Paris Hilton’s bioptic documentary, This is Paris, has finally premiered via YouTube Originals. That’s Hot.
This documentary shows an inside look into the life of Paris Hilton, who is arguably the world’s most prolific socialite, influencer, CEO, entrepreneur, and DJ.
When most people think of Paris Hilton, they probably recall her from her The Simple Life era. This era consisted of 20-something-year-old Paris playing the stereotypical role you’d expect from a girl born into wealth beyond her wildest dreams- stuck up, clueless, and lazy.
Her presence within the media typically consisted of her in nightlife settings with other celebrities who had rapidly developed “wild child” reputations of their own, a leaked sex tape release by an older ex-boyfriend, and the infamous photo opt (shown below) taken by David LaChapelle in her grandparents’s estate that she had broken into.
But as the documentary has shown, this seemingly exciting and glamorous life she had experienced at such a young was a stark contrast to what had actually been happening behind closed doors. In the much harsher reality she experienced, Paris was actually forced into multiple programs/centers for ‘troubled youth’ throughout her childhood in which she suffered from abusive behavior including verbal, emotional, and physical abuse. The worst of the reform boarding schools was Provo Canyon School located in Utah. Paris recalls the Provo Canyon workers forcing her to take unprescribed medications, being placed into self isolation without access to basic necessities such as clothing and food, and forced to bathe in front of male supervisors.
Paris credits this abuse to causing issues that still impact her life today. She notes that she was unable to trust her own family for an extended period of time and now has difficulty in trusting other individuals in all forms of relationships. This mistrust for others around her has caused Paris to become extremely involved with her fans, as she firmly believes that many of them understand who she is as a person better than even some of her closest friends.
After finally being released from the Provo Canyon School facility approximately one year later, Paris began to execute the dream life she sought for herself. She believed that her future success would prevent her from having to repeat the traumatic situations she had already faced throughout her childhood. Paris refers to the Paris Hilton the world knows as a “character” that she has always played. Seeing the widely accepted response to the version of herself she had portrayed on television, Paris used this facade as a copping mechanism to hide behind in order to ensure her success would continue. Ironically, Paris was actually known as the ‘tomboy’ of her family due to her laid-back attitude and her love for the outdoors and wildlife.
Since leaving The Simple Life, Paris Hilton is now the proud owner of 19 product lines (the most successful of which is her perfume line that has accumulated roughly $3 Billion in revenue), 50 boutiques across the world, a club resort in her very own name located in the Philippines, and performed her music in multiples residencies and festivals, the most prestigious of which was Tomorrowland in 2019.
Overall, Paris Hilton will surprise you throughout this film in the best ways possible. The “glitz and glamor” melts away, and viewers are left with the honest opinions of a woman who is viewed as the “blueprint” for today’s culture. Paris will leave viewers both incredibly surprised and impressed with the life she has built for herself far beyond what was already given to her, while teaching audiences some valuable lessons about friendship, self worth, and determination along the way.
