Paris Hilton tells Drew Barrymore she had 'trust issues, PTSD' as they speak on solitary confinement as teens
American businesswoman, socialite, model, singer, and actor Paris Hilton joined actor Drew Barrymore for a tell-all interview on ‘The Drew Barrymore Show', on Monday, September 21, where the pair bonded over their shared experience of solitary confinement.
Hilton detailed being placed in solitary confinement as a teenager in her new YouTube Originals documentary, ‘This Is Paris’. She also allegedly endured physical, emotional, and verbal abuse at a boarding school she attended in Utah called Provo Canyon School. During the conversation, Hilton, 39, said that she dealt with traumatic nightmares and post-traumatic stress disorder for years following her time at the boarding school.
“It was hard to relive and remember all these traumatic experiences that I tried so hard to forget and act like they never happened,” said Hilton. “I’ve had severe nightmares since I was a teenager because of this. Basically, I was trying to look like I had the perfect life and I was embarrassed for people to know. I know now I shouldn’t be ashamed. The people who worked at these places abusing children are the ones who should be ashamed.”
Hilton, in her documentary, alleged that she was beaten by staff members of Provo Canyon School, given unknown pills, and put in solitary confinement. Barrymore said to Hilton on the show, “I’ve been where you’ve been and watching your documentary I don’t know how many interviews and conversations I’m going to have on this show where I am watching a mirror image of everything I’ve been through as well and so I want to talk to you and have you know that I’ve had the people come and take me away. I’ve been locked up in solitary confinement. I’ve been in a place for lengthy periods of time -- we are talking year, year and a half plus. I haven’t seen a kind of story like this really reflected out there very often, that's one I recognize so deeply. Why did you decide to do this now?”
“It actually wasn’t supposed to be the original premise of the film. I wanted to do a film to show the businesswoman I am and all I’ve accomplished because I feel like there are so many misconceptions about me and then during shooting, I just became to close with the director that we had this like sisterly relationship where I felt I could open about anything with her,” Hilton said. “She told me, ‘This is so important that you tell your story because you are going to help other survivors and people want to come forward with theirs.’”
She further said, “I’ve been speaking to a lot of the survivors. I received thousands of letters and emails and people just contacting me and telling me 'thank you' for being brave and telling my story. We’re starting a movement called Breaking Code Silence, where survivors are going to tell their stories. It was very difficult for me because it was never something I wanted to talk about in public.”
Barrymore spoke about her experience as well, “The people at my place were really good. I mean I didn’t like being thrown in solitary confinement. I will say I was very rebellious. I started riots there all the time. There was a lot of other kids like me. My mom just didn’t know what to do with me. I was doing drugs. I was out of control. She just threw her hands up and threw me in there not knowing where else to turn to. That place really did help me and it did save my life and I actually wouldn’t change a thing.”
Hilton said in response to that, “All it did was give me trust issues, PTSD. I didn’t deserve to go there. My mom and dad were just very strict and sheltered when I lived in LA. I wasn’t allowed to go on dates, couldn’t wear makeup, couldn’t go to a school dance. They just didn’t want me to grow up. Then I moved to New York and that’s when my life changed and I just was sneaking out at night and going to clubs and ditching school but not doing anything terrible, just wanting to go out at night and that really scared my parents because they were so protective.”
In the documentary, Hilton spoke about the school. He said, “The staff would say terrible things. They were constantly making me feel bad about myself and bully me. I think it was their goal to break us down. And they were physically abusive, hitting and strangling us. They wanted to instill fear in the kids so we’d be too scared to disobey them.”
“I was having panic attacks and crying every single day. I was just so miserable. I felt like a prisoner and I hated life.” she said, adding, “I didn’t really get to speak to my family. Maybe once every two or three months. We were cut off from the outside world... They would grab the phone, or rip up letters I wrote, telling me, ‘No one is going to believe you.’ And the staff would tell the parents that the kids were lying. So my parents had no idea what was going on.”
As per People Magazine, the school in question has responded to the allegations with, “Originally opened in 1971, Provo Canyon School was sold by its previous ownership in August 2000. We therefore cannot comment on the operations or patient experience prior to this time.”