and Falguni Peacock at India Fashion Week,[169][170][171] also appearing as a DJ.[172]

In January 2013, Hilton appeared in four episodes of the Danish version of Paradise Hotel, for which she was reportedly paid $300,000,[173] and also appeared in two episodes of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, in which her aunts Kyle and Kim Richards star.[174] In April, Hilton opened the 44th Paris Hilton store in Bogotá, Colombia.[175][176] In May, Hilton signed with Cash Money Records and appeared in the music video for Rich Gang's song "Tapout", alongside Lil Wayne, Christina Milian and Nicki Minaj.[177][178][179]

Hilton made a cameo appearance in Sofia Coppola's film The Bling Ring (2013), about the infamous group of teenagers who had robbed homes of celebrities such as Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Orlando Bloom.[180] In addition to appearing in the film, she loaned Coppola her house for two weeks of shooting.[181][182] Recalling the house, Coppola said: "It was like we have to get this into the movie. It was so unique. It would be hard to recreate that. She is larger than life and her house is like Paris World."[183]

Hilton at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival

During August 2013, Hilton was a DJ at Amnesia's weekly "Foam and Diamonds" parties on Ibiza.[184][185] The positive reaction from critics and audiences led to her contract's renewal for the subsequent four years.[186][187] In October, Hilton released the first single through Cash Money, "Good Time", featuring rapper Lil Wayne.[188] It debuted at number eighteen on the US Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart.[189] In November, Hilton won the Best Breakthrough DJ award at the NRJ DJ Awards.

In March 2014, Hilton unveiled her first real estate project, the Paris Beach Club, in collaboration with Century Properties Group, Inc., at the Azure Urban Resort Residences in Parañaque, the Philippines.[190] In July 2014, her next single, "Come Alive", was released,[191] and she made a cameo appearance in another Carl's Jr. commercial, paying homage to the one in which she starred in 2005.[192] By the end of 2014, she established herself as one of the highest-paid DJs, earning up to US$1 million for set;[193] she also won as Best Female DJ at the NJR DJ Awards.[194]

In March 2015, Hilton released her 19th fragrance, a limited edition of her second fragrance, Heiress,[195] and Animoca Brands, a mobile game developer from Hong Kong, announced that they had secured a license from Hilton to use her name and likeness to produce mobile games and themes. [196] In May, her third single under Cash Money, "High Off My Love", was released. It eventually peaked at number three on the Billboard US Dance Club Songs chart. In 2016, Hilton teamed up with Lidl for a hair care collection,[197] and released her 20th fragrance, Gold Rush;[198] she subsequently released Rosé Rush, in 2017,[199] and Platinum Rush, in 2018.[200]

In February 2017, Hilton walked the runway at Christian Cowan’s fall show in New York City.[201] She appeared in the video for the Demi Lovato song "Sorry Not Sorry", which premiered in July 2017.[202] In September 2017, she modeled at the Philipp Plein show during Milan Fashion Week.[203] A video for "I Don't Want It at All", the debut single of Kim Petras, was released in October featuring Hilton in a cameo.[204]

In January 2018, Hilton modeled Kanye West's Yeezy Season 6 collection by recreating paparazzi photos of Kim Kardashian.[205] She released "I Need You" as a digital download on February 14, 2018 (Valentine's Day).[206][207] It debuted at number 48 and peaked at number 32 on the Dance Club Songs Billboard chart.[208][209] She subsequently appeared in two social media themed-projects; the documentary The American Meme premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival,[210] and the series Hollywood Love Story aired on Viceland, starting in July 2018.[211]

Hilton and Boohoo.com collaborated on a 70-piece collection, which launched on June 20, 2018.[212][213] After releasing the "Unicorn Mist" rose water in late 2017, she launched a skincare line on June 29, 2018.[214][215] Hilton modeled The Blonds show and opened the show for Namalia during New York Fashion Week in September 2018.[216][217]

