How Did Paris Hilton's Documentary Put Kathy Hilton Into 'A Depression'?
When Paris Hilton, the famous early 2000s socialite and hotel empire heir, released the documentary "This Is Paris" on YouTube in 2020, fans and viewers alike got to witness a side to the star that had been hidden away for a long time. In the form of similar documentaries about young women from that era, including "Framing Britney Spears," Paris told the story of the trauma stemming from her experience in a reform school, called Provo Canyon, as a teenager.
"The staff would say terrible things. They were constantly making me feel bad about myself and bully me," Paris claimed in the film. "I think it was their goal to break us down. And they were physically abusive, hitting and strangling us. They wanted to instill fear in the kids so we'd be too scared to disobey them."
Her mother, "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Kathy Hilton, has recently opened up about the impact watching the documentary had on her, and why it put her into a state of depression.
Kathy Hilton says she didn't know about Paris Hilton's abuse
During a recent appearance on Andy Cohen's Sirius XM radio show, "RHOBH" star Kathy Hilton discussed the experiences her daughter, Paris Hilton, shared in her 2020 documentary "This Is Paris" — where she recounts suffering abuse after being sent to Provo Canyon School.
While Kathy threw her daughter a viewing party, she didn't initially watch the full film, explaining, "It was too much after just watching a lot of the little clips, the promos and trailers, 'cause you could imagine me just finding out." She wasn't trying to make the experience about herself, though. "I'm not one of those people, 'Oh this is about me' — 'cause it's not about me. But yeah, it really was so devastating the way I was told. And for her to keep that in for 20 years," Kathy said, implying it was difficult to know her daughter had endured such a hard time. She further explained that she and her husband felt "helpless" at the time they sent Paris to the school, sharing, "A lot of people understood that [we were] trying to help our daughter. We were trying to save Paris. I'm not that strict. We were worried."
Despite putting off initially watching the troubling documentary, Paris emphasized that it was "very important" for Kathy to watch it, but afterwards it sent the mom into "such a depression." Kathy also told Cohen that when she and Paris recently watched it together, they held hands the entire way through.