Paris Whitney Hilton (born
February 17,
1981) is an
American celebutante and
businesswoman.
She is best-known through her work in the television series
The Simple Life. She has also appeared in several minor film roles, most notably in the horror film
House of Wax in 2005. In 2004 she published a
tongue-in-cheek autobiography.
[1] In 2006, she released her
self-titled debut album
Paris. Among her many careers, she lists
singer,
model,
actress,
author, and
television personality. As a result of several legal incidents, Hilton served a widely publicized sentence in a
L.A.County Jail facility in 2007.
Contents
1 Early life and background2 Career2.1 As a model2.2 As an actress2.3 As a recording artist2.4 As an author3 Activism3.1 Animal rights4 Products and endorsements5 Personal life5.1 Driving violations6 Controversy7 Filmography8 Discography8.1 Albums8.2 Singles9 Bibliography10 References11 External linksEarly life and background
Born in
New York City,
New York, Hilton is the oldest of four children of
Richard and
Kathy Hilton. Paris has a younger sister,
Nicky, and younger brothers Barron Nicholas Hilton and Conrad Hughes Hilton.
On the
maternal side of her family, Paris is a niece of two
child stars of the
1970s,
Kim Richards and
Kyle Richards. Paris was related by marriage to
Nicole Richie's godmother, Nancy Davis, when Nancy's brother, Greg, was married to
Kim Richards.
Paris' paternal grandparents are hotel chairman
Barron Hilton, and his wife, the former Marilyn Hawley; Barron Hilton's parents were
Hilton Hotels founder
Conrad Hilton and his first wife, Mary Barron.
Paris moved between several exclusive homes in her youth, including a suite in the
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan,
Beverly Hills, and
the Hamptons. She attended Marywood-Palm Valley School in
Rancho Mirage,
California her freshman year of high school;
Dwight School in
New York for her sophomore and junior years; then a few months at Canterbury School in
New Milford,
Connecticut before dropping out.
[2] Hilton eventually earned a
GED.
[3]In
December 2007, Hilton's grandfather, hotel magnate
Barron Hilton, pledged 97% of his estate to a
charitable organisation founded by his father, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. An immediate pledge of $1.2 billion was made, and a further $1.1 billion after his death. Mr. Hilton cited the actions of his father as the motivation for his pledge. According to reports, the potential inheritance of his grandchildren is sharply diminished.
[4][5]Career
Hilton has worked as a model, actress, musician, and businesswoman. According to
Forbes Magazine, she earned approximately $2 million in
2003–
2004,
[6] $6.5 million in 2004–2005,
[7] and $7 million in 2005–2006.
[8]As a model
Hilton began modeling as a child, appearing first at charity events.
[9] At 19, she signed with
Donald Trump's modeling agency, T Management.
[9] Hilton has also worked with
Ford Models in New York,
Models 1 Agency in
London, Nous Model Management in Los Angeles, and
Premier Model Management in London. She has appeared in numerous advertising campaigns, including
Iceberg Vodka,
GUESS,
Tommy Hilfiger,
Christian Dior, and
Marciano. In 2001, Hilton began to develop a reputation as a socialite, being identified as "New York's leading It Girl" whose fame was beginning to "extend beyond the New York tabloids".
[9] She has since appeared in several magazines, including the April 2004 issue of Maxim magazine.
[10] In a recent interview in
Elle magazine, Paris exclaimed her happiness at being flat-chested and her puzzlement about women who want bigger breasts
[11].
As an actress
Hilton's fame grew when she co-starred with
Nicole Richie, the adopted daughter of
Lionel Richie, in the
Fox reality series The Simple Life, which premiered on
December 2,
2003. After the success of the first season, The Simple Life was followed by two more seasons on Fox. The network canceled the show after a dispute between Hilton and Richie, but the show was subsequently aired by
E! Entertainment Television for the fourth and fifth seasons,
[12] with talks of a sixth season to follow suit.
