Getty Nick Carter/Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton is digging deep into past trauma on her documentary, “This is Paris,” and says five of her ex-boyfriends were abusive. Tabloid rumors circulated about the possibility of abuse between Nick Carter and Paris Hilton during their brief relationship in the early 2000s, but Carter said the rumors are false.
Hilton doesn’t specifically say who abused her on the candid documentary, and has not accused Carter of abuse. They dated for about 10 months in 2004. “This is Paris” premiered on YouTube Originals September 14. The film was initially scheduled for release at the Tribeca Film Festival, but the film festival was moved online as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Hilton said she wants the documentary to give people a glimpse into her true life, which has been far from simple.
“I feel like the whole world thinks they know me,” she says in a voice over on the trailer. “No one really knows who I am.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Nick Carter Denied Ever Abusing Paris When Tabloids Speculated About Bruises in 2004
Paris has not publicly accused Carter of abusing her, but rumors made tabloid headlines in 2004, prompting the Backstreet Boy to speak out. In an interview with MTV News, he addressed reports in the New York Post and the New York-based Daily News, in which Hilton’s friends claimed Carter abused her.
“If they need the media attention, let them do their thing,” Carter said. “My family, friends and fans know that this is not my character and I would never hurt someone that I cared for or do anything like the malicious things they are claiming.”
Hilton did not name names of her alleged abusers, but said in an interview with PEOPLE five previous boyfriends abused her.
“”I went through multiple abusive relationships,” she said. “I was strangled, I was hit, I was grabbed aggressively. I put up with things no one should.”
Her memoir focuses on the abuse she says she suffered as a teen at three boarding schools, which she said she still has nightmares about.
“I wish I could bring a camera into my dreams and show you what it’s like,” she says on the documentary. “It’s terrifying, and I relive that every night. I experienced it, and to this day I’m still traumatized.”
Carter Wrote About his Relationship With Hilton in his 2013 Memoir
In his memoir, “Facing the Music and Living to Talk About It,” Carter said he was struggling with substance abuse, and that his relationship with Hilton perpetuated a problematic lifestyle. Still, he said he had no hard feelings against Paris.
“I have not heard from her since we actually broke up, but I wish her the best,” he told Buzzfeed News. “I think we just weren’t made for each other. There are just different types of lives. I actually came from a sort of lower-middle-class family, I wasn’t really born into money. I don’t fault that that’s her life and what she wants to do. I had a different path.”
Hilton echoed the kind sentiment, but said she did not think she was a bad influence on Carter.
“I don’t believe I was a negative influence on Nick, we dated for a very short period of time almost 10 years ago and when we met he was already a successful pop star, I’m pretty sure that was the only thing influencing him at the time,” she said. “I’m glad he got help for his problems and wish him all the best.”
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