Paris Hilton, widely considered the world’s first true influencer, has addressed claims linking her to convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, who served as Jeffrey Epstein’s associate for many years.
The socialite was prompted to speak out following the disclosure of over 20,000 emails related to billionaire Epstein. These emails unveiled the extensive political and social networks of the late financier, mentioning figures such as President Trump, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, and Palantir CEO Peter Thiel.
While Hilton’s name was not mentioned in the emails, recent scrutiny of the case has resurfaced remarks from 2020. During that time, Maxwell reportedly described Hilton as ‘perfect’ for Epstein when Hilton was only 19 years old.
Maxwell was known to scout parties and even loiter near schools to find potential victims for Epstein. Photographs from 2000 show Maxwell smiling next to Hilton at a New York event, as the young Hilton conversed with Donald Trump.
In an extensive interview with the Sunday Times, Hilton, now a successful businesswoman, dismissed any connection with Maxwell, stating: “I don’t even remember ever meeting her.”
Christopher Mason, a former acquaintance of Maxwell, made claims in 2020 that Maxwell had been captivated by Hilton at a party. Maxwell reportedly expressed to a friend, ‘Oh my god,’ before remarking that Hilton was ‘perfect for Jeffrey’ and requesting an introduction.
At that point, Hilton was making waves on the New York party scene and was signed to Trump’s modeling agency, T Management.
Despite initially stating she voted for Trump in 2016, Hilton later clarified that the claim was influenced by the fact that Trump ‘was an old family friend and owned the first modeling agency I signed with’.
This association eventually soured.
In her 2023 memoir, Hilton recounted: “When I left to go to another agency, he was furious and intimidated the shit out of me on the phone.”
Now 44 and a mother of two, Hilton has transformed from the once rebellious teenager whose youthful escapades were often tabloid material.
Discussing why her name keeps resurfacing in relation to Epstein, she explained to the Times that ‘I’m such a good clickbait name’, which has led to her being associated with Epstein’s circle by the media.
While Hilton denied having any links to Maxwell or Epstein, she has been open about the impact of sexual violence in her early years.
In her memoir, she shared the experience of being drugged and raped at 15, which preceded her being sent to a restrictive boarding school by her parents, a place that left her with lasting anxiety issues.
Her ordeal continued into adulthood when her ex-boyfriend Rick Saloman, who was in his 30s, distributed a sex tape they had made when she was 19.
“Like, that would be illegal today,” she noted.
Hilton further told the Times: “People realise just how wrong it was. And that has also been healing for me, for people to be, like, wow, Paris was just a teenage girl being taken advantage of by this older guy.”
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org