[13] Hilton has also guest-starred in episodes of
The O.C.,
The George Lopez Show,
Las Vegas,
American Dreams and
Veronica Mars. Furthermore, she appeared in several
music videos, including
It Girl by
John Oates and
Just Lose It by
Eminem. Hilton has made
cameo appearances in several films, notably
Zoolander (2001),
Wonderland (2003), and
The Cat In The Hat (2003). She landed minor and supporting roles in the feature films
Nine Lives (2002),
Raising Helen (2004),
The Hillz (2004), and
House of Wax (2005). Her role as Paige Edwards in House of Wax won the
Teen Choice Award for "Best Scream" and earned her a nomination for "Choice Breakout Performance – Female".
[14] She also earned a nomination for "Best Frightened Performance" at the
2006 MTV Movie Awards. She landed her first lead roles in 2006 with the
straight-to-DVD releases
National Lampoon's Pledge This! and
Bottom's Up. Hilton is scheduled to appear as the lead in several upcoming theatrical releases, including an as yet untitled
superhero movie involving
Stan Lee and a romantic comedy called
The Hottie and the Nottie. Planning is underway for an eponymous
cartoon series following the animated life of Paris, her sister Nicky, and her dog
Tinkerbell.
[15] As of August 2007, Hilton is part of the cast of
Repo! the Genetic Opera, scheduled to begin filming in September 2007.
[16]As a recording artist
Further information:
Heiress Records and
Paris (Paris Hilton album)Hilton founded
Heiress Records, a sub-label of
Warner Bros. Records, in
2004 and released her self-titled debut album,
Paris, under that label on
August 22,
2006. Although the album reached number six on the
Billboard 200 for a week, its total sales volume has been low.
[17][18] All Music Guide commented that the album was "more fun than anything released by
Britney Spears or
Jessica Simpson, and a lot fresher, too." On the whole, critical reception was mixed.
[19] On
July 16,
2007 Hilton confirmed that she is working on a new album to be released in late 2007. However, with the ending of 2007, no further details have been given.
[20][21][22]As an author
Further information:
Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose and
Your Heiress Diary: Confess It All to MeIn the autumn of
2004, Hilton released an
autobiographical book,
Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose, co-written by Merle Ginsberg, which includes full color photographs of her and her advice on life as an heiress. Hilton reportedly received a $100,000 advance payment for this book. Some in the media panned the writing as amateurish, and the book was parodied by
Robert Mundell on
The Late Show with David Letterman. The book became a
New York Times bestseller. Hilton followed it up with a designer diary, also with Ginsberg, called
Your Heiress Diary: Confess It All to Me.
Activism
Animal rights
In 2007, after watching a graphic video about animals raised for their
fur, Hilton announced her support of
vegetarianism and her
anti-fur beliefs.
[23] Hilton said:
“
From that point [after witnessing the video shown by
Heather Mills], I've never worn fur and I never will. I also haven't eaten any meat since. I just survive on pasta and stuff like that. I was grossed out. It was disgusting.
”
Products and endorsements
Hilton helped design a collection of purses for
Japanese label
Samantha Thavasa,
[24] and also a jewelry line for
Amazon.com.
[25] In 2004, Hilton was involved in the creation of a perfume line by Parlux Fragrances. Originally set to be a small release, high demand led to a wider release before
December 2004. The launch was followed by a 47% increase in sales of Parlux products, predominantly due to sales of the Hilton-branded perfume.
[26] After the success of Hilton's perfume, Parlux Fragrances released several more perfumes with her name, including fragrances for men.
[27] Paris Hilton launched a new fragrance in
October 2007, called
Can Can by Paris Hilton. This is her fourth women's fragrance after
Paris Hilton,
Just Me, and
Heiress. In
January 2007, Hilton released the DreamCatchers line of hair extensions in partnership with Hair Tech International.
[28] In early
August 2007, Hilton signed a licensing agreement with Antebi for a signature footwear line, "Paris Hilton Footware", featuring stilettos, platforms, flats, wedges, and a sports collection, expected to reach stores in
2008.