Public image

General

Hilton in 2006

A fixture in entertainment news for her late-night persona by 2001,[218] Hilton attracted widespread notoriety for her participation in 1 Night in Paris (a sex tape leaked before the first episode of The Simple Life) in late 2003.[219] Paparazzi mobs started to follow her, and her relationships and lifestyle in general became targets of gossip sites and tabloid media worldwide. Critics suggest that Hilton epitomizes being famous for being famous,[6] exemplifying the celebutante phenomenon—a celebrity for no particularly identifiable reason other than inherited wealth and lavish lifestyle. She has been credited with influencing the revival of the term during the early-to-mid 2000s, and once remarked: "Back in the day, when I first came into this world, there was no one like it. It was almost like creating a new genre, and I think before its time. Now we see it all coming back, and everyone’s calling me the OG, and it’s like, yeah. It feels really good".[220]

In 2004, Hilton was named one of the "10 Most Fascinating People", according to Barbara Walters' annual primetime special ("Paris' Most Shocking Moments").[221] She ranked 59th, 23rd, 34th and 35th in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women poll in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2012, respectively,[222][223][224] and was 20th and 38th on Maxim magazine's Hot 100 list in 2005 and 2006.[225][226] In a poll conducted by the Associated Press and AOL Hilton was the second-Worst Celebrity Role Model of 2006, behind Britney Spears.[227] Lloyd Grove banned her from his New York Daily News gossip column, and in February 2007 the Associated Press attempted to not mention her for a week.[228] In May Hilton denied calling herself the "iconic blonde of the decade", like Princess Diana and Marilyn Monroe, in Harper's Bazaar.[229] She appeared in the 2007 Guinness World Records as the world's Most Overrated Celebrity.[230][231]

In 2009, a quiet relationship between Hilton and the tabloids led entertainment writers to suggest that her popularity had waned; she was the subject of a CNN story, asking, "Why has Paris Hilton disappeared?". This suspicion was reinforced in June 2011 when her reality show, The World According to Paris, had low ratings and Hilton walked out during an interview with Good Morning America when asked if she worried about her moment having passed.[232][233] However, following her involvement with the filming of The Bling Ring and her deal with Cash Money Records in 2013, she became a trending topic worldwide on Twitter[234] and media outlets noted 2013 as Hilton's "pop culture renaissance" year.

In 2011, Hilton was named one of the 100 Hottest Women of All Time by Men's Health,[235] but according to an Ipsos poll she was the most unpopular celebrity with Americans (with 60 percent of respondents viewing her unfavorably).[236] In 2012, she ranked fifth on Forbes' Most Over-Exposed list.[237][238]

"That's hot" catchphrase

The catchphrase "That's hot" is Hilton's signature line.[239] The catchphrase is also registered as a trademark for products, like clothing apparel, electronic devices, and alcoholic beverages.[239]

On September 6, 2007, Hilton filed an injunction lawsuit against Hallmark Cards Inc., titled Hilton v. Hallmark Cards, in U.S. District Court over the unlawful use of her picture and catchphrase "That's hot" on a greeting card. The card is titled "Paris's First Day as a Waitress" with a photograph of Hilton's face on a cartoon of a waitress serving a plate of food, with a dialogue bubble saying "Don't touch that, it's hot" (which had a registered trademark on February 13, 2007). Hilton's attorney Brent Blakely said that the infringement damages would be based on profits from the greeting cards. Julie O'Dell said that Hallmark used the card as parody, protected under fair use law.[240] The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reviewed the case and "denied Hallmark's motion to dismiss". Hilton and Hallmark Cards Inc. later settled out of court.[241]

In popular culture

Hilton has had two popular television characters loosely based on her real-life persona: London Tipton from The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (Tipton's father in the series is a hotel mogul) and Caroline Channing in 2 Broke Girls.[242]

The World of Warcraft massively multiplayer online role-playing game has featured a character named Haris Pilton, labeled a "socialite", since the release of The Burning Crusade expansion on January 15, 2007. The character remains in the game as of April 2015.[243]

Hilton has been parodied in the South Park episode "Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset" (2004),[244] and in the Hollywood films White Chicks (2004),[245] Date Movie (2006),[246] Epic Movie (2007),[247] and Meet the Spartans (2008).[248] In 2007, she was the subject of the Youtube spoof video "Paris in Jail", inspired by her single "Stars Are Blind", which had been played more than 7 million times by the first month of its publishing.[249]

Personal life

Hilton lives in Mulholland Estates,[1] a gated community in Los Angeles, California.[250] She also has a penthouse in Lower Manhattan, NYC.[251]

