Paris Hilton, who stars in the powerful, moving, and intimate documentary of her life “This is Paris,” reveals that her participation in the documentary helped stopped her nightmares inflicted by the physical and emotional abuse she experienced at Provo Canyon School in Utah during her teen years.
“I’ve never been in a better place in my life,” Hilton tells TheWrap’s Beatrice Verhoeven. “I’m in an incredible relationship where I feel safe and I’m just so happy that I finally feel like the world understands me and I’m just so proud of this film and I’m now finally sleeping. I don’t nightmares anymore for the first time since I was a teenager.”
“I think because I spoke about all of that and let go of all the experiences I went through that made it go away from my dreams, which is very weird because I was so used to literally having those nightmares that were so real every night since I was 15 years old,” Hilton added. “So to have those stopped has been such a relief and to actually be able to sleep, I’m just so happy.”
Director Alexandra Dean said she was unaware that Hilton stopped having nightmares until now.
“So, I had no idea Paris that your nightmares had stopped until you just said that,” Dean said. “I have to say it’s very moving for me to hear that because I hoped that doing all this and going through all this trauma with you was going to result in that but I had no idea.”
“I was worried of course about kicking up all those memories and going deeper and deeper into it and going to these places you weren’t even sure you wanted to go,” Dean added. “So, the fact that going through that journey has ended in this positive place, it means a lot to me as a filmmaker and I think a lot of filmmakers out there probably need to hear that. Because I think there is point for all of us where we wonder is this the right thing to be doing, and I think in this case it was the right place to go. So I am very happy to hear that.”
The synopsis for “This is Paris” is as follows: You know her name. You know her brand. But you don’t know the real Paris Hilton. The story behind the headlines. The hell that she has been through. The secrets she’s kept. The lies she has lived. This is Paris reveals the explosive, never-before-told story of Paris Hilton and the Hilton family. The unprecedented access to her life allows us to show viewers how her past informed the way Paris lives her life today. Every detail she’s never revealed. Every question she’s never answered. Every puzzle the tabloids never put together. All of it forms a deeply compelling portrait of an international icon we only thought we knew. With the complete participation of the Hilton family and hundreds of hours of never-before-seen archival footage, This is Paris will bring the entire saga to life with unexpected cinematic storytelling, and honestly reveal the woman behind the icon for the first time.
Watch the full interview with Paris Hilton and director Alexandra Dean in the embed above.
“This Is Paris” is now streaming on Paris Hilton’s YouTube channel.