Paris Hilton is applauding more than two decades after his infamous leaked sex tape made headlines around the world in 2004.
The simple life alum, who was a teenager when the intimate video was shot, spoke candidly to reporters on Thursday, January 22 in Washington DC about the effect the “cruel” experience had on her at the time, for various media reports.
“When I was 19 years old, a private and intimate video of me was shared with the world without my consent,” Hilton, now 44, said as she defended the DEFIANCE Act over explicit fake footage and non-consensual editing.
He continued: “People called it a scandal. It wasn’t. It was abuse. At the time there were no laws to protect me. There weren’t even words for what they had done to me. The internet was still new, and so was the cruelty on it.”
Hilton detailed the reality of the deal the consequences of the leaked videowho also had his ex, Rick Salomon – especially at that time, when there was little sympathy for his situation. Instead of being treated with concern, Hilton became a laughing stock because of the sex tape incident.
“They called me names. They laughed and made me the punchline. They sold my pain for clicks, and then told me to be quiet, to carry on, even to be grateful for the attention,” Hilton said.
She added: “These people didn’t see me as a young woman who had been exploited. They didn’t see the panic I felt, the humiliation or the shame. No one asked me what I had lost: I lost control of my body, of my reputation. They robbed me of my safety and self-esteem.”
Paris Hilton.
(Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)Hilton added that she was supporting the bill as generative AI and deepfake technology have added new challenges around consent and women’s bodies on the internet.
“I thought the worst was behind me, but it wasn’t,” Hilton continued. “What happened to me then is now happening to millions of women and girls in a new and more terrifying way. Before, someone had to betray your trust and steal something real. Now all it takes is a computer and a stranger’s imagination. Fake pornography has become an epidemic.”
In Paris: The Memorywhich was published in March 2023, Hilton shared more his memories of making the tape with Salomon, 57.
Paris Hilton is finding light in the dark after years of public scrutiny. Hilton, 44, broke down in tears as she reflected on the hate she received in the early 2000s in the official trailer for her upcoming concert film documentary, Infinite Icon. “It’s difficult because people judge a lot, even with this concert, I’m (…)
“I don’t remember much about the night he wanted to videotape us making love. He had often said it was something he did with other women, but I felt weird and uncomfortable,” she wrote, adding that she was worried the older Salomon would leave her if she didn’t accept the request. (Hilton and Salomon were 13 years apart in age.)
Hilton added that he was under the influence at the time the footage was created.
“I wasn’t capable of the level of confidence required to make a videotape like that. I had to drink myself silly. Quaaludes helped,” he wrote. “But I did it. I have to admit. I knew what I wanted, and I went after it. … I needed to prove something to him and to myself, so they hammered me and I did it.”
The tape was released after the couple split and Hilton said she was shocked and embarrassed when she discovered it had been shared.