Paris Hilton has candidly revisited one of the most painful chapters of her life—the unauthorized release of a private tape that defined much of her public image in the early 2000s. In a heartfelt interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast, the 44-year-old media icon opened up about the emotional toll it took on her, the shame she carried for years, and how she’s worked to reclaim her narrative.
Hilton, speaking to host Alex Cooper, reflected on the 2003 leak of a sex tape featuring her and then-boyfriend Rick Salomon. The incident, she said, blindsided her completely.
“I was with my sister Nikki, and we were in Australia, and I got a call from someone on my team. They told me that one of the entertainment shows received a 30-second clip, and I did not believe it. I was like, what? I’m like that; it has to be fake. Like, there’s no way because I didn’t even remember making it. And then they sent it to me,” she recounted.
The emotional impact was immediate and devastating. Hilton revealed she canceled her press tour for The Simple Life and withdrew entirely from the public eye. “I just didn’t want to leave my house. I was so depressed. I was so humiliated. I felt like I had let down my family, my little brothers, and my sister.
It was just—I put so much shame on myself, and now being an adult and looking back, I just realized that shame should not have been on me,” she shared. Hilton described the long-lasting effects of the incident on her personal life and identity. Branded unfairly by the media, she revealed she was cruelly nicknamed “Miss Blue Baller.”
“After that, I was so closed off. I didn’t want to hook up with anyone because I was just nervous,” she explained. “That’s what people would call me because I wouldn’t do anything.” Despite the years of pain and public judgment, Hilton has since worked to rebuild her life on her own terms.
She married entrepreneur Carter Reum in 2021, and the couple now share two young children: son Phoenix and daughter London. Now looking back with clarity and strength, Hilton continues to speak out about the exploitation and emotional trauma she endured, offering insight into the lasting impact of digital violations and the resilience it takes to move forward.