Paris Hilton is calling in to her interview with Out from a rehearsal dance studio. The room she's sitting in is somewhat dark and lit mainly by pink accent lighting, perfectly hitting her made up face and her signature blonde locks in perfect waves, not giving any indication that she's currently in rehearsals for her upcoming performances at WeHo Pride on Sunday, June 1, and WorldPride on Friday, June 6.
Sign up for the Out Newsletter to keep up with what's new in LGBTQ+ culture and entertainment — delivered three times a week straight (well…) to your inbox!
I'm about to ask my first question when she stops me, because the iPad she's using for the call keeps zooming in and out of her face every time she re-adjusts herself. As the camera zooms in, she is staring at herself, smizing and posing as if she's ready for a photo.
Her team fiddles with the settings and try to get the camera to stop moving, which they’re able do a few minutes later. She apologizes for the inconvenience, and I tell her it's not an issue whatsoever and jump into my first question: "Are you calling from a studio because your house is haunted?" She laughs and immediately recognizes that I'm referencing a TikTok she posted where her son, Phoenix, says there's a ghost in their house and he just saw it.
"I really believe little babies can see spirits," Hilton tells Out. "I think it's my grandma who is always watching me. I always feel her energy. I really think that who he's seeing."
Hilton is warm and inviting while discussing her preparation for her two Pride performances. "I've been here for the past couple of weeks with my choreographer and all my dancers, just getting ready for the live shows," Hilton says. She was clearly born for the stage. If her time on television taught us anything, it's that she was born to be an entertainer.
The 44-year-old multi-hyphenate is working hard to prove that she's more than just her iconic catchphrases or a reality show star; she's an entertainer. We got a taste for her musical prowess on her 2006 earworm hit, "Stars Are Blind," which debuted and peaked at the no. 18 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. It's a fan-favorite when she performs as a DJ and when she's behind the mic. For these two performances, her fans can expect "pop star Paris" rather than "DJ Paris."
The socialite-turned popstar returned to the music industry with a brand-new album in 2024, Infinite Icon, almost two decades after her self-titled debut album, which featured her hit debut single. Her new album is a project that consists mostly of collaborations with some big names in pop music, including Rina Sawayama, Megan Thee Stallion, Sia, and Meghan Trainor. She says she'll be performing songs from this album, a couple from her first album, and the remix album, which just dropped today. As for special guests at her shows, she said: "You know me, I'm always full of surprises."
Paris Hilton
Courtesy of 11:11 Media
Hilton has been a staple in the Pride performances for the past two years — if there are gay people, there's a good chance she'll be there. She recalls a performance she did last year at Club Musica in New York City for a party her friend and event producer, Jake Resnicow, where she said the energy was "infectious" and she "had the time of her life." After the show, Hilton says, "I told my team, 'I only want to play gay clubs now because it is so much more fun.'"
The moment that we are in as a country under this current presidential administration is not lost on Hilton — especially given that she is going to perform at WorldPride in D.C. When asked if there was any part of her that was nervous about participating in WorldPride this year, she doesn't answer yes or no, rather she says, "That's why it's more important than ever to be at events like this, supporting and just spreading love and positivity and just being supportive."
Hilton says that she "wouldn't be who I am today if it weren't for the LGBTQ+ community, adding, "they're so inspiring, so incredible, so loving, so amazing, so I am always going to be there and support and use my voice and entertain and just have fun and our best lives together and celebrate such a special month of the year."
Her support of the LGBTQ+ community doesn't stop at just the performances; her media company, 11:11 Media, partnered with Rainbow Railroad — a charitable organization that helps LGBTQ+ people who are "people facing persecution based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics," according to its website.
Hilton and her non-profit are donating $11 (up to $111,111) for every video created that uses one of her Infinite Icon remixes. "I love the work that Rainbow Railroad does, and I think it's incredible," she says. "I was just so touched when I heard about all the amazing work they did."
The conversation is cut short because she's deep in rehearsals and wants to make sure that her queer fans attending both shows get the best of pop star Paris, so she thanks me, and someone from her team ends the call.
Paris Hilton
Courtesy of 11:11 Media
