Paris Hilton just released a documentary titled The Real Story of Paris Hilton available to watch for free on YouTube. I just finished watching the whole documentary and it left me basically speechless, which if you know me, is a very rare trait for me to have. I am so shocked by the vulnerability in this film allowing viewers to see the real Paris Hilton in a way that only a minuscule group of people have seen her before. Proving that statement, during the film Paris even told her mother information that she has never been told. This documentary is bold, real, and eye-opening. I personally have gained an immense amount of respect for Paris Hilton after watching her show her true self.
When I was first told about this documentary being released I was expecting Paris to be showing off her glamorous lifestyle as she has before. I was expecting more of a Simple Life vibe. What I saw was not even in the proximity of what I had expected. This film uncovered some of Paris Hilton’s deepest secrets, as well as childhood trauma that she has kept silent about. I would have never anticipated that Paris had a traumatic childhood, and I’m guessing neither would any of you.
This film was created to draw attention to a movement called Break Code Silence. This movement is working to help children that are sent away to what are called emotional growth schools, as a result of troubling behavior. Parents send their children to these schools hoping to help their children become healthy functioning individuals. Unknowingly, an astonishing amount of children that attend those schools are abused mentally, physically, and sexually. Paris Hilton was sent to Provo Canyon School when she was in her early teenage years because she didn’t listen to her parents and partied at clubs underage in New York City. Paris endured all of these forms of abuse at this school while her parents were being lied to states away believing that she was in good hands.
Not only did Paris talk about specific incidents while staying at Provo Canyon School, but she also shows how her life has been forever changed ever since she lived through that torture. The documentary recreated particular traumatic occurrences that happened throughout her childhood, including being kidnapped from her home in New York, being physically abused by staff, being drugged by staff, and being trapped in solitary confinement naked and hungry. These awful things were all happening while her family was in New York funding this abuse while believing that she was being protected. I am truly awestruck by all of the horrifying actions that this establishment has gotten away with for all these years.
Towards the end of the documentary Paris reconnected with her peers from Provo Canyon. She talked to the other survivors about the experiences that they all shared together at that school. She also talked to each of them about the after-effects that they have all been experiencing throughout their lives as a result of their childhood trauma. Paris claims to never be able to sleep due to her insomnia and nightmares that stem from her experiences at Provo Canyon. Paris has a recurring nightmare of her asleep in her room while two men fly through her door and proceed to drag her out of her bed. That was a real experience that she had endured that haunts her every night.
All of the survivors also agreed to do interviews on their after-effects that have impacted their lives. A few of them, including Paris, stated that this has led them into abusive relationships because they grew up around so much abuse that they feel it is manageable. Paris talked about her emotions after meeting the survivors and she said, “… talking with them, I started remembering who I was before. And just… I don’t know. It makes me sad that they took that away [from me]…” (Hilton, 1:34:52). She has repressed most of her painful memories, but when she started to remember her past she became very sentimental.
This documentary shed light on a topic that many people don’t talk about or know about. I have gained so much respect for Paris Hilton as a result of this documentary. This wasn’t just a showcase of her luxury life, it was deeper than that and showed all of her struggles. Hopefully this documentary will cause people to dig deeper into this movement and put an end to abuse in these facilities. This documentary was eye-opening, and I encourage everybody to watch it. This is insight that would not be released or acknowledged without people like Paris Hilton and the other survivors. Together, let’s put an end to child abuse in facilities that are supposed to help troubled children because these circumstances are unacceptable.