.jpg)
Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American celebutante, a businesswoman, model, actress and recording artist.
She is an heiress to a share of both the Hilton Hotel fortune and the real estate fortune of her father Richard Hilton.
Hilton rose to fame around 2001, when her reputation as a 19-year-old socialite spilled out into the national scene from New York's tabloids.The media fascination with her led to her role in the successful Fox reality series The Simple Life, which has aired for five seasons so far.
As an actress, she has appeared in several minor roles, most notably in the horror film House of Wax (2005). In 2006 she released her debut self-titled album Paris. Hilton has since garnered notoriety as a result of several legal incidents, the repercussions of which have caused Hilton to serve time in a correctional institution in 2007.
Hilton began modeling as a child, appearing first in charity events. At 19, she signed with Donald Trump's modeling agency, T Management.Hilton has worked with modeling agencies such as Ford Models in New York, Models 1 Agency in London, Nous Model Management in Los Angeles, and Premier Model Management in London. She has appeared in numerous advertising campaigns, including Iceberg Vodka, GUESS, Tommy Hilfiger, Christian Dior, and Marciano. In 2001, Hilton began to develop a reputation as a 19-year-old socialite, being identified as "New York's leading It Girl" whose fame was beginning to "extend beyond the New York tabloids".
While Hilton has been quoted as saying that she is the "iconic blonde of the decade"' and comparing herself to Princess Diana and Marilyn Monroe (a claim she later denied in the May 2007 issue of Harper's Bazaar), she will reportedly appear in the 2007 Guinness World Records as the world's "Most Overrated Celebrity". In a poll conducted by the Associated Press and AOL, Hilton was voted the second "Worst Celebrity Role Model of 2006", behind Britney Spears.Critics have alleged that Hilton epitomizes the title of famous for being famous; echoing that sentiment, the Associated Press conducted what they called an experiment in late February 2007, trying not to report on Hilton for a whole week.
On May 11, 2007, a statue by Daniel Edwards entitled Paris Hilton Autopsy was revealed at Capla Kesting Fine Art in New York. Hilton is depicted by a clay model as dead, naked, and with her legs spread. The sculpture is aimed at stopping young women from drinking and driving.