Paris Hilton's Latest Project Is Surprisingly Very Dark

Paris Hilton is continuing her activist work for teenagers in congregate-care facilities, a public journey that kicked off in 2020 with her YouTube Originals documentary, "This is Paris." Since then, she has given a vivid testimony, per People, with allegations against Provo Canyon School, a boarding school in Utah that the star was sent to when she was 17. Speaking openly about her alleged abuse 20 years later, Hilton is supporting reform of state laws concerning these types of teen institutions. 

Beyond sharing her own personal experience in the documentary and striving for legislative change, she is now producing a podcast to detail the experiences of others who have also suffered abuse in these settings. "Sharing my story publicly was the most healing experience of my life," the influencer shared with Newsweek. Hilton has spoken of having insomnia for years, struggling with nightmares. "I continually experience a nightmare where two men come into my room in the middle of the night and kidnap me," she recalled with Refinery29 in 2021. "It has caused me severe trauma, and I know it is a tentpole of this industry that has caused millions of survivors to suffer the same nightmares throughout their adult life."

Releasing and working through her trauma has offered "The Simple Life" alum a sense of peace on the road to healing. She hopes to give a platform to others who have suffered on her upcoming podcast "Trapped in Treatment," set to launch on January 26.

Paris Hilton opened up about the upcoming podcast in a new interview. "I created 'Trapped in Treatment' to give survivors, employees and family members the opportunity to share their truth," Hilton told Newsweek. Her time at Provo Canyon School was allegedly filled with physical and emotional abuse, claiming she was "beaten, spat on, deprived of sleep, and forced into solitary confinement." These conditions occurred over the course of her 11-month stint at the school.

"Trapped in Treatment" will be hosted by Caroline Cole and Rebecca Mellinger. Tackling one treatment facility at a time, each season will tell the stories of former inhabitants. In a Newsweek exclusive clip of Episode 2, a woman named Natalie describes her brother being transported. "Michael was sleeping in his bedroom and two men came in and put him in handcuffs and basically, in my mind, kidnapped him in the middle of the night," Natalie said in the clip. She shares a heartbreaking detail of her mother's reaction in the moment: the fact that "his bed was still warm was really upsetting for her."

Hilton's mom Kathy also had a heartbreaking response to her daughter's experience, but Hilton is moving on with a positive outlook. She told Extra, "I am so proud to be producing 'Trapped in Treatment' and can't wait to take you on this audio journey."

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.