By Rollo Ross and Danielle Broadway
LOS ANGELES, Jan 26 (Reuters) – Paris Hilton is known for being a socialite, reality TV star, model, and occasional actor. Now the 44-year-old American wants to show audiences she can be a musician and activist, too.
“Infinite Icon: A Virtual Memoir,” arrives in theaters on January 30, following Hilton as she records her 2024 electro-pop album “Infinite Icon” and prepares for a one-time performance at the Hollywood Palladium.
She said she wants to show a more serious side to herself than the bubbly blonde persona she was known for when she first became famous in the late 1990s.
“In the beginning, I developed this persona and character, I think, as an armor or shield,” she told Reuters at her home in Beverly Hills.
“I had just been through so much trauma in my life and then getting the first reality show with ‘The Simple Life’ and then playing that character on and on – you know, I didn’t realize I’d have to do it for five seasons straight – and then the whole world just got to know me in that way,” she added.
While the media personality said that she believes that her playful persona will always be a part of her, she now wants to show a more mature side.
That includes her campaigning for greater federal oversight of youth care programs.
Hilton, the great-granddaughter of Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton, has spoken out about the emotional and physical abuse she endured when she was placed in residential youth treatment facilities as a teen. She has also been working with congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to push for passage of the Defiance Act, which would improve rights for those affected by deep-fake pornography.
“I knew that I had to stand up and use my voice,” Hilton said, highlighting how her campaigning had contributed to 15 state laws and two federal bills.
Her activism was “the most meaningful work of her life,” Hilton added.
(Reporting by Rollo Ross and Danielle Broadway, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
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