- A new documentary titled "The American Meme" offers an inside look into the life of Paris Hilton.
- In the documentary, Paris discusses her leaked 2004 sex tape with then-boyfriend Rick Fallomon.
- The leak left her distraught: "I literally wanted to die at some points."
Paris Hilton’s life is front and center in a new documentary, and it’s anything but simple.
But Hilton’s celebrity skyrocketed after a sex tape with then-boyfriend Rick Fallomon was leaked in 2004.
In the new film, Hilton opened up about the incident and talked about the trauma that lingered for years after.
"The American Meme" premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival on Friday with a post-screening Q&A featuring Hilton. She talked about how it was difficult to establish her own identity beyond what tabloids and reality TV producers asked of her, especially since she became famous before social media was a thing. She said the documentary was a rare opportunity to break beyond her mediated persona.
"The American Meme" explores the rise and pitfall of social media celebrity: people we call “influencers” whose popularity comes from an outsized online presence and the continuous, controlled access they offer into their personal lives. Hilton almost single-handedly pioneered this brand of fame. She invented being “famous for being famous”; before Instagram or the Kardashians, Hilton was the original reality star.
Today, Hilton is engaged, runs various international cosmetics and fashion lines, is producing new music and TV and boasts a robust 18.1 million followers on Twitter and 8.7 million on Instagram.
"The American Meme" features Hilton alongside other social media celebrities, including Instagram celebrity Josh "The Fat Jew" Ostrovsky, nightlife photographer Kirill Bichutsky, and Vine star Brittany Furlan.
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