Paris Hilton’s documentary looks back on the socialite’s stay at the Provo congregate care facility. The reality TV star claimed in her YouTube special This is Paris that she was “tortured” and “bullied” by the staff during her time at Provo.
Paris Hilton’s parents, Rick and Kathy Hilton, placed her to Provo communal care facility in her later high school years in an attempt to rein in her hard-partying behaviour. Paris told PEOPLE about her decision to attend Provo: “It was so easy to sneak out and go to clubs and parties.”
“My parents were so strict that I wanted to rebel.” They’d [punish me] by confiscating my cell phone and credit card, but it didn’t work. I’d still go out by myself.
“It was supposed to be a school, but [classes] were not at all the focus,” she added of the facility.
“It was all day screaming in my face, yelling at me, torture from the moment I woke up until I went to bed.”
“The employees would say horrible things. They were always tormenting me and making me feel awful about myself.”
“I think it was their goal to break us down,” Paris continued, “and they were physically abusive, hitting and strangling us.”
“They wanted to instill fear in the children so that we would be too afraid to disobey them.” Every day, I was experiencing panic episodes and crying.”
Paris said her parents were unaware of her treatment in the Utah facility because staff would allegedly “rip up letters and end phone calls,” telling children that “no one would believe them.”
“I was just so unhappy. “I felt like a prisoner, and I despised life,” she said.
“I didn’t get to talk to my family much.” We were cut off from the outside world, and the first time I tried to inform them, I got into so much difficulty that I was afraid to mention anything again.
“The staff would inform the parents that their children were lying.” “As a result, my parents had no idea what was going on.”
“I was so grateful to be out of there, I didn’t even want to bring it up again,” the reality TV star continued.
“It was just something I was embarrassed about, and I didn’t want to talk about it.”
“I want these places to close down. I want them to be held accountable, and I want to be a voice for those children and adults who have had similar situations.”
Paris attended a Washington, DC event with lawmakers and rights advocates on October 20, 2021, to lobby for reform in congregate-child care facilities.
She asked Congress and President Joe Biden to approve the Accountability for Congregate Care Act, which would protect care on a national scale.
Paris testified before the US Capitol that Wednesday how she still struggles to sleep as a result of the post-traumatic stress disorder she suffered after spending time at Provo.
She has also testified in support of changing the legislation in Utah and published an op-ed in the Washington Post pushing for national reform.
“I wish I could tell you that what I experienced was unique or even rare – but sadly, it’s not,” she said during her remarks at the occasion.
“Every day, children in congregate care settings in America are physically, emotionally, and sexually abused.”
“Children are even dying at the hands of those responsible for their care,” she said.