Paris Hilton Reflects on the Painful Impact of Her 2004 Leaked Sex Tape: ‘It Wasn’t Just a Scandal, It Was Abuse’
Paris Hilton is leveraging her experience of trauma to advocate for the passage of the Defiance Act in Congress, a measure aimed at protecting individuals from nonconsensual digital forgeries. Hilton was 19 when an intimate video was released without her consent, an incident she aims to address through this legislation.
On Thursday, January 22, Hilton spoke on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., alongside Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to lend her support to the bill. The Defiance Act aims to establish “a civil cause of action for individuals who are the subject of nonconsensual digital forgeries (commonly known as deepfakes) depicting intimate activity or nudity,” as detailed on Congress’ official website.
“I am Paris Hilton — a woman, a wife, a mom, a survivor — and what was done to me was wrong,” she stated in a TikTok video documenting her address. “And I will keep telling the truth to protect every woman, every girl, every survivor, now and for the future.”
During her speech, Hilton recounted the emotional toll of her 2004 sex tape, which she claims was made under pressure from her then-boyfriend Rick Salomon, who was 32 at the time. “People called it a scandal,” she said. “It wasn’t. It was abuse.”
Hilton emphasized the legal void that existed at the time of her experience. “There were no laws at the time to protect me. There weren’t even words for what had been done to me. The internet was still new, and so was the cruelty that came with it,” she noted.
As society grapples with the ramifications of artificial intelligence and the risks of creating realistic yet false depictions of individuals, Hilton’s advocacy highlights growing concerns over digital privacy. The Defiance Act has already passed in the Senate and is poised to advance in July 2024.
Previously, Hilton supported the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, which was enacted in December 2024. Following her remarks on Capitol Hill, Ocasio-Cortez praised Hilton on social media, stating, “People don’t recognize enough how effective @ParisHilton is in her advocacy. Not only does she throw her public power behind survivors, but she also brings a fierce behind-the-scenes operation with her.”
Hilton’s speech can be viewed on her TikTok account.
When I was 19, a private video of me was shared without my consent — and there were no laws to protect me. What people called a “scandal” was actually abuse, and it’s something survivors are still facing today. That’s why today, I spoke on Capitol Hill with @Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and #LaurelLee about the DEFIANCE Act 🏛️🩷 This bipartisan bill strengthens legal protections for survivors of AI-generated explicit deepfakes, giving people real options to fight back and seek justice when intimate images are shared without consent. Proud to use my voice on this issue and stand up for women and girls everywhere 💗 #DEFIANCEAct
♬ original sound – ParisHilton
