Paris Hilton Reveals She’s Been Playing a Character All These Years–’I’m Not a Dumb Blonde’

People know Paris Hilton as a ditsy heiress who loves to party. Her image was all but cemented when The Simple Life premiered in 2003. Today, Hilton is 39 years old and says her public persona doesn’t reflect who she really is. She has a film premiering on YouTube on Sept. 14 called This is Paris that will, for the first time, portray her in an accurate light.

Paris Hilton says she’s ‘the exact opposite’ of her public image

In an interview with Tracy Smith for CBS Sunday Morning, Hilton spoke about her perceived persona.

“There’s so many differences,” she said of the real Paris and what’s been portrayed. “With the character, it’s mostly kind of this blonde, bubbly, kind of Barbie airhead. And, in real life, I’m the exact opposite. … I’m not a dumb blonde. I’m just very good at pretending to be one.” 

Earlier this year, Hilton echoed the sentiment that she’s been portraying a character, especially when she was on The Simple Life, in an interview with Deadline.

“Everything I’ve done before was me playing a character,” she said. “… Sometimes it is annoying, people assuming I am the blonde airhead that I played on [The Simple Life].”

Paris Hilton opens up about being abused in school

This is Paris will take a look at one of the more painful facets of Hilton’s childhood. She says her parents sent her to various “behavior modification schools,” and at that one of them, Provo Canyon School in Utah, she was abused.

Hilton told Smith that she never told her family about the abuse she endured.

“When I got out, I was just so grateful and so happy to be free and to be out of there that I just didn’t want to bring it up,” she said. “I was like, I’d rather, you know, just never talk about this. Just don’t think about it. And the moment I stepped out of that building is when I decided I’m never telling this story to anyone, ever.” 

Hilton also says her sex tape scandal never would have happened had she not gone to Provo Canyon School in Utah.

“That would never have happened if I hadn’t gone to that school,” she said. “I just feel when I got out of that school, I was so lost. And then I ended up meeting the person who did that. And I never would have let someone like that in my life if I hadn’t gone through such experiences. And therefore, I would have never put myself in that situation. But I just wanted love so bad. I didn’t really know. I was so naïve. And I trusted the wrong person. And that’s something I’ll regret for the rest of my life.”

Hilton is ready for the world to meet who she really is and learn what she’s gone through.

“I think when people see the film, they’re going to see a completely different side,” she said. “And, they’re going to see I am human, and I do have feelings.”