Paris Hilton has made a deeply emotional confession about one of the most traumatic experiences of her life — the release of her infamous sex tape, leaked by her ex-boyfriend when she was only 19 years old. Speaking in a raw new interview, the 43-year-old star said she still struggles with the pain of that betrayal, describing it as “the moment my soul was ripped open in front of the entire world.”
The hotel heiress, who was dating Rick Salomon at the time — then 35 — told Vogue that she never gave consent for the recording to be made public. “People acted like I was some wild party girl who didn’t care,” she said. “But I was just a teenager who trusted someone I shouldn’t have. It was not consensual in any sense. I didn’t even understand what was happening until it was too late.”
The leaked video, later titled 1 Night in Paris, became one of the most infamous scandals of the 2000s. Released without her permission, it was sold for profit while Hilton was vilified by tabloids, comedians, and talk shows. “They made me the punchline of a global joke,” she told BBC News. “I wasn’t a human being anymore — I was a headline.”
“Paris Hilton says her leaked sex tape felt like being ‘violated by the whole world.’” @Variety
Hilton, who is now a mother and an advocate for survivors of abuse, said the emotional damage was “unimaginable.” “I remember waking up every morning and wanting to disappear,” she said. “People don’t realize how it destroys you. I didn’t just lose my privacy — I lost my identity.”
In her memoir *Paris: The Memoir*, Hilton wrote that the experience felt like “a form of sexual assault.” But in her latest interview, she went further — describing it as “public humiliation on a scale no one deserves.”
“I was 19, scared, and manipulated,” she said. “He was 35 — an adult who knew exactly what he was doing. And when that video came out, he bragged about it. He made money off my pain.”
Her words have reignited public outrage online, with many fans expressing sorrow for how she was treated at the time. On X, one viral post read: “Paris Hilton was a teenager when her tape was leaked. The world laughed at her instead of protecting her.”
“The media owes Paris Hilton an apology. She was a victim — not a joke.” @PopCrave
Hilton’s story also highlights how women in the early 2000s were publicly shamed for violations beyond their control. At the time, late-night hosts mocked her, paparazzi hounded her, and major outlets portrayed her as complicit. “I wanted to scream that I didn’t choose this,” she said in tears. “But no one wanted to hear the truth — they just wanted the scandal.”
Her mother, Kathy Hilton, previously described the ordeal as “the worst time of our family’s life.” Paris says she still remembers the moment she had to tell her parents. “My mom collapsed crying. My dad couldn’t even look at me,” she said softly. “I thought I’d ruined everything.”
Psychologists say the long-term trauma of such exploitation can be devastating. “What Paris experienced was image-based sexual abuse,” said Dr. Laura Brenner. “At 19, she was not equipped to handle the psychological destruction that comes from public violation and mass shaming.”
Years later, Hilton says she’s learned to channel her pain into activism. She now works with Take It Down and RAINN to help victims of revenge porn and online exploitation. “I’ll never forget that feeling of helplessness,” she told NBC News. “But I can use it to help others feel seen.”
“‘I was 19 and betrayed by someone I loved. That’s not scandal — that’s abuse.’ — Paris Hilton” @CNN
In recent years, Hilton has also called out the media for the double standards women like her faced. “If that had happened to a man, people would’ve sympathized,” she said. “But because I was Paris Hilton — blonde, rich, smiling — they said I deserved it.”
Her honesty has struck a chord with fans and celebrities alike. Fellow advocate Meghan Trainor reposted Hilton’s comments, writing: “She was wronged. Period.” Meanwhile, actress @JamieLeeCurtis praised Hilton’s “courage to speak truth after decades of shame.”
Hilton’s own words reveal a woman who refuses to let that trauma define her. “They thought they could break me,” she said. “But they only made me stronger.”
Today, she lives a quieter life with her husband Carter Reum and their two children. She says motherhood gave her the strength to confront the pain she’d buried for years. “When I look at my kids, I think — I’ll never let anyone hurt them the way I was hurt. Ever.”
On TikTok, Hilton posted a short clip reflecting on her journey, captioned, “They tried to shame me. Now I own my story.” It’s been viewed over 10 million times, with comments from fans calling her a “survivor” and “a symbol of resilience.”
“Paris Hilton reclaims her story after 20 years of silence. Her strength is breathtaking.” @VanityFair
As her voice trembled in the final moments of the interview, Hilton offered a message to those who have endured similar pain: “You’re not what happened to you. You are what you’ve overcome.”
