Paris Whitney Hilton is the daughter of Kathy and Rick Hilton, and an heir to the Hilton Hotel fortune established by her grandfather Conrad Hilton. An actor, model, singer, author and socialite, Hilton is best known for her unstoppable celebrity status.
Early Years
Hilton was born Feb. 17, 1981 in New York City as the oldest of four siblings, and grew up in New York, The Hamptons and Beverly Hills. Much of her childhood was spent living in the Manhattan Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. She dropped out of the elite Dwight School and later earned her high school GED.
As a young adult, Hilton was spotlighted by gossip columnists for her attendance at exclusive social events. Following some modeling work as a child, she signed with Donald Trump's agency T Management at 19.
Sex Video Scandal
While Hilton was well-known in New York as a Guess and Christian Dior model and a party girl, she burst into the center of mainstream American pop culture at 22 when a 2001 video showing explicit sexual acts with then-boyfriend Rick Salomon was released in 2003.
Hilton alleged that the one-hour video, titled 1 Night in Paris, was leaked by Salomon, but there is much speculation Hilton popularized the production herself, then cashed in on her notoriety. A flurry of lawsuits by Hilton and Salomon ensued, and Hilton was awarded $400,000 plus a share of the DVD's profits to be paid by Red Light District Video.
TV Career
Also in 2003, Fox TV created a reality show along the lines of the late 1960's comedy Green Acres; in which Hilton and her best friend, socialite Nicole Richie, are dropped into a farming community. Hilton’s burst of fame following the release of her sex tape helped bring high ratings for the TV show, called The Simple Life.
While the show soared, the friendship floundered after the third season. After some speculation about whether Richie would stay with the production, she did remain, but Richie and Hilton had run-ins with the law which interrupted the shooting schedule. The last episode was taped in 2007.
Legal Skirmishes
In September 2006, Hilton was arrested for a possible DUI. She pleaded no contest and was sentenced to three years' probation and her license was suspended.
In February 2007, Hilton was caught driving with a suspended license and sentenced to 45 days in a Los Angeles jail. After only five days behind bars, Hilton was released, wearing a monitoring ankle bracelet, after she reportedly refused to eat.
Because of Hilton's unprecedented knack for staying in the headlines, the Associated Press news service's entertainment editor put out a memo in 2007, saying the AP would run no nonessential news about her. Hilton stories were absent from the AP for two and a half weeks until Hilton violated her probation for the 2006 DUI arrest.
Paris Hilton's Comedic Side
Between 2002 and 2009, Hilton enjoyed dozens of TV and movie appearances including a remake of the 1950s horror classic The House of Wax. She was also the butt of many jokes told and acted out by other entertainers.
One such incident took place at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards just hours before she began her short stint in jail. The audience cheered as comedian Sarah Silverman joked about Hilton breaking her teeth on jail bars shaped like male sex organs.
In 2008, Hilton starred in her own parody of a political ad. Her spoof was in response to presidential candidate John McCain's statement dismissing Barack Obama as a "vapid celebrity like Paris Hilton."
Saying that the "wrinkly, white-haired guy" used her in his ad, she jokingly speculated that it meant, "I'm running for president -- so thanks for the endorsement white-haired dude."
Living in the Spotlight
Hilton's every move has been publicly scrutinized and questioned, including her love life, decision to abstain from sex for one year and whether her pout is natural or enhanced.
While many wonder when her fame -- or infamy -- will eventually play out, she will live forever at the New York location of Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. Unveiled in May 2005, her lifelike image portrays Hilton in a light blue running suit which slightly exposes her stomach.
Known as the consummate self-promoter, Hilton is quoted as saying, "There's nobody in the world like me. I think every decade has an iconic blonde like Marilyn Monroe or Princess Diana, and right now, I'm that icon."
Related Paris Hilton Resources
About.com Accessories: Hit or Miss: Paris Hilton's Headband [1]
About.com New York City Travel: Madame Tussauds' [2]
About.com Celebrity Gossip: Paris Hilton Profile [3]
About.com Celebrity Gossip: DUI [4]
About.com Celebrity Gossip: Jail [5]
About.com Celebrity Gossip: Love Life [6]
About.com Celebrity Gossip: New Lips? [7]
About.com Celebrity Gossip: No Sex for a Year [8]
About.com Celebrity Gossip: Probation [9]
About.com Celebrity Gossip: Scandals [10]
About.com Personal Web The Simple Life [11]
About.com Political Humor: Paris for President [12]
About.com Quotations: Hilton [13]
About.com Reality TV: Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie [14]
CNN.com Released from Jail [15]
Hollywood.com Paris Hilton [16]
IMDb.com Background [17]
IMDb.com Movies/TV [18]
MTV.com Political Ad [19]
Paris Hilton Official Website [20]
Paris Hilton Online Fan Site [21]
Paris Hilton Zone Fan Site [22]
People.com Lawsuit Settled [23]
People.com Sex Video [24]
Reuters Music Awards [25]
Ringsurf Childhood [26]
The Insider AP News Ban [27]
TMZ.com Driving with Suspended License [28]
USA Today Simple Life Last Episode [29]
Who2 Bio [30]