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Paris Hilton recalls getting really 'uncomfortable' during 2007 Letterman interview: "I felt like..."

Paris Hilton initially attempted to answer vaguely but made it clear she did not want to discuss the "very traumatic experience."

Paris Hilton has never shied away from the spotlight, but there have been moments when the media’s treatment of her crossed the line from playful to front-foot cruel. One such instance was her 2007 interview with David Letterman, which resurfaced and reignited outrage. Hilton, who appeared on ‘The Late Show’ to promote her new fragrance, found herself ambushed with relentless questions about her 23-day stint in jail for a parole violation. The experience, she later revealed, left her feeling "purposefully humiliated." The interview started innocently enough, with Letterman discussing New York and Los Angeles before abruptly shifting gears. He asked, “How did you like being in jail?”

As per The Independent, she initially attempted to answer vaguely but made it clear she did not want to discuss the "very traumatic experience." However, Letterman pushed her with more questions and ignored her discomfort. She remarked, “I felt like it was a safe place because I’d been going on Letterman for so many years. He’d always have fun with me and joke around, but I thought he would keep his word on this and I was wrong.” In her ‘This is Paris’ podcast, she shared, “I was just getting so uncomfortable and I was so upset... Just being up there, it was like he was just purposefully trying to humiliate me. It was just very cruel and very mean.”

Hilton recalled how she later told Letterman that he had ‘crossed a line.’ The backlash from the resurfaced footage has been quick. With many slamming him for his behavior. Hilton later revealed that he had apologized. He remarked, “I found out afterward I had offended you. I felt horrible about it because I’m not here to make enemies, honestly. So I called you, and you took the call, which I thought was very nice of you, and now you’re back, and thank God, and I’m terribly sorry.”

This interview has become a glaring example of the media’s mistreatment of women in the 2000s, an issue Hilton has spoken about extensively since the  release of ‘Framing Britney Spears.’ Hilton remarked, “I’ve been reading all of these articles coming out where they were just saying, like, Britney, Paris, and a group of us were treated so unfairly and just like, this really misogynistic view and just being very cruel and mean and making fun of us.” Years later, another awkward interview moment involving Hilton resurfaced, this time on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.’

As per The Things, what started as a normal conversation took a bizarre turn when the conversation shifted to NFTs. Fallon awkwardly praised Hilton, "Last time you were on the show, you explained NFTs in a great way. Which is really hard to explain. You know what you're doing." To which Hilton asserts, "Thank you. I'm so proud. I love being part of this community, and a voice. And getting the word out there." This led to an excruciating exchange where they both revealed they had bought an NFT ape. One Reddit user quipped, "It is really weird to see legitimately wealthy celebrities grift this hard for something that is so obviously destined to be a future humiliation and mark on their reputation. It's not even strategic or cynical, it's just bad policy."