Paris Hilton: Newest Celebrity to Spark Buzz with Legislative Involvement.
Today’s gathering was somber and occasionally tearful as lawmakers and advocates came together to support legislation that would increase accountability for behavioral treatment centers for teenagers.
A significant amount of attention centered on a somewhat surprising figure: hotel heiress, socialite, and media personality Paris Hilton.
Hilton, who has recently channeled her celebrity influence toward legislative advocacy, spoke passionately about her own experiences. She highlighted the physical and emotional abuse she claims to have endured at youth treatment facilities in California, Utah, and Montana, driving her to actively campaign against institutional abuse within the “troubled teen industry.”
“I was exposed to abuse under the guise of therapy, cut off from the outside world, and stripped of even the most fundamental rights,” Hilton shared with roughly two dozen reporters and attendees. “The haunting sounds of my peers screaming while being restrained and sedated are etched in my memory…. If these centers are fearful of a simple transparency measure, then we must question them: ‘What are you hiding?'”
Later that afternoon, Senate Bill 1043 received unanimous support from the Senate human services committee. The bill mandates that by January 1, 2026, the California Department of Social Services must provide a publicly available online dashboard detailing each center’s use of “seclusion rooms” and restraints. This will include descriptions of incidents, their durations, and the staff involved, among other details. Additionally, centers would be required to furnish a report to the individual who was confined or restrained and to their parent or guardian if the individual is a minor.
Hilton’s nonprofit, 11:11 Media Impact, is actively supporting the bipartisan bill alongside its sponsors: Sen. Shannon Grove, a Republican from Bakersfield, and its co-authors, Democratic Sens. Angelique Ashby of Sacramento and Aisha Wahab of Fremont. Disability Rights California and the Children’s Law Center of California are also backing the initiative.
Sen. Grove, acknowledging the diverse political affiliations, socioeconomic statuses, and traumatic backgrounds of the primarily female speakers at the press conference, emphasized the unified legislative effort to safeguard children.
“The presence of trauma doesn’t discriminate based on your net worth, whether it’s a billion dollars or twenty dollars,” she stated. “We are all here as women, advocating for those children who deserve our support in this state.”
In 2021, in response to widespread reports of abuse, California enacted a law banning the practice of sending troubled youth, including those in foster care, to out-of-state, for-profit treatment centers. Instead, these youths may be placed in “short term residential therapeutic programs,” which are regulated by the state’s social services department. Additionally, two years ago, Governor Gavin Newsom approved a law to finance crisis residential treatment facilities for children covered by Medi-Cal.
Senator Wahab acknowledged that while these programs might be necessary for some youths, they still need to effectively meet the needs of these children and ensure that vulnerable individuals are shielded from further harm.
Reflecting on her own experiences, including the 11 months she spent at the Provo Canyon School in Utah at age 17, Hilton recounted living in perpetual fear: “If I attempted to inform my parents about the abuse, staff would instantly snatch the phone away, cut off the call, and subject me to violent physical restraints and solitary confinement.”
Towards the end of her speech, Hilton issued a thinly veiled warning: “If you are abusing children, I will find you and expose your actions to the world with my considerable influence.”
As an heir to the Hilton Hotels & Resorts dynasty, Hilton rose to prominence in the early 2000s through her modeling career and a reality TV show. Originally known for her lavish lifestyle, high-profile fashion choices, and partying, she frequently appeared in the tabloids. Over the years, however, Hilton has transformed her public persona, becoming a successful entrepreneur and advocate for youth.
Hilton is part of a growing list of celebrities who have leveraged their fame to collaborate with legislators and support various policies. Some notable examples include Jane Fonda’s ongoing campaign against the oil industry’s efforts to overturn a 2022 law on drilling setbacks; Jeff Goldblum’s 2020 endorsement of legislation aimed at reducing single-use packaging, which ultimately did not pass; and Common’s successful push for two juvenile justice reforms in 2017.