[29] In mid
August 2007, Hilton launched a line of tops, dresses, coats, and jeans at Kitson boutique in Los Angeles.
[30]In
2005, Hilton lent her name to a chain of
nightclubs owned by Fred Khalilian and known as Club Paris. This association ended in
January 2007 after she had failed to attend several scheduled promotional appearances.
[31]In
December 12,
2007, Hilton launched a champagne called Rich Prosecco, which comes in a can rather than a bottle. Hilton went to Germany to promote the drink.
[32]Personal life
Hilton was engaged to fashion model
Jason Shaw from mid-
2002 to early
2003, and
Greek shipping heir
Paris Latsis, from
May 29,
2005 to November 2005. Thereafter, she began dating another Greek shipping heir,
Stavros Niarchos III, before breaking up in May 2006. In an attempt to rediscover herself, Hilton imposed a ban on sexual activity for one year starting in July 2006, although was found kissing her friend
Brandon Davis five days later.
[33] Hilton told
Regis and Kelly: "One-night stands are not for me. I think it's gross when you just give it up. Guys want you more, if you don't just hand it to them on a platter."
[34]In
January 2007, Hilton's private life created headlines with the launch of ParisExposed.com, a website that featured images of personal and medical documents, video, and other private material, allegedly obtained when the contents of a storage locker rented by Hilton were auctioned off due to lack of payment.
[35] CNN's
Anderson Cooper 360 discussed footage obtained from the website which features Hilton using several ethnic slurs.
[36] On
February 3,
2007 Hilton obtained a temporary injunction against ParisExposed.com, closing down the website for a short period of time before the site went back online.
Hilton is known for her love of small dogs, including a
Yorkshire Terrier and a female Chihuahua named Tinkerbell. Hilton is 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. In
2004, Tinkerbell "authored" a memoir, The Tinkerbell Hilton Diaries. On
August 12,
2004, Tinkerbell went missing after Hilton's apartment was robbed, and a $5,000 reward was offered for her safe return.
[37] She was found six days later. By
December 1,
2004, Tinkerbell was again spotted with Paris Hilton at various events. Hilton has also purchased a male
Chihuahua on
25 July 2007 from Pets of Bel Air in
Los Angeles.
[38]The leak of a three-year-old home-made
sex video, called
1 Night in Paris, of Hilton with her then-boyfriend
Rick Salomon a week prior to the premiere of her
Fox reality series The Simple Life attracted worldwide attention in late 2003.
Driving violations
In
September 2006, Hilton was arrested and charged with
driving under the influence of alcohol with a
blood alcohol content of 0.08%, the level at which it is illegal to drive in California. Hilton's driving license was subsequently suspended in
November 2006,
[39] and in
January 2007 she pled
no contest to the alcohol-related
reckless driving charge.
[40] Her punishment was 36 months'
probation and fines of about $1,500.
[41] On
January 15,
2007, Hilton was pulled over for driving with a suspended license and signed a document acknowledging that she was not permitted to drive.
[42] On
February 27,
2007 Hilton was caught driving 70
mph in a 35 mph zone, again with a suspended license. She also did not have her headlights on even though it was after dark.
Prosecutors in the office of the
Los Angeles City Attorney charged that those actions, along with the failure to enroll in a court-ordered alcohol education program constituted a violation of the terms of her probation.
[39]On
May 4,
2007 Hilton was sentenced by Judge
Michael T. Sauer to 45 days in jail for violating her probation. Initially, Hilton planned to appeal the sentence, and supported an online petition
[43] asking California governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger for a pardon.
[44] The petition to Governor Schwarzenegger was created and organized on
May 5,
2007 by Joshua Morales, a loyal fan of Ms. Hilton's who was upset by the sentence Paris received.
[45] In response, various opponents started a counter-petition to maintain the sentence.
[46] Both petitions attracted tens of thousands of signatures. Hilton later switched lawyers and dropped her plans to appeal.
