Kim Kardashian vs Paris Hilton: How a driven student blew away the queen of influencers
Back in 2019, in a clip from their hit family reality show, 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians', reality TV turned makeup mogul Kim Kardashian touchingly proclaimed how she "really would wanna do anything" for hotel heiress and pop culture icon Paris Hilton. The reason? "She literally gave me a career, and I totally acknowledge that," Kardashian could be heard telling her younger sister Khloe in the clip, thus giving us friendship goals in the leagues of Blair Waldorf and Serena Van-derWoodsen from 'Gossip Girl'. Almost the entirety of pop culture knows the budding of this friendship. It all started when Hilton hired Kardashian as her stylist, closet organizer and party entourage.
Since then, even though both progenies of the rich and famous indulged in leaked sex tapes, reality television and business ventures, Kardashian found herself navigating towards rehabilitating the incarcerated. As for Hilton, she is busy posting nudes on Instagram these days. After reining as what LA Times labeled 'Hollywood's original influencer', Hilton has opted for a much quieter life. Her friendship with Kardashian, however, soared to newer heights with the wife of rapper Kanye West appearing in Hilton's 2019 music video, titled 'My Best Friend's Ass', for obvious reasons. And over a decade after Kardashian evolved to more than just the hotel heiress' stylist, here's how drastically different her and Hilton's lives have meandered so far.
Sex tapes
While Kardashian credits Hilton for gifting her with a career, it's no secret that Kardashian pretty much bought her entire family's career with that infamous leaked sex tape of hers that is somehow still relevant. In February 2007, Kardashian's sex tape from 2002 with then-boyfriend Ray J in 2002 was leaked and it blew up to the proportions it was well expected to, making her more than just the daughter of Rob Kardashian, one of the lawyers on OJ Simpson's dream team.
She was no longer Olympian Bruce Jenner's step-daughter either; Kardashian was a household name with the sex tape clouding almost her entire identity, and soon, she and her five siblings were on TV in their family reality show. Equal credit goes to her mother Kris Jenner too, for marketing off a leaked sex tape to launching her daughter as a successful face of pop culture. And while that might be a drastic shift from being Hilton's stylist, Hilton herself is no stranger to the concept of leaked sex tapes. Things, however, went differently on her end, with Hilton fighting hard to stash away the tape that features her and ex Rick Salomon in night vision. Made in 2001, the tape was released two years after their break up, and in the aftermath, as Hilton's family filed a lawsuit and were also hit back with a defamation one, after Hilton claimed she was 'out of it' when the tape was filmed.
Love life
Known for her incredibly impulsive marriages and divorces, Kardashian has always found herself, famous suitors. From eloping with music producer Damon Thomas at the age of 19 to sparking off a relationship with Ray J before her and Thomas' divorce was completed, Kardashian's love life has been a poster child for tabloids. Her second marriage was with NBA player Kris Humphries and ended in a divorce that was filed just 72 days after the wedding. While still legally married to Humphries, she began dating rapper Kanye West in 2012 and that was endgame clearly. The couple got married in 2014 and are parenting their four children like absolute pros.
Hilton's romantic history involves three engagements, no weddings and a string of popular, steamy flings ranging from Jared Letto to Cristiano Ronaldo and even director Todd Phillips. All of Hilton's engagements were to people not from the entertainment industry, as she almost tied the knot with model Jason Shaw and business tycoons Paris Latsis, and Chris Zylka.
Business ventures
Hilton's entourage wherever she went, even at times when she flaunted graphic tees, saying 'Stop Being Poor', was strongly supported by her affluent family name. As the heiress of one of the biggest hotel chains on the planet Hilton has been a poster child for fame from nepotistic pursuits. Hilton is more famous as a branding genius and tech investor, churning out millions of dollars these days after a little kickstart owing to her last name. But while Kardashian can't exactly be labeled 'self-made', she did help her family's career take off thanks to that sex tape and her genius mother's momager skills.
In pop culture, they say the devil works hard, but Kris Jenner works harder, but even the queen of momaging has admitted that when she learned of Kardashian's sex tape, as a mother she wanted to kill her, but as a manager, nothing could be better. Thus Kardashian sashayed her brand into reality television with 'Keeping up with the Kardashians', her innerwear line Skims, her makeup line KKW Beauty, and more recently, a career in law. In her own words, "Not bad for a girl with no talent."
TV career
Hilton's involvement with TV saw her partnering with Lionel Richie's daughter and her BFF Nicole Richie, as the two appeared on the show, 'The Simple Life'. Not so humble brags of the two socialite's lives floundering were the plot of the show that aired on Fox from 2003, with its final two seasons airing on E!, before ending in 2007. Next came her reality show 'Paris Hilton's My New BFF' (2008-09) where contestants would compete to become Hilton's new best friend – meaning endless chores and errands to please the queen of influencing.
For Kardashian however, it was always 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians', running its 18th season now, just as successful as ever. The show went on to have several spinoffs, most of them seeing Kardashian and older sister Kourtney 'take' cities like New York, Miami, and The Hamptons. Kardashian also participated in the dance reality show 'Dancing with the Stars' and the rest is all history.
Image makeover
From sex tapes to reality TV, rushed weddings, even quicker divorces, a flourishing makeup, and innerwear line and now 'The Justice Project', Kardashian's endeavors have been eccentric, but solid. Often shaded for her naive, privileged outlook on life, Kardashian announced a year ago how her father's passion for justice inspired her to study the law. Soon came meetings with US President Donald Trump where they discussed criminal justice reform, and now arrives Kardashian's Oxygen documentary titled 'Kim Kardashian West: The Justice Project' where we see her navigating through the codes and ethics of law, as she strives towards rehabilitating the incarcerated.
Meeting inmates and learning of the injustices they've faced became a norm for the reality TV princess nestled in privilege, something that was just as unexpected as shocking, and riddled with mock and ridicule from the internet.
When it comes to Hilton, these days it's been about concerts to earn donations for the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, and spicing up her Instagram with occasional nudes every now and then. Looks like the OG queen of influencing has finally found the joys in the simple life, as Kardashian embarks on her quest for justice and reform.