It is not easy being a celebrity—especially if you’re Paris Hilton. People may seem to know her based on the lavish life that she chose to display. But the new documentary This Is Paris suggests that the public persona she’s carefully crafted to be the face of this empire may be more of a defence mechanism than a true reflection of who she is. Related article: Paris Hilton Reveals She Feels Guilty For Creating The ‘’Influencer Culture’’
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In the documentary, Paris appears to be vulnerable and open as she talks about the trauma she’s endured; even her voice is nearly unrecognisable, much deeper than the sugary-sweet tone the public has come to associate with her. Despite being a household name with wealth that most of us can’t imagine, her story is remarkably similar to that of other survivors of what’s often referred to as the “troubled teen industry” (TTI), a multi-billion dollar industry with little to no regulation, depending on the state.
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Paris revealed in the documentary that she experienced solitary confinement in her time at Provo Canyon School (PCS) in Utah, the final school she was sent to at the age of 17. “I just wanted the public to know that this is bigger than me. This is all about the survivors and anyone who wants to share their truth.’’ Since the release of the documentary on September 24th, thousands of survivors have been inspired to share their own stories of institutional abuse on social media.
Especially being a teenager where you don’t even have an identity yet. They try to strip it away and try to break you down as much as possible
Survivors of the “troubled teen industry,” including Paris herself, all share a collective trauma. She went onto explained “It does something to you, especially being a teenager where you don’t even have an identity yet. They try to strip it away and try to break you down as much as possible. And when I got out of there, I didn’t realise that so many things about myself stemmed from there. Not being able to trust people, not letting people in and just feeling scared around people, not really having great social skills because you couldn’t even talk.’’
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While she says there is so much more that needs to be done, Paris seems buoyed by the prospect of a long road ahead. “I’m just going to keep fighting for more and more and I will not stop.’’ The support of other survivors has fuelled her for the fight.
“I think that’s just such an exciting time to really make a difference, because I know that kids in the ‘troubled teen industry,’ they’re not listened to — they’re not believed. Now, they finally are going to be, and that is the best feeling in the world. When I was a little girl in there, I would be so proud of the woman I am today. I want this to be my legacy,” she concluded.
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