[47]Hilton was required to begin her jail term on
June 5,
2007,
[48] and checked herself into the Century Regional Detention Facility, an all female jail in
Lynwood, California after attending the
2007 MTV Movie Awards on
June 3,
2007. With credit for good behavior, it was anticipated that Hilton would only serve 23 days of her 45-day sentence;
[49] however, in an unexpected turn of events, Los Angeles County Sheriff
Lee Baca signed orders on the morning of
June 7, reassigning Hilton to 40 days of
home confinement with an
electronic monitoring device due to an unspecified medical condition.
[50] Sheriff Baca commented on the release saying, "My message to those who don't like celebrities is that punishing celebrities more than the average American is not justice,"
[51] contesting that under normal circumstances, Hilton would not have served any time in jail, and he added that "The special treatment, in a sense, appears to be because of her celebrity status ... She got more time in jail".
[52] On the same day that Hilton was released from jail, Judge
Michael Sauer summoned her to reappear in court the following morning (
June 8) as the sentencing statement had explicitly said she would serve time in jail with "No work furlough. No work release. No electronic monitoring."
[53] At the hearing he declined to be briefed by Hilton's attorney in private chambers on the nature of her condition and sent her back to jail to serve out her original 45-day sentence. Upon hearing the sentence, Hilton shouted, "It's not right!" and started screaming, requesting to hug her mother who was present in the courtroom.
[54][55] Concern about Hilton's condition led to her being moved to the medical wing of the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles, and she was moved back to the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood on
June 13.
[56]While in jail, Hilton was influenced by prison minister
Marty Angelo: Hilton referred to starting a "new beginning" during her interview with talk show host
Larry King on June 28, 2007, two days after being released from jail,
[57] and quoted from Angelo's autobiography, entitled Once Life Matters: A New Beginning. On
June 9,
2007 Marty Angelo petitioned sentencing Judge
Michael Sauer[58] asking to serve out the remainder of Hilton's jail sentence if the judge would release her to an alternative treatment program,
[59] but the petition was turned down.
Hilton was released from jail on
June 26,
2007. In total, Hilton served 22 days in detention, counting her day-long home confinement.
[60] Hilton announced she would be visiting
Rwanda in
November 2007 as a post-jail vow, but has since posponed the trip until an undetermined date in 2008.
Controversy
Paris Hilton has been quoted as saying that she is the "iconic blonde of the decade"' and compared herself to
Princess Diana and
Marilyn Monroe (a claim she denied in the
May 2007 issue of
Harper's Bazaar).
[61] She will reportedly appear in the
2007 Guinness World Records as the world's "Most Overrated Celebrity".
[62] In a poll conducted by the
Associated Press and
AOL, Hilton was voted the second "Worst Celebrity Role Model of 2006", behind
Britney Spears.
[63] Critics suggest that Hilton epitomizes the title of
famous for being famous[64]; echoing that sentiment, the Associated Press conducted what they called an experiment in February 2007, trying not to report on Hilton for a whole week.
[65]Paris recently posed nude, covered in gold paint, to promote "Rich
Prosecco", a canned version of an Italian sparkling wine.
[66][67] [68]Paris continues to be lampooned in the media
[69] [70], and has lampooned herself.
[71] One popular[
citation needed] parody of Paris Hilton is
Paris in Jail: The Music Video which was released to the video-sharing website
YouTube in
June 2007[72]. This music video, which used the Hilton song "
Stars are blind", was viewed over three million times in five days. It spoofed Paris' lifestyle, legal troubles, and incarceration
[73].
AOL named the video the number one spoof of the year
[74]. The video itself has been listed as one of the top ten viral videos of the year for 2007
[75] [76] [77] [78].
