Paris Hilton sounded the alarm last year about alleged abuses at boarding schools with her own survivor story and now the hotel’s heiress is helping “thousands” of other people across the country to heal her trauma with the renovation on the horizon, sources told Fox News.
Hilton, 39, made headlines on Monday when testifying at a Utah State Senate committee hearing about the alleged abuse she suffered years ago when she was a student at Provo Canyon School in the late 1990s. She was one of the multiple survivors of institutional abuse who have lobbied for a bill that aims to regulate the problematic teen industry in the state.
Hilton first launched bombastic allegations of physical and mental abuse at school in his documentary “This is Paris”. Several alumni and even a former school employee supported Hilton’s claims in previous interviews with Fox News, ultimately calling her “heroin”.
PCS declined to respond to the allegations prior to Hilton’s documentary, telling Fox News in a September statement, “Originally opened in 1971, Provo Canyon School was sold for its previous property in August 2000. Therefore, we cannot comment on operations or patient experience before that time. “
Hilton has worked closely with the Breaking Code Silence movement, which is made up of survivors who raise awareness about institutional child abuse across the country. Movement members told Fox News on Tuesday that Hilton is “absolutely” the reason the issue reached the state Senate committee floor.
PARIS HILTON SHARES PHOTOS OF HIS YEARS 18 YEARS AFTER ALLEGED ABUSE AT BOARDING SCHOOL
Paris Hilton speaks at a committee hearing at the Utah State Capitol on Monday, February 8, 2021, in Salt Lake City. Hilton has spoken openly about the alleged abuse she says she suffered at a Utah boarding school in the 1990s and testified in front of state lawmakers who are evaluating new regulations for the industry.
(AP Photo / Rick Bowmer)
“I was definitely not surprised, but very happy to see this kind of progress being made. We worked closely with the Paris impact team to work on all of this together. Therefore, we are aware step by step of the process. I was very happy to see that when Paris entered the arena as a defender, she really meant it. To see her appear that way and be as vulnerable as she was and as talkative as she was yesterday, I was really proud of her and happy to see that, “Breaking Code Silence co-founder Jen Robison told Fox News in an interview Tuesday. -market.
Robison acknowledged that remembering Hilton’s past trauma is certainly not an easy task.
“Knowing Paris, she has a lot of heart and worries a lot about it and, as a survivor of institutional abuse, I know how scary it is to speak in a public forum about this type of trauma. I have no doubt that she was very nervous and I think that it was incredibly courageous of her to go through the process of making sure she knew what she needed to say and being able to do it so well, “added Robison.
A former Provo Canyon employee spoke to Fox News anonymously on Tuesday. The official said that watching Hilton testify at the Utah state Senate committee hearing made him “very proud.”
PARIS HILTON DETAILS SOME ABUSE IN THE UTAH BOARDING SCHOOL FOR THE FIRST TIME: ‘CONTINUOUS TORTURE’
“It takes a lot of courage. So few celebrities use their star power for a good cause. What Paris is doing now is important. She is taking advantage of her platform in a really positive way,” said the official, who has supported the allegations of Hilton’s abuse of Fox News, added.
Robison acknowledged that Hilton alone began to break the abusive system of years in Utah. The former reality show star has the potential to create change across the country, she added.
“This is the first time that we have seen Utah take this seriously. Even though it is past time, it is very cool to see that they are worrying and understanding the seriousness of the problem,” continued Robison.
PARIS HILTON SAYS IT WAS PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL ABUSED IN PAST RELATIONSHIPS
The bill by which Hilton and others testified would require more government oversight of residential treatment centers for young people. It would also require them to document when they use restrictions. The measure was unanimously approved on Monday. Now he will go to the Senate and / or the House for votes, shared Caroline Lorson, senior government relations coordinator to break the silence of the code.
Paris Hilton wipes her eyes after speaking at a committee hearing at the Utah State Capitol on Monday, February 8, 2021, in Salt Lake City.
(AP Photo / Rick Bowmer)
Lorson said on Tuesday that the first step towards reform in Utah is “absolutely based on the bravery of Paris”.
“When Paris released ‘This is Paris’, she simultaneously let the entire community of survivors know that it was okay to talk about her experiences and her trauma,” said Lorson.
Lorson recalled an important quote from Hilton’s testimony.
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“She said at the hearing, ‘Money doesn’t make you immune to abuse,'” Lorson shared. “Being able to be vulnerable as it allows us to relate. I love that aspect because, when we go through trauma, we have the feeling that no one else will understand. Those kinds of secrets can make us sick. I applaud Paris for using this platform to be so vulnerable and allow thousands of other people to heal as well. “
Hilton revealed on Monday that she still suffers from nightmares and insomnia due to previous abuses at the Provo Canyon school. The school had previously declined to comment, claiming that because they have been under new administration since Hilton’s participation, they cannot comment.
On Monday, Hilton called on senior government officials, like President Joe Biden, to become involved in ending abuses in the troubled teen industry.
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“I hope that they heard this message loud and clear and that they take quick action so that our states and our nation do not continue to ignore institutional child abuse,” said Lorson.
Since Hilton launched “This is Paris”, other stars have talked about their own similar experiences at boarding schools, including Kat Von D and Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris Jackson.
If you or a child you know is suffering from abuse, contact The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453).