Paris Hilton is revisiting the media frenzy that surrounded her rise to fame two decades ago, saying she and her celebrity peers were subjected to relentless abuse.
The 44-year-old star, who was often photographed alongside Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan during the height of early 2000s tabloid culture, told I-D magazine that the press was “abusive” toward her and her circle of friends.
“During the 2000s, the media was so misogynistic—they would target certain girls, and there was a small group of us that they would constantly berate and abuse,” Hilton recalled.
Moreover, she added, “It was extremely difficult to grow up in that way, having those few people who controlled the media control our storylines.”
The Simple Life alum also reflected on being reduced to her reality TV persona despite building a career as a businesswoman, DJ, and mother of two.
“For so long, no matter what I did in my life, or how much I had accomplished, people only saw me as The Simple Life character. I wanted to show that there’s much more to me,” she said.
Hilton’s comments came in the fall/winter issue of I-D magazine, where she was photographed by Valentin Herfray and styled by Clare Byrne.