Filmography
Wishman (1991)
Sweetie Pie (2000)
Zoolander (2001; cameo)
Nine Lives (2002)
QIK2JDG (2002)
1 Night in Paris (2003)
L.A. Knights (2003)
Wonderland (2003)
The Cat in the Hat (2003)
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004)
The Hillz (2004)
Raising Helen (2004)
House of Wax (2005)
Bottoms Up (2006)
Pledge This! (2006)
The Hottie and the Nottie (2008)
Repo! the Genetic Opera (2008)
Discography
Main article:
Paris Hilton discographyAlbums
Paris (released
August 22,
2006)
Singles
From
Paris:
"
Stars Are Blind"
"
Turn It Up"
"
Nothing in This World"
"
Screwed"
Bibliography
Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose,
2004,
ISBN 0743266641Your Heiress Diary: Confess It All to Me,
2005,
ISBN 0743287142References
^ Barnes and Noble: "Confessions of an Heiress: A Tongue-in-Chic Peek behind the Pose"^ Barry, Evonne. "
A million reasons to be Paris", The Daily Telegraph (Australia),
2006-
12-30. Retrieved on
2007-
02-01.
^ Welty, Karis. "
Biography of Paris Hilton", Associated Content,
2006-
04-07. Retrieved on
2007-
03-07.
^ Walker, Peter; Haroon Siddique and agencies. "
Hilton grandfather pledges fortune to charity", The Guardian,
2007-
12-27. Retrieved on
2007-
12-27.
^ "
Paris Hilton’s Grandfather to Donate a Majority of His Fortune", The New York Times,
2007-
12-27. Retrieved on
2007-
12-27.
^ Paris Hilton ranked 55 among The Top 100 Celebrities In 2005^ "
2005 Celebrity 100", Forbes Magazine. Retrieved on
2007-
02-01.
^ "
The Celebrity 100", Forbes Magazine,
2006-
07-03. Retrieved on
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02-01.
^
a b c Porter, Charlie. "New York style: 'Is this article going to trash me?': Heiress, star of the social columns and now a top model . . Charlie Porter meets Paris Hilton", The Guardian (London),
2001-
02-16, pp. Guardian Features Pages, p. 8.
^ Paris Hilton's girl gallery on
Maxim.com^ The Sun: "SEXY socialite Paris Hilton has confessed she loves having tiny boobs"^ Paris and Nicole to serve as camp counselors^ Simple Life Probably Picked For A Sixth Season^ [1] "Teen Choice Awards 2005 nominees and winners"
^ Paris Hilton's 2D adventures^ Paris Hilton booed at Spike Awards ceremony^ "
TOTAL 2006 Releases To Date". Retrieved on
2007-
03-16.
^ "
Paris Hilton's album sales tank". Retrieved on
2007-
06-03.
^ Discography - Paris Hilton - Paris CD/DVD Billboard.com
^ Paris Hilton is already working on a second album. X17 Online
^ New Paris Hilton Album in the Works AOL News
^ Paris Singing a New Tune...or 10 E! News
^ Entertainment Wise [From that point I've never worn fur and I never will. I also haven't eaten any meat since. I just survive on pasta and stuff like that. I was grossed out. It was disgusting Paris Hilton says 'No' to Meat and Fur] Retrieved November 7 2007
^ Paris Hilton Biography (2) Filmbug.com
^ Paris Hilton creates jewelry line Msnbc.msn.com
^ Form 10-Q for PARLUX FRAGRANCES INC Biz.Yahoo.com
^ Celebrity fragrance watch: Paris Hilton & Andy Roddick Nowsmellthis.com
^ Dreamcatchers.com accessdate 2007-08-19^ Paris Hilton Inks Deal with Antebi Footwear Group. 1 August 2007. accessdate 2007-08-19^ Hilton's clothing launch sparks L.A. frenzy. 16 August 2007. accessdate 2007-08-19^ Hall, Sarah.
Paris Bounced from Club. E! News. January 5, 2007.
^ Paris Hilton Wears Nothing but Gold Paint for Champagne Ad.
FOXNews.com (
2007-
12-12). Retrieved on
2007-
12-31.
^ Paris And Brandon's Mysterious Lip lock^ Paris Hilton Swears off Sex^ Paris Hilton's new sex tape^ Anderson Cooper 360 - New Paris Tape^ A happy ending for Tinkerbell.
