The Truth About Travis Barker's Relationship With Paris Hilton

Blink-182 frontman Travis Barker and reality star Kourtney Kardashian only seem to have eyes for each other. From posting love notes to steamy snaps, the pair haven't been shy about showing major PDA. Barker and Kourtney first made their relationship Instagram official on February 16, 2021, but People reports that they have known each other for years. "They've been friends for a long time, but it's turned romantic," a source told the outlet, adding, "Travis has liked her for a while." For his part, Barker believes that one of the reasons he and Kourtney mesh well is because they're both parents. "I'm spending time with a woman who's a great mom, who's a great friend and you don't have to worry about any of those things," he said on a March 4 episode of "The Drew Barrymore Show." "It just comes natural — it's like a maturity thing."

Prior to dating Kourtney, Barker was linked to several A-listers, including former Miss USA Shanna Moakler, but fans might be surprised to learn that he also dated Paris Hilton for a hot second. What was his short-lived relationship with the Hilton heiress like? Let's take a look!

According to Popsugar, Travis Barker briefly dated Paris Hilton in 2006, though it was never serious. For a few weeks, they "did everything together," he revealed in his 2016 memoir, "Can I Say." Eventually, things fizzled out because "the sexual chemistry was never good," as Barker confessed in his autobiography. 

During this time, he struck up a friendship (and flirtation) with Paris' then-assistant and BFF, Kim Kardashian. "Kim was Paris' assistant," he told Us Weekly in 2015. "She got all of Paris' belongings together wherever we traveled." Though Barker admitted to enjoying "hanging out with Paris," it was Kim who caught his eye because he has a thing for curvy girls. "Kim was eye candy," he explained to the outlet. "I was in no way disrespectful to Paris, but I couldn't keep my eyes off Kim!" Barker and Kim kept things strictly platonic, despite his crush. "We were flirtatious, but nothing ever happened," he said to Us Weekly. "She was so kind and polite, I just felt like being a perfect gentleman around her. It was a trip!" Or maybe it was fate, since Barker might never have gotten together with Kourtney Kardashian if he'd previously dated her sister.

Travis Barker and Paris Hilton's relationship may have fizzled out quickly, but it didn't stop Hilton from staking her claim on the Blink-182 frontman. According to People, she and Barker's ex Shanna Moakler had an altercation at an L.A. nightclub in 2006. The outlet reports that Moakler's publicist, Susan Madore, saw Moakler and Hilton "exchanging words." Hilton's ex-boyfriend Stavros Niarchos was also on the scene, and he allegedly "pushed Moakler down some stairs, bent her wrist back and poured a drink over her head." 

Naturally, Hilton's rep has a different take on what went down. "[Paris] said she was having a conversation with Stavros and the lady came out of nowhere shouting obscenities and struck her on the side of her face by her jaw and then continued to shout at her" (via People).

The two ladies were at odds after Moakler stated she felt "betrayed" when reports surfaced of Hilton and Barker kissing at NYC hotspot Butter. "In order to maintain a positive atmosphere for my children, I've decided not to exacerbate the situation by commenting on each new aspect of Travis Barker's personal life," Moakler told People at the time. Though she declined to comment, perhaps she hinted her true feelings by fighting with Hilton. As of this writing, Barker may have moved on with Kourtney Kardashian, but Moakler still doesn't appear to be at peace with his dating life.