Paris Hilton’s infamous sex tape caused much scandal for the heiress/reality TV star when it was leaked in 2004, but would things have turned out differently 15 years later in the era of #MeToo and Time’s Up?
Hilton thinks so, and shared her views in a new interview with the Los Angeles Times.
“Back then, people were acting like I was the bad person or the villain,” Hilton, 38, told the Times. “Today, if that happened, whoever did that to the person would be [vilified].”
RELATED: Paris Hilton Gets Emotional About Leaked Sex Tape In ‘The American Meme’ Documentary
In fact, she said that having her intimate moments leaked online took away something she can never get back.
“As a little girl, I always looked up to Princess Diana and women like that who I respected so much,” Hilton said. “And I felt that when that man put out that tape, it basically took that away from me because, for the rest of my life, people are going to judge me and think of me in a certain way just because of a private moment with someone that [I] trusted and loved.”
The scandal erupted at the height of the popularity of her Fox reality hit, “The Simple Life”, and the notoriety actually wound up making her even more famous after former boyfriend Rick Salomon released the tape as an adult video titled “One Night in Paris”.
Hilton, however, does not see that as a positive. “It’s not something that I would ever want to be known for,” she said of the sex tape.
RELATED: Paris Hilton Says Leaked 2004 Sex Tape Was ‘Like Being Raped’ In New Documentary
However, she does ascribe to the what-doesn’t-kill-you-makes-you-stronger philosophy, and admits she emerged tougher and more resolute as a result.
“I now feel comfortable enough with myself to tell my story,” she explains. “I wasn’t really before.”