USA Today (
2004-
08-18). Retrieved on
2006-
09-21.
^ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=7&entry_id=18916 retrieved 2007-07-26
^
a b "
Prosecutors' Motion To Revoke Paris Hilton's Probation", FindLaw,
2007-
04-30. Retrieved on
2007-
05-04. (English)
^ "
Paris Hilton's Misdemeanor DUI Charges", FindLaw, 2006-9-21. Retrieved on
2007-
05-04.
^ Paris Hilton pleads no contest to DUI charge. MSNBC.
^ Paris Hilton checks into Los Angeles County jail.
Associated Press (
June 4,
2007).
^ Online Petition at
sfgate.com^ Hilton backs online pardon appeal (
May 9,
2007).
^ Paris Hilton Asks For Schwarzenegger Pardon. People Magazine (
2007-
05-08). Retrieved on
2007-
05-20.
^ Activism: Free Paris/Jail Paris Petition Round-Up. Defamer (
2007-
05-08). Retrieved on
2007-
05-20.
^ Jeremiah Marquez (
May 17,
2007).
Hilton Drops Probation-Violation Appeal.
Associated Press.
^ Associated Press.
Paris Hilton sentenced to 45 days in jail. CNN. May 5, 2007.
^ Cohen, Sandy. "
Paris Hilton Checks Into L.A. Jail", Associated Press,
2007-
06-04. Retrieved on
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06-04.
^ Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Press Conference.
Fox News Channel. 2007-06-07.
^ Deutsch, Linda. "
Police take Paris Hilton to court hearing Friday in Los Angeles",
CanWest Global Communications,
2007-
06-08. Retrieved on
2006-
06-02.
^ "
Early release just latest controversy for Baca",
Associated Press,
June 8,
2007.
^ http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Story?id=3254300&page=2 Hilton Headed Back to Jail for Full Sentence
^ Paris Hilton going back to jail^ Hilton Starts, Ends Week Behind Bars^ Paris Hilton ordered to LA jail's medical wing^ http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0706/27/lkl.01.html^ http://www.martyangelo.com/judge_sauer.htm^ http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2007/6/emw532265.htm^ Paris Hilton released from jail^ We'll always have Paris Women.timesonline.co.uk
^ "
Showbiz Tonight",
CNN,
2006-
09-16. Retrieved on
2007-
06-20.
^ "
Spears and Hilton Named Worst Role Models", The Daily Dish, SFGate.com,
2006-
12-29. Retrieved on
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06-10.
^ ScoreboardMedia: "The Paris Hilton Rule: Famous For Being Famous"^ Jocelyn Noveck (
2007-
03-01).
Even ignoring Paris Hilton makes news. The Associated Press. Retrieved on
2007-
05-05.
^ The Post Chronicle: "Paris Hilton Nude,Gold With 'Bubbly Blonde' Rich Prosecco"^ TV Shark: "Paris Hilton Nude In Gold For Canned Champagne Ad"^ Stuf.co.nz: "Nude Paris launches 'wine in a can' (+photo)"^ JibJab: "Paris Hilton in Shawskank Redemption"^ Awful Commercials: "Paris Hilton Parody, The Fat Man Washeth"^ Cinematical: "Paris Hilton is "Sexy" for National Lampoon -- Likely Not Nude"^ "Paris in Jail: The Music Video"^ CBS News: "Web Extra: Paris Prison Parody An Internet Hit"^ The Hollywood Reporter: "We love Paris in the summer when she fizzles ..."^ AOL News and Broadcast Center^ Hanes Hohnson Top Ten List^ Valleywag Top Ten List^ Viral Video Chart Top 20 ListExternal links
Paris Hilton's Official WebsiteParis Hilton's Official Music Career WebsiteParis Hilton at the
Internet Movie DatabaseParis Hilton at
People.comParis Hilton at
MySpaceParis Hilton discography at
MusicBrainzParis Hilton at
All Music GuideParis Hilton at
YouTube
Paris Hilton is heading to Harvard University, but not to study.
