Paris Hilton spoke out about the “cruel and mean-spirited” criticism she and Britney Spears faced in the early 2000s.
Appearing on the Thursday, January 29, episode of I’ve Never Said This Before With Tommy DiDario, Hilton said she and Spears, both 44, connected over shared past experiences.
The Simple Life alum described being constantly criticized after finding fame at a young age as a “very isolating” experience that not many people can relate to. Hilton noted that Spears is one of the few people who can relate.
“I was just with Britney a few weeks ago for her birthday in Mexico, and we were just talking about how cruel and mean-spirited people were back then,” Hilton said. “And she is someone that can relate to that. Very few people can. It has made us both so strong.”
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In the episode, Hilton explained that she used her dumb blonde public persona that was made famous on The Simple Life as a shield against attacks.
“I think that everyone just saw me as that character because that’s how the world got to know me. And I also played into it even more, which I didn’t even realize ’til later on as, like, a trauma response from everything that I went through,” Hilton said. “So I think it was, like, also a mask to just protect myself. Just experiencing that level of fame at such a young age is very overwhelming.”
She continued, “Just to have the whole world, you know, watching, picking me apart, just, like, it was very difficult. So, I think having that character, it really, it saved me from a lot of pain because when people would be mean or say things, like, I’d be like, ‘Oh, it’s not me. It’s just the character.’”
Hilton said that while the world has changed somewhat in the two decades since she was first thrust into the limelight, young famous women are still facing backlash.
When DiDario brought up Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown as one of the young stars of today who currently cops harsh criticism, Hilton defended her.
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“You know, it has changed so much, but then there still is those people who just can’t help themselves. And I just feel like they’re not happy with themselves if they’re going to, you know, tear down these young women,” Hilton said. “And that’s why I continue to use my voice to make a difference and to point that out to others. Hopefully things will change the more people do that.”
Hilton went on to praise the Enola Holmes star, 21, for how she’s handling fame and its pitfalls.
“I have so much respect for Millie. I love her so much. We text all the time. She is so brilliant, such a strong girl,” she said. “And I’m just so impressed with her in every way. And I’m feel so proud of her. I told her right when I saw that she stuck up for herself, I was like, ‘Wow.’ Like I wish I could have done that back in the day.”
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