Hilton is known for her love of small dogs, and has had a female Chihuahua named Tinkerbell among many other pets. Hilton was frequently seen carrying Tinkerbell (dubbed an "accessory dog") at social events and functions, and in all five seasons of television reality show The Simple Life.[252][253] In September 2014, she bought a Pomeranian dog, worth US$13,000,[254] and in January 2015, she spent US$25,000 in two other, for herself and for her mother as a 35th anniversary gift.[255] In April 2015, it was reported that Tinkerbell had died at the age of 14.[256] For her pets, a 300-square-foot home with air conditioning, heating and designer furniture was built at an estimated cost of US$325,000.[257][258]

Hilton at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival

On January 22, 2007, her private life became public on ParisExposed.com, a website with images of personal documents, video and other material allegedly obtained when the contents of a storage locker rented by Hilton were auctioned in lieu of a US$208 payment.[259] The website, which charged for online access to the material, had 1.2 million visitors in just over 40 hours.[260] Among its contents were medications, diaries, photographs, contracts, love letters and a video shot by Joe Francis of Girls Gone Wild.[261] Hilton obtained a temporary injunction against ParisExposed.com which shut down the website.[262]

Between 2008 and 2009, Hilton's home was burgled several times by the Bling Ring, a group of fashion-motivated thieves. It was not until nearly US$2 million were stolen in jewelry, clothing, cash, and other items from Hilton that she reported having been burgled.[263] Later, Hilton agreed to having the movie The Bling Ring shot in her house where the burglaries took place.

On September 20, 2012, an audio recording of Hilton making derogatory comments about gay people was posted on the Internet.[264][265] That day, following a backlash, she issued an apology through GLAAD in which she said she was a "huge supporter of the gay community" and called gay people "the strongest and most inspiring people I know".[266][267] As a result of her remarks, Logo TV canceled plans to air a documentary about her (Paris Hilton Inc).[268][269][270]

Hilton has a pink Bentley Continental,[271] another Bentley convertible,[272] a Rolls-Royce Ghost,[273] a Ferrari,[274] a Lexus coupe,[275] and a Yukon Hybrid.[276]

Relationships

Hilton has had long-term relationships with poker player Rick Salomon, fashion model Jason Shaw,[277] singer Nick Carter,[278] Greek shipping heirs Paris Latsis[279] and Stavros Nicharos, Good Charlotte guitarist Benji Madden,[280][281][282][283] The Hills star Doug Reinhardt,[284] Las Vegas nightclub owner Cy Waits,[285] Dutch DJ Afrojack,[286] Spanish model River Viiperi,[287] and businessman Thomas Gross.[288]

She became engaged to actor Chris Zylka in January 2018.[289][290]

Sex tape

In 2003, a sex tape featuring Hilton and then-boyfriend Rick Salomon was leaked onto the Internet. Shortly afterward, Salomon filed a lawsuit against the company that distributed the tape, and against the Hilton family, whom he accused of tarnishing his reputation by suggesting that he had exploited Hilton.[291] Hilton later sued the company that released the tape, Kahatani Ltd., for $30 million for violation of privacy and emotional distress.[292]

In April 2004, Salomon began distributing the tape himself through the adult film company Red Light District Video under the title 1 Night in Paris.[293] In July 2004, Salomon dropped his lawsuit against the Hilton family after Paris Hilton's privacy lawsuit was thrown out of court. Salomon and Red Light District Video agreed to pay Hilton US$400,000 plus a percentage of the tape's sale profit.[294]

Stalking incidents

In August 2010, a man identified as Nathan Lee Parada, was arrested after security men spotted him wielding two knives outside Hilton's house.[295] He was later found guilty of one felony count of attempted first-degree residential burglary, and was sentenced to two years in state prison.[296]

In October 2010, a man named James Rainford allegedly bicycled past guards at the entrance to her gated community, went to her house and began pounding on her door. He was arrested, and earned three years' probation, along with a restraining order from Hilton. In April 2011, Rainford was arrested a second time for attacking her then-boyfriend Cy Waits outside Van Nuys Superior Court, where Hilton was headed to testify against Nathan Lee Parada, and in July, he was arrested again outside her Malibu beach house.[297][298] He was subsequently charged with two felony stalking counts and three misdemeanor counts of disobeying a court order,[299] but a judge found him to be "mentally incompetent to stand trial" and was sent to a state mental hospital.

