Paris Hilton has fired back at claims she’s a nepo baby by insisting she built her empire without any handouts, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The heiress, 44, is adamant her billion-dollar business in fashion, beauty, and entertainment is entirely self-made, despite her family’s famous name.
‘I Did Everything On My Own’
Paris Hilton says she’s not received any handout from her parents since her teens.
She claims her parents, Rick and Kathy Hilton, have not given her money since her teens. The famous hotel chain that bears her last name was sold to Blackstone in 2007 and has long been publicly traded.
And her grandfather, Barron Hilton, who passed in 2019, left 97 percent of his fortune to charity, not his heirs.
“I haven’t gotten anything since I was 18,” Paris said, adding, “I’ve been working since I was 16. I did everything on my own.”
Asked how much support she plans to give her own children, The Simple Life star – who, with her entrepreneur husband of four years, Carter Reum, 44, is parent to son Phoenix, 3, and daughter London, 2, both born via surrogate, explained her philosophy.
Paris Hilton Does Not ‘Spoil’ Her Children
Paris Hilton insists she will not spoil kids she shares with partner Carter Reum.
“If you spoil your children, you will destroy them. That’s something my husband and I talk about,” she said.
“We want to give them the most beautiful life and make them happy, but we also want to instill a work ethic.”
When asked if money equals happiness, Paris said, “It does because I’ve worked so hard, and success has always been a driving force for me.
“(After) going to those (boarding) schools, I made a promise that I was going to become so successful that no one could ever tell me what to do again. So I really see it as freedom.”
She added: “I’m very privileged (to have come) from a family where I’ve been able to learn so much from such incredible businessmen and women.
Princess Diana Comparisons
The reality star claimed her sex tape stopped her from being compared to Princess Diana.
“But I’ve seen a lot of people who come from prestigious families, and… they’ve never worked a day in their life, and I’ve seen how unhappy they are. They have no fulfillment in life because they’re just handed everything,” the DJ added.
Paris also addressed misconceptions about herself: “I feel like I’ve cleared up so many. (People) thought I was a dumb blonde because of The Simple Life, but I’ve proved that I’m not – I’m just very good at pretending to be one.”
Meanwhile, Paris has claimed her infamous sex tape, leaked in 2004, stopped any chances of her being compared to the late Princess Diana.
She documents the fallout from her X-rated home video, shot with her boyfriend Rick Salomon, in her new documentary Infinite Icon: A Visual Memoir.
Paris Hilton described the fallout of her leaked sex tape as ‘one of the most painful experiences I have been through.’
Paris said, “It was one of the most painful experiences I have been through. I was terrified. Is this going to ruin everything I worked so hard for?
“I had always looked up to Princess Diana and Grace Kelly and all these elegant women, and I felt like I could never be like these women, as no one would see me like that because of what he did to me.”
“I thought life was over, and I didn’t want to show my face again,” she noted.
