Why was Paris Hilton sent to Provo Canyon School? Socialite breaks down in Utah Capitol recounting trauma
Paris Hilton broke into tears as she recounted the "traumatizing abuse" she had faced years ago at Provo Canyon School while she appeared to testify at the Utah Capitol. The socialite and TV reality star has been lobbying for a bill seeking to regulate the state's troubled teen industry.
Speaking to the Utah Senate Judiciary, law enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee in favor of the bill that would reportedly require more government oversight of youth residential treatment centres and require them to document when they use restraints, Hilton testified about the 'traumatizing' abuse she says she suffered years ago at Provo Canyon School.
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"My name is Paris Hilton, I am an institutional abuse survivor and I speak today on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of children currently in residential care facilities across the United States," she said in her testimony, according to People. "For the past 20 years, I have had a recurring nightmare where I'm kidnapped in the middle of the night by two strangers, strip-searched, and locked in a facility. I wish I could tell you that this haunting nightmare was just a dream, but it is not."
According to recent reports, Hilton claims staff members would beat her, force her to take unknown pills, watch her shower and send her to solitary confinement without clothes as punishment. "Without a diagnosis, I was forced to consume medication that made me feel numb and exhausted. I didn't breathe fresh air or see the sunlight for 11 months. There was zero privacy — every time I would use the bathroom or take a shower — it was monitored," she alleged.
"At 16 years old — as a child — I felt their piercing eyes staring at my naked body. I was just a kid and felt violated every single day." The granddaughter of Hilton Hotel founder Conrad Hilton was reportedly sent to the boarding school by her parents in an attempt to stop her from partying and teenage rebellion. According to rehabcosts.org, tuition for a 12-month stay at the school reportedly cost up to $300,000.
Hilton also said that children in Provo Canyon School were "restrained, thrown into walls, strangled, and sexually abused regularly". She said one staff member would "brag to other students that she was the one that broke Paris Hilton." "This woman was employed by UHS for 20 years. She was let go this October, only after my documentary premiered," Hilton said. In the YouTube Originals documentary 'This Is Paris', the 39-year-old had previously alleged that she was abused at the school for 11 months at age 17.
"Talking about something so personal was and is still terrifying," Hilton told the committee. "But I can not go to sleep at night knowing that there are children that are experiencing the same abuse that I and so many others went through, and neither should you".
During her testimony, Hilton called on President Joe Biden and leaders in Congress to take action and said she intends to pursue federal legislation. "'This is just the first step," Hilton told reporters. "This bill is going to definitely help a lot of children but there´s obviously more work to do, and I'm not going to stop until change happens." The measure passed out of the committee unanimously following emotional testimony from Hilton and several other survivors, and will now be heard on the Utah State Senate floor for a vote.
Since the documentary was released, other celebrities have spoken out about their experiences at the school or others like it, including Michael Jackson´s daughter Paris Jackson and tattoo artist Kat Von D. According to reports, Provo Canyon School originally opened in 1971 and is now under new ownership. The administration today says it can't comment on anything that came before the change, including Hilton's time there. A statement on the school website says the previous owners sold the school in 2000.
Hilton had previously taken to Instagram to share her time at the school. "These photos were taken when I was 18 and had recently came home from the horrible experiences I went through at #ProvoCanyonSchool. I can see the pain in my eyes. I was so traumatized that I pretended everything was okay, trying to block out the painful memories. 🥺 Looking at this now, I know that the teen me would be so incredibly proud of the woman I am today. Being brave and using my voice to make a difference and save children from having to endure the abuse myself and so many others have had to go through. #iSeeYouSurvivor #BreakingCodeSilence 🙌, " she wrote.