In October 2014, a German man identified as Lukas Redanz, who was completely covered with tattoos of Hilton and appeared to be "extremely drunk", repeatedly went to her gated community to see her. Guards called the police and the man was arrested for possession of cocaine.[300]

Legal issues

In September 2006, Hilton was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, with a blood alcohol content of 0.08%. Hilton's driver's license was suspended in November 2006,[301] and in January 2007 she pleaded no contest to a reckless driving charge.[302] Her sentence was 36 months' probation and fines totaling about US$1,500.[303] In January 2007, she was stopped for driving with a suspended license, and signed an agreement that she was not permitted to drive.[304] The next month, she was caught driving 70 mph in a 35-mph zone without headlights at night with a suspended license. Prosecutors in the office of the Los Angeles City Attorney charged that these infractions and her failure to enroll in a court-ordered alcohol-education program violated her probation.[301] On May 4, Hilton was sentenced by Judge Michael T. Sauer to 45 days in jail for the probation violation. She planned to appeal the sentence, supporting an online petition (created on May 5 by Joshua Morales) asking California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for a pardon.[305][306] A counter-petition to maintain the sentence was posted.[citation needed] Hilton changed lawyers and dropped her plans to appeal.[307]

Hilton in her 2007 mug shot

She was required to begin her jail term on June 5,[308] and entered the Century Regional Detention Facility (a women's prison in Lynwood, California) after attending the 2007 MTV Movie Awards on June 3. On June 7, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca signed an order resentencing Hilton to 40 days of home confinement with an electronic monitoring device due to an unspecified medical condition.[309] Baca said, "My message to those who don't like celebrities is that punishing celebrities more than the average American is not justice."[310] He added, "The special treatment, in a sense, appears to be because of her celebrity status ... She got more time in jail."[311] Judge Michael Sauer summoned her to reappear in court the following morning (June 8), since her original sentence specified imprisonment: "No work furlough. No work release. No electronic monitoring."[312] At the hearing, Sauer declined a briefing in chambers by Hilton's attorney on her medical condition and sent her back to jail to serve the original 45-day sentence. When she heard the decision, Hilton shouted "It's not right!" Screaming, she asked to hug her mother.[313][314] Hilton was moved to the medical wing of the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles, and returned to the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood on June 13.[315] Paris Hilton was released from jail on Tuesday, June 26, 2007.

The socialite was influenced by minister Marty Angelo in jail, referring to a "new beginning" in an interview with talk-show host Larry King on June 28, 2007 (two days after her release)[316] and quoting from Angelo's autobiography (Once Life Matters: A New Beginning). On June 9, Angelo unsuccessfully petitioned Sauer[317] to let him serve the remainder of Hilton's sentence if the judge would release her to an alternative treatment program.[318] Hilton told King during the interview that she had taken Adderall for ADHD since childhood.[319]

On July 2, 2010, Hilton was accused of smoking marijuana at the 2010 FIFA World Cup game between Brazil and the Netherlands. Although she was escorted from the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium by local police, the case was later dismissed. Her publicist, Dawn Miller, said: "I can confirm that the incident was a complete misunderstanding and it was actually another person in the group who did it".[320][321] Two weeks later, Hilton was detained and released after she was caught with cannabis at Corsica's Figari Sud-Corse Airport.[322]

In August 2010, Hilton was arrested on suspicion of cocaine possession in Las Vegas and her boyfriend, Cy Waits, was charged with driving under the influence.[323][324] Hilton's defense initially claimed that the handbag (containing 0.8g of cocaine) was not hers: "This purse in question was a high street brand - and by no means up to her high fashion standards."[325] She later claimed personal items (including cash and credit cards) from the bag, acknowledging that it was hers. To avoid a felony conviction, Hilton pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors on September 17, 2010. Under the terms of the plea bargain she was sentenced to one year of probation, 200 hours of community service, a US$2,000 fine and the completion of a drug-abuse treatment program.[326][327] Clark County District Attorney David Roger said, "If she was arrested for anything besides a minor traffic violation she will spend a year in jail. There will be no discussion. The court will have no discretion."[326]

