Paris Hilton Explains How Her Situation Is Similar To Britney Spears'

Businesswoman, heiress, and occasional pop star/DJ Paris Hilton has made an about-face with her public image in recent years. In the early aughts, she was known as a blonde bombshell socialite who made "that's hot" a thing, and made us all giggle as her foibles and follies on the reality TV series "The Simple Life" with bestie Nicole Richie. But in a post #MeToo context, mogul has shared her personal stories concerning the rampant sexism and misogyny she endured in the early 2000s — like that notorious David Letterman interview — and the childhood and teen abuse that Hilton alleges she endured at the hands of her boarding school. 

Hilton has now become an advocate for fighting institutionalized child abuse and visited Capitol Hill this week to speak with lawmakers about the poor treatment troubled teens experience in some boarding schools, and how her alleged abuse traumatically affected her. "So honored to be back in DC to continue my advocacy work," she tweeted on May 10. "I had such an inspiring time meeting with policy staff & walking the halls of the West Wing with advocates. I am so glad to see that the most powerful office in the world is dedicated to fighting for the rights of all."

Now in a new interview, she's drawing comparisons between her experience and that of similarly-beleaguered 2000s celebrity, Britney Spears

Paris Hilton spoke via video link with CNN's Brianna Keilar to discuss her ongoing advocacy for victims of childhood abuse, and Keilar asked an interesting question about her long-time friend (and former clubbing buddy), pop star Britney Spears. "Your story actually made me think about Britney Spears," Keilar noted, adding that media industries "made so much money off" of both women from the constant tabloid stories, paparazzi photos, and celebrity blogs in the 2000s. Keilar then suggested that, like the recent re-analysis of how Spears was a victim of cultural sexism that arguably lead to the termination of her 13-year conservatorship, Hilton is now receiving the same treatment.

"Definitely," Hilton replied. "I went through that as a teenager and she's had to experience that as an adult. And we are both so strong with what we went through and I'm so proud of both of us for using our voices to stick up for others who don't have a voice ... We really just need people to understand what's happening in these places."

This isn't the first time Hilton has praised Spears in recent memory. In December 2021, during an episode of her "This Is Paris" podcast, Hilton praised both Spears and actor Lindsay Lohan for their recent achievements, saying, "I got married, Britney got her freedom back and engaged. Lindsay just got engaged. I love seeing how different our lives are now, and how much we've grown up."