Paris Hilton Shares Her Experience with the Nude Video Leak at 19: A Conversation About Abuse, Not Scandal
Paris Hilton on Capitol Hill, Jan. 22, 2026.
Credit:
Heather Diehl/Getty
Paris Hilton Advocates for DEFIANCE Act on Capitol Hill
On January 22, 2026, Paris Hilton made a powerful return to Capitol Hill, where she endorsed the DEFIANCE Act, a legislative effort led by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and bipartisan members of Congress. This proposed bill aims to empower victims of AI-generated sexually explicit deepfakes to pursue legal action against the creators and distributors of such material.
Hilton, 44, drew from her personal history while advocating for the new legislation. In 2004, a private video of her was leaked without consent, an incident that left a lasting impact on her life. She expressed her fears for young women who now face similar threats in this evolving digital landscape.
"Coming back to the Capitol, I feel something new, strength,” she began, standing alongside Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent champion of the bill. “When I was 19 years old, a private, intimate video of me was shared with the world without my consent. People called it a scandal. It wasn’t. It was abuse. There were no laws at the time to protect me. There weren’t even words for what had been done to me."
Hilton recounted the public ridicule she faced after her video was leaked, stating, “They sold my pain for clicks, and then they told me to be quiet, to move on, to even be grateful for the attention.” She emphasized that the emotional turmoil from her experience included losing control over her body and reputation.
The businesswoman expressed how the rapid advancements in technology have intensified the issue. “I believed that the worst was behind me, but it wasn’t,” Hilton said. “What happened to me then is happening now to millions of women and girls in a new and more terrifying way. Deepfake pornography has become an epidemic.”
If passed, the DEFIANCE Act would enable victims to take legal action against those responsible for creating and distributing AI-based pornographic content. Hilton disclosed that there are currently over 100,000 explicit deepfake images of her, all created without consent. “Not one of them is real, not one of them is consensual," she explained.
The potential reach of this issue is staggering, with Hilton noting that one in eight girls may experience the harms of deepfake pornography. “Too many women are afraid to exist online or sometimes to exist at all,” she said, underscoring the societal impact of these violations. Hilton highlighted her profound concern for her young daughter, stating, “I would go to the ends of the earth to protect her.”
In her closing remarks, Hilton articulated her determination to advocate for change. “I am Paris Hilton, a woman, a wife, a mom, a survivor, and what was done to me was wrong,” she declared. “I will keep telling the truth to protect every woman, every girl, every survivor, now and for the future.”
Hilton’s husband, Carter Reum, stood beside her, visibly supportive during this pivotal moment on Capitol Hill.