On September 21, 2010, on their way to a Tokyo press conference to promote fashion and fragrance lines, Hilton and her sister Nicky were stopped by immigration officers at Narita Airport because of Hilton's drug-possession conviction the previous day. Under Japan's strict drug laws, travelers convicted of a drug crime are usually denied entry into the country.[328][329] Airport officials questioned Hilton "for hours", and she and Nicky were detained overnight at the airport hotel.[328] On September 22 Japanese authorities denied Hilton entry, and she was put on a plane back to the United States. Other stops on their Asian promotional tour were canceled due to Indonesia and Malaysia's anti-drug laws.[329]

Activism

Hilton in 2015

As a socialite, Hilton has been a frequent guest at fundraising events around the globe,[330] and regularly visits children's hospitals and orphanages when she is abroad.[331][332] She has been involved with the Starlight Children's Foundation and the Make-A-Wish Foundation,[333] and is listed on the "First Families" of the Children's Hospital Los Angeles, which means she has donated US$100,000 or more to the hospital.[334] In 2008, a room at the hospital was named in her honor, and for her charitable efforts, Starlight awarded Hilton, along with mother Kathy and sister Nicky, the 2011 Heart of Gold Award.[335][336]

In August 2015, Hilton raised US$100,000 for children with disabilities in Ibiza.

In February 2017, Hilton donated 50 of her personal items to the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the Starlight Children's Foundation. In November 2017, she visited San Gregorio Atlapulco, Mexico, where she handed out food and clothes to the damnified families following the 2017 Central Mexico earthquake; she also made a donation of an undisclosed amount to help rebuild seven different homes that were affected.[337][338]

In October 2018, Hilton hosted Rock The Runway, an event benefitting Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and The Sasha Project LA.[339]

Wealth

Hilton reportedly earned about US$2 million between 2003 and 2004, US$6.5 million between 2004 and 2005,[340] and US$7 million between 2005 and 2006.[341]

In December 2007, Hilton's grandfather Barron Hilton pledged 97 percent of his estate (the Hilton family fortune) to a charitable organization founded by her great-grandfather Conrad N. Hilton: the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.[342] As a result, his grandchildren's inheritance was reduced.[343][344] An immediate pledge of US$1.2 billion (proceeds from the sale of Hilton Hotels Corporation) was made, with a further US$1.1 billion due after his death.[342] Barron cited the actions of his father, Conrad N. Hilton, as the motivation for his pledge.[342] Conrad (Barron's father) had also left 97 percent of his estate to the foundation, and Barron contested his father's will to regain a sizable amount of the family fortune in a settlement.[345]

Hilton has commanded up to US$750,000 and US$1 million for appearances in parties and promotional events, though she earns around US$250,000-US$300,000 on a regular basis.[346] Her retail businesses, which include 50 stores and 19 product lines, have generated sales of over US$2.5 billion, of which she earns over US$10 million a year.[346] Since debuting as a DJ in 2012, she has been paid as much as US$1 million for a single set,[347] and in 2014, she earned US$2.7 million for four nights work—US$347,000 an hour—as part of her two-month residence in Ibiza.[348] Her net worth is estimated to be US$300 million as of 2018.[349]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1992	Wishman	Girl on beach
2000	Sweetie Pie	Unknown
2001	Zoolander	Herself	Cameo
2002	Nine Lives	Jo
	QIK2JDG	Strung-out supermodel
2003	Wonderland	Barbie	Cameo
	The Cat in the Hat	Clubgoer	Cameo
2004	Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!	Heather
	The Hillz	Heather Smith
	Raising Helen	Amber
	1 Night in Paris	Herself	Sex tape
2005	House of Wax	Paige Edwards
2006	Bottoms Up	Lisa Mancini
	National Lampoon's Pledge This!	Victoria English
2007	Stories USA	Sadie
2008	America the Beautiful	Herself	Documentary
	Paris, Not France		Documentary
	The Hottie and the Nottie	Cristabel Abbott
	Repo! The Genetic Opera	Amber Sweet
	An American Carol	Herself
2010	Teenage Paparazzo		Documentary
2013	The Bling Ring		Cameo
2018	The American Meme		Documentary

