Paris The Memoir

A MILLION MEANINGS IN A SINGLE NAME...

Heiress. Party girl. Problem child. Selfie taker. Model. Cover girl. Reality star.

These are labels that have been attached to Paris Hilton by others.

Founder. Entrepreneur. Pop Culture Maker. Innovator. Survivor. Activist. Daughter. Sister. Wife. Mom.

These are roles Paris Hilton embraces now as a fully realized woman.

Paris rose to prominence as an heiress to the Hilton Hotels empire, but cultivated her fame and fortune as the It Girl of the aughts, a time marked by the burgeoning twenty-four-hour entertainment news cycle and the advent of the celebrity blog. Using her celebrity brand, Paris set in motion her innovative business ventures, while being the constant target of tabloid culture that dismissively wrote her off as "famous for being famous." With tenacity, sharp business acumen, and grit, she built a global empire and, in the process, became a truly modern icon beloved around the world.

Now, with courage, honesty, and humor, Paris Hilton is ready to take stock, place it all in context, and share her story with the world. Separating the creation from the creator, the brand from the ambassador, Paris: The Memoir strips away all we thought we knew about a celebrity icon, taking us back to a privileged childhood lived through the lens of undiagnosed ADHD and teenage rebellion that triggered a panicked--and perilous--decision by her parents. Led to believe they were saving their child's life, Paris's mother and father had her kidnapped and sent to a series of "emotional growth boarding schools," where she survived almost two years of verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. In the midst of a hell we now call the "troubled teen industry," Paris created a beautiful inner world where the ugliness couldn't touch her. She came out, resolving to trust no one but herself as she transformed that fantasy world into a multibillion-dollar reality.

Recounting her perilous journey through pre-#MeToo sexual politics with grace, dignity, and just the right amount of sass, Paris: The Memoir tracks the evolution of celebrity culture through the story of the figure at its leading edge, full of defining moments and marquee names. Most important, Paris shows us her path to peace while she challenges us to question our role in her story and in our own. Welcome to Paris.

From the woman who is credited for launching what we know as the celebrity focused, "brand" driven, social media obsessed popular culture of today, comes an honest and surprising memoir that reckons with that truth, and shows that there is so much more to Paris Hilton than you might believe.

I was born in New York City on February 17, 1981, three days after Valentine's Day.

From the time I was a toddler, my brain skipped and flickered with the chemical imbalance of ADHD. Sometimes it was too much.

I'm not bragging or complaining about it, just telling you: This is my brain. It has a lot to do with how this whole book thing is going to play out, because I love run-on sentences--and dashes. And sentence fragments. I'm probably going to jump around a lot while I tell the story.

I came of age during the most turbulent pop culture period ever.

The character I played--part Lucy, part Marilyn--was my steel-plated armor.

People loved her. Or they loved to hate her, which was just as marketable. I leaned into that character, my ticket to financial freedom and a safe place to hide. I made sure I never had a quiet moment to figure out who I was without her. I was afraid of that moment because I didn't know what I'd find.

I wrote this book in an effort to understand my place in a watershed moment: the technology renaissance, the age of influencers. I also wrote this book so that the world could know who I am today. I focused on key aspects of my life that led to what I am most proud of--how my power was taken away from me and how I took it back, how I built a thriving business, a marriage and a family.

There are so many young women who need to hear this story. I don't want them to learn from my mistakes; I want them to stop hating themselves for their own mistakes. I want them to laugh and cry and embrace every aspect of who they are with fearlessness and pride. We all have our own brand of intelligence, and, girl, fuck fitting in.

Paris Hilton is the world's most recognizable influencer, defining and dominating pop culture for over two decades. She has built a multibillion-dollar global empire as an entrepreneur, tech pioneer, DJ, recording artist, and philanthropist. In 2021, Paris launched 11:11 Media, a next-gen company at the center of pop culture- connecting content, commerce, and community. Her proudest achievement is her continuing impact as an advocate and activist dedicated to empowering and elevating young women and girls, including spearheading meaningful legislative changes in the troubled-teen industry. She lives with her husband and son in Los Angeles.

"One of the world's most recognizable personalities delivers a memoir with surprising depth and purpose... The most impressive thing about this memoir is the gracious and compassionate eye with which Hilton views her past. Unlike many other similar stories, there is no tone of self-pity or martyrdom. Delivering a masterclass in owning your own story, Hilton shows how to live with purpose, compassion, and beauty." -Kirkus, starred review

"Hilton's memoir is perfectly poised as society starts to reflect on how we treated young women in the early 2000s. An unputdownable reckoning for anyone who lived through that time." -Booklist, starred review

"Revealing... Affecting and triumphant, this is a must-read." -Publisher's Weekly

***An Instant New York Times Bestseller***

From the woman who is credited for launching what we know as the celebrity focused, "brand" driven, social media obsessed popular culture of today, comes an honest and surprising memoir that reckons with that truth, and shows that there is so much more to Paris Hilton than you might believe.

I was born in New York City on February 17, 1981, three days after Valentine's Day.

From the time I was a toddler, my brain skipped and flickered with the chemical imbalance of ADHD. Sometimes it was too much.

I'm not bragging or complaining about it, just telling you: This is my brain. It has a lot to do with how this whole book thing is going to play out, because I love run-on sentences--and dashes. And sentence fragments. I'm probably going to jump around a lot while I tell the story.

I came of age during the most turbulent pop culture period ever.

The character I played--part Lucy, part Marilyn--was my steel-plated armor.

People loved her. Or they loved to hate her, which was just as marketable. I leaned into that character, my ticket to financial freedom and a safe place to hide. I made sure I never had a quiet moment to figure out who I was without her. I was afraid of that moment because I didn't know what I'd find.

I wrote this book in an effort to understand my place in a watershed moment: the technology renaissance, the age of influencers. I also wrote this book so that the world could know who I am today. I focused on key aspects of my life that led to what I am most proud of--how my power was taken away from me and how I took it back, how I built a thriving business, a marriage and a family.

There are so many young women who need to hear this story. I don't want them to learn from my mistakes; I want them to stop hating themselves for their own mistakes. I want them to laugh and cry and embrace every aspect of who they are with fearlessness and pride. We all have our own brand of intelligence, and, girl, fuck fitting in.