Paris Hilton thinks she’d have had a very different experience if her sex tape was released now.
The 38-year-old star’s intimate moments with Rick Salomon were released at the height of her ‘Simple Life’ fame in 2004 and though she recalls being portrayed as a "villain" as a result, she thinks if the scandal had happened in the wake of the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, she wouldn’t have been painted in such a negative light.
She told the Los Angeles Times newspaper: "Back then, people were acting like I was the bad person or the villain.
"Today, if that happened, whoever did that to the person would be [vilified]."
The ‘Stars are Blind’ hitmaker was devastated when the tape leaked online because she knew it would have an impact on her reputation for "the rest of [her] life".
She said: "As a little girl, I always looked up to Princess Diana and women like that who I respected so much.
"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.
"It’s not something that I would ever want to be known for."
Paris used to choose not to comment on gossip about herself but now feels "ready" to share her own versions of events.
She said: "I now feel comfortable enough with myself to tell my story. I wasn’t really before.
"My mom and my dad always told me, ‘Never dignify something with a response.’ Back then, there was no social media. So I couldn’t just go on there [and set the record straight] …
" I never stuck up for myself or said anything because my parents said, ‘You’re just going to draw more attention to something. Even if it’s a lie, just don’t pay attention to it. Your family and your friends know the real you.’ "
Paris Hilton reflects on sex tape shame