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2003-2007	The Simple Life	Herself	Regular
2004	Las Vegas	Madison	"Things That Go Jump in the Night" (season 1, episode 14)
	George Lopez	Ashley	"Jason Tutors Max" (season 3, episode 18)
	The O.C.	Kate	"The L.A." (season 1, episode 22)
	Veronica Mars	Caitlin Ford	"Credit Where Credit's Due" (season 1, episode 2)
2005	American Dreams	Barbara Eden	"California Dreamin'" (season 3, episode 15)
2008	My Name Is Earl	Herself	"I Won't Die with a Little Help from My Friends" (season 3, episode 15)[350]
2008-2009	Paris Hilton's My New BFF		Host
2009	Paris Hilton's British Best Friend		Host
	Supernatural	Herself Leshii	"Fallen Idols" (season 5, episode 5)
	Rex	Paris	Television film
2010	Hell's Kitchen	Herself	"5 Chefs Compete" (season 8, episode 12)
	The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation	Bella	Television film
2011	Paris Hilton's Dubai BFF	Herself	Host; filmed in 2009 and aired in 2011
	The World According to Paris		Regular
2013	VIP Brother 5		Special houseguest
2013	Paradise Hotel		Danish version
	The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills		"Home Is Where the Art Is" (season 3, episode 10) "Secrets Revealed" (season 3, episode 22)
2015	Ramez in Control		Pranked by Egyptian actor Ramez Galal[351]
2018	The Grand Tour		Celebrity guest
	Hollywood Love Story		Host

Bibliography

• Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose; ISBN 0-7432-6664-1 (2004)
• Your Heiress Diary: Confess It All to Me; ISBN 0-7432-8714-2 (2005)

Discography

Main article: Paris Hilton discography

• Paris (2006)

Tours

• "Paris Hilton: Foam & Diamonds" (2013-2017)

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result
2004	Teen Choice Award	Choice Reality Television Star - Female	The Simple Life	Nominated[352]
2004	Teen Choice Award	Choice Television Personality - Female	N/A	Nominated[352]
2005	Teen Choice Award	Choice Movie Scream Scene	House of Wax	Won[353]
2005	Teen Choice Award	Choice Movie Breakout Performance - Female		Nominated[353]
2005	Teen Choice Award	Choice Television Personality - Female	N/A	Nominated[352]
2005	Teen Choice Award	Choice Crossover Artist	N/A	Nominated[352]
2005	AVN Awards	Top Renting Release of the Year	1 Night in Paris	Won[354]
2006	Golden Raspberry Award	Worst Supporting Actress	House of Wax	Won[61]
2006	Golden Raspberry Award	Most Tiresome Tabloid Targets	N/A	Nominated[352]
2006	Teen Choice Award	Choice Reality Television Star - Female	The Simple Life	Nominated[352]
2006	MTV Movie Award	Best Frightened Performance	House of Wax	Nominated[352]
2007	Teen Choice Award	Choice Reality Television Star - Female	The Simple Life	Nominated[352]
2007	Teen Choice Award	Choice OMG! Moment	N/A	Nominated[352]
2009	Fifi Award	Female Celebrity Fragrance of the Year	N/A	Won[355]
2009	Fox Reality Award	Innovator of the Year Award	N/A	Won[356]
2009	Golden Raspberry Award	Worst Actress	The Hottie and the Nottie	Won[352]
2009	Golden Raspberry Award	Worst Screen Couple (shared with Christine Lakin and Joel David Moore)		Won[352]
2009	Golden Raspberry Award	Worst Supporting Actress	Repo! The Genetic Opera	Won[352]
2009	Teen Choice Award	Choice Reality Television Star - Female	Paris Hilton's My New BFF	Nominated[352]
2009	Teen Choice Award	Choice Summer Television Star - Female		Nominated[352]
2009	F.A.M.E. Award	Favorite Celebrity Sex Tape	1 Night in Paris	Won[357]
2010	Golden Raspberry Award	Worst Actress of the Decade	House of Wax The Hottie and the Nottie Repo! The Genetic Opera	Won[352]
2012	International Licensing Excellence Award	Best Celebrity Licensee of the Year	N/A	Nominated
2013	NRJ DJ Award	Best Breakthrough DJ	N/A	Won
2014	NRJ DJ Award	Best Female DJ	N/A	Won

Charities

Paris Hilton supports the following charitable causes: AIDS, Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, Breast Cancer, Animals, Children.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]