Paris Hilton, the iconic hotel heiress turned entrepreneur and DJ, has opened up about the enduring pain of a sex tape scandal that upended her life more than two decades ago. In a new documentary, Infinite Icon: A Visual Memoir, premiering on January 30, Hilton reflects on how the leaked intimate video with her then-boyfriend Rick Salomon filmed in 2001 continues to haunt her. Speaking to Fox News Digital, the 44-year-old mother of two described the incident as a profound betrayal that left her feeling publicly humiliated and fearful for her future.
The scandal erupted in 2003, just as Hilton was gearing up to promote her reality series The Simple Life with close friend Nicole Richie. Hilton was in Australia at the time when her manager delivered the shocking news: a late-night talk show had received a 30-second clip of the tape. Initially dismissing it as a fake, Hilton's doubts vanished once she viewed the footage. Soon after, the full version was released, turning her into an unwilling target of late-night comedy sketches and parodies.
"I had been through a lot in my life, but then to be publicly humiliated in such a way with someone who I loved and trusted ... I had no idea that anyone would ever even see this," Hilton told Fox News Digital. At 19 years old when the tape was recorded, she recounted in the documentary how Salomon, whom she met shortly after leaving Provo Canyon School, convinced her to participate. "He was the first guy that I met when I got out of Provo [Canyon School] at a club in New York," she said. "I was so in love with him. He was ... my life. And I would have done anything for him."
According to Hilton's account in the film, Salomon suggested making the tape as something he did "with all my girlfriends," even offering to show her other recordings to reassure her, which she declined. She described herself at the time as "not sexual at all." Reluctantly, she agreed after he reportedly said, "OK, fine. If you don’t do it, I’ll just call someone else." The experience, she said, became one of the most painful chapters of her life.
"It was just humiliating," Hilton shared. "I didn’t want to leave my house. I felt the whole world was looking at it, laughing and villainizing me. I was a young girl who had come out of a very traumatizing place and met the wrong person who could do something like that to me." The fallout was immediate and intense; Hilton became visibly emotional while discussing it in the documentary, produced by 11:11 Media. She admitted, "It’s something that will affect me for the rest of my life. I don’t know if I’ll ever fully be healed from that. It’s something that will haunt me for the rest of my life."
In her 2023 memoir, Hilton detailed the scandal further, referring to Salomon as a guy who went by "Scum" in an excerpt published by The Times of London. She has consistently denied any involvement in releasing the tape for publicity, emphasizing it was never intended for public viewing. The documentary, which follows Hilton as she prepares for her first full-length concert at the Hollywood Palladium after the release of her 2024 album Infinite Icon, frames music as her salvation during this dark period.
"Music saved my life," Hilton told Fox News Digital, explaining how it helped her endure the aftermath. Following the tape's release, her family advised her not to give the scandal additional attention. "So I didn’t," she said in the film. "I smiled and kept going. I went to the studio and recorded my first album." That album, her self-titled debut Paris, featured the hit single "Stars Are Blind," which she promoted in Los Angeles around that time.
The documentary includes appearances from Nicole Richie, who co-starred with Hilton on The Simple Life, which premiered on December 2, 2003. Looking back, Hilton reflected on the aspirations she held as a young woman. "I’d always looked up to people like Princess Diana and Grace Kelly and all these elegant women," she said. "And I felt when he did that to me, I could never be like these women because no one would ever see me that way because of what he did to me. And that always broke my heart so much. ... in my mind, I thought my life was over."
Despite the trauma, Hilton channeled her energy into her burgeoning career. She has since built a vast business empire, with consumers spending an estimated $4 billion on her branded products over the past decade alone, according to a November report in The Times of London. Her company, which employs more than 25 people, is valued at $1 billion, she told the outlet. From fragrances to DJ gigs, Hilton has transformed herself into a multifaceted entrepreneur and child welfare advocate, testifying before the House Committee on Ways and Means in Washington, D.C., on June 26, 2024, about strengthening child welfare systems.
Hilton's personal life has also flourished. She married entrepreneur Carter Reum in 2021, and the couple welcomed son Phoenix Barron Hilton Reum in January 2023 and daughter London Marilyn Hilton Reum in November 2023 via surrogacy. "I feel so lucky I met Carter at the perfect time in my life," she gushed to Fox News Digital. "We’ve been inseparable. I didn’t even know a man like this existed. He’s kind, loyal, sweet and fun. He has the biggest heart and is obsessed with me."
She added, "I feel so safe, secure and supported — like I can do anything in life. He’s the best husband, best friend and dad — everything I ever wanted. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world every day because of him, my babies and everything in life." The family recently appeared together at the Third Annual Young Hearts Friends Fest at the Museum of Ice Cream in New York City on January 28, 2025, alongside Hilton's sister Nicky Hilton Rothschild.
Through the documentary, Hilton aims to reclaim her narrative and inspire others. "With this film, it’s really just seeing my life through the lens of music, how music is something that really saved me and how powerful it is," she explained. She hopes her story will caution young women about misplaced trust. "I hope by telling my story, it could make other girls not get into that same position where they would trust somebody to do that," she said. "Because, unfortunately, it’s very hard to trust people. Sometimes, there are people in the world who take advantage and would do something like that to someone."
"I hope that telling my story will help others not to put themselves in that position," Hilton continued. The film also touches on other challenges, including rumors of an encounter with Ghislaine Maxwell, though Hilton has confronted those claims separately. Overall, she views her journey as one of resilience. "It’s been a journey," she reflected. "... For so long, I played this character as an armor or shield to protect myself. And I never really wanted to let anyone in because I didn’t even want to talk about anything deep or serious. But ever since I have been telling my story, it’s just been so healing and so empowering."
Hilton expressed pride in her growth. "It makes me proud of this woman that I am, how strong and resilient I am, and that I can be an inspiration to others," she said. "I’m getting to know myself all the time. I finally have time to reflect on my life. Doing a film like this lets me look even deeper. It’s been a journey of self-discovery." As she performs at venues like the Hollywood Palladium—where she accepted the Muse of the Year Award at the TikTok Awards on December 18, 2025—Hilton's future appears brighter than ever.
The release of Infinite Icon: A Visual Memoir marks another chapter in Hilton's evolution from tabloid fixture to empowered icon. By sharing her vulnerabilities, she not only processes her past but also highlights the lasting impact of non-consensual exposure in the digital age. For Hilton, music remains the thread weaving through her triumphs, a testament to her determination to turn pain into purpose.