Paris Hilton just dropped a Congressional mic bigger than her latest handbag collection! Our favorite socialite turned reality star turned DJ turned advocate is back, and this time she’s not just serving up fashion tips—she’s serving justice!
Picture this: On a not-so-ordinary Wednesday, Paris Hilton, the 43-year-old queen of glitz and glamour, sashayed into Congress to spill some serious tea. But this wasn’t about the latest hot spot in Ibiza; it was about something way more important. Paris testified before the House committee, sharing her harrowing experiences as a teenager in youth facilities. And boy, did she have a lot to say!
Back in the day, when Paris was 16 and probably dreaming of future fashion lines, she found herself ripped from her comfy bed in the dead of night. Picture it like a scene from a dramatic movie, except there were no red carpets or paparazzi—just a one-way ticket to not-so-fabulous youth residential treatment facilities. Paris described these places as promising “healing, growth, and support,” but it was more like a horror show without the popcorn.
“They didn’t let me speak, move freely, or even look out of a window for two years,” Paris said. Imagine that—two years without window shopping! The horror! But it gets worse. She was force-fed medications and subjected to abuse that would make a soap opera look tame. “I was violently restrained, dragged down hallways, stripped naked, and thrown into solitary confinement,” she shared. Forget about the Simple Life—this was more like the Nightmare on Youth Facility Street.
And if you think her parents were in on it, think again! “My parents were completely deceived, lied to, and manipulated by this for-profit industry,” Paris revealed. They thought they were signing her up for some healing vibes, not a scene out of a horror flick.
Paris, who you might know as the great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton (yes, the hotel guy), first graced our screens in the early 2000s with her BFF Nicole Richie on *The Simple Life*. Fast forward to now, and she’s added singer, DJ, podcaster, and entrepreneur to her ever-growing resume. But her latest role? Advocate for child welfare.
She’s been vocal about her past traumas, sharing them in her 2020 YouTube documentary, which racked up more views than a cat video—over 79 million! And let’s not forget her memoir, where she spilt more tea than a British tea party.
Paris isn’t just talking the talk; she’s walking the walk. She’s been pushing for the shutdown of the Provo Canyon School, a place she dubbed “the worst of the worst.” And she’s urging lawmakers to pass the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act to bring some much-needed oversight to this $34.6 billion industry. Because seriously, who knew there was that much money in torturing teenagers?
In her testimony, Paris said, “I appreciate the opportunity to be here today to discuss how to improve care for the nearly 400,000 children that are living in the foster care system as we speak.” While her experiences weren’t in foster care, she knows firsthand the horrors of youth residential treatment facilities. And she’s on a mission to make sure no kid has to go through what she did.
“Today, residential facilities are continuing to warehouse over 50,000 foster youth and an unknown number of adopted youth in lockdown facilities,” she said. “Innocent kids who’ve not committed crimes, kids whose parents didn’t have resources to support them, kids whose parents passed away—kids who’ve already experienced trauma.”
Paris, now a mom herself, added, “They need love and kindness, not beatings and restraints.” And with a heart full of compassion and a voice as powerful as her perfume line, she’s determined to be the voice for those who can’t be heard.
So here’s to Paris Hilton—once known for her catchphrases and glamorous life, now a fierce advocate for change. You go, girl!
