CNN

How the director of ‘This Is Paris’ reintroduced Paris Hilton to the world

Oct 9, 2020, 8:32 AM

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 11: Paris Hilton attends the 2019 WWD Beauty Inc Awards at The Rainbo...

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 11: Paris Hilton attends the 2019 WWD Beauty Inc Awards at The Rainbow Room on December 11, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

(Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

    (CNN) — The director of the Paris Hilton documentary, “This Is Paris,” says that before making the eye-opening film about the heiress and entrepreneur, she, like most people, had misunderstood Hilton for decades.

In an interview with CNN to promote the project, Alexandra Dean, who worked with Hilton for a year to make the film, went in expecting to make a documentary about Hilton’s public persona built on her brand and ended up with a heartbreaking and touching story about trauma, family and authenticity.

In the film, Hilton says she experienced physical and emotional abuse at the Provo Canyon School, a Utah boarding school for troubled teens, where she spent 11 months as a teen.

Hilton, now 39, says in the documentary that she still suffers from PTSD from her time at the institution.

CNN has reached out to administrators at the Provo Canyon School for comment.

“We are aware of a new documentary referencing Provo Canyon School (PCS). Please note that PCS was sold by its previous ownership in August 2000. We therefore cannot comment on the operations or patient experience prior to that time,” reads a statement on the school’s website. “We are committed to providing high-quality care to youth with special, and often complex, emotional, behavioral and psychiatric needs.”

So, how did Dean uncover what Hilton had never even told her own family?

Dean told CNN she was first contacted by IPC, the production company tied to the film, after someone there saw her last documentary, “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story,” about the glamorous Hollywood star who was misunderstood.

“They saw all these parallels between ‘Bombshell’ and Paris,” Dean says, adding that her first thought was “interesting.”

“I thought Paris is definitely unseen and misunderstood. I mean, I didn’t see her or understand her for decades. I definitely wrote her off,” Dean said.

All that changed when she began to spend time with Hilton at her home and traveled with her around the world.

“She has a billion dollar empire. She runs it and whether you like it or not, whether you like her or not, you have to respect that,” Dean said. “It’s not an easy thing to do. She does it almost solo. I saw that up close.”

While filming the socialite, something else was also coming to light.

Early in the project, Dean showed up at Hilton’s house to shoot interviews, accompanied by a crew that was costing $15,000 for the day. Hilton, she said, wouldn’t come to the door because she was asleep in her bedroom. Initially Dean was annoyed, but said that day is when she discovered there was another story unfolding.

“At that time, I didn’t realize what a big problem insomnia was for her, and I ended up sending the crew off to do something else and waiting in her living room,” she recalled.

Dean said she eventually went into Hilton’s bedroom and sat there with her for a while.

“I was like, look, I understand this is a huge thing. I’m going to give you time to sleep. But when I come back, I want to talk about this. This is obviously a huge part of your life,” Dean said.

Hilton began to open up about why she couldn’t sleep and revealed her experiences of abuse, Dean said.

The director reconnected Hilton to a few former classmates from Provo, who say they also suffer PTSD from their time at the school.

“We did a lot of talking to prep and because my sister had been through an institution and I had witnessed it up close, I was able to talk to them about my own process, her process,” Dean said. “We really did prep a lot because we didn’t want to trigger anyone or send them down the spiral. I wanted this to be something for everybody that was a positive outcome.”

Connecting with the former students has had a massive impact on Hilton, according to Dean. She’s leading a campaign called Breaking Code Silence, which aims to raise awareness about some of the problematic rehab centers for troubled youth.

“She’s very excited about it,” Dean said. “She’s very energized and focused and I think it’s like a new sense of purpose.

“There’s a very real sense [in the doc] that it is in doing something for the others that suffer from the same trauma that you can start to actually become free of what you experienced,” Dean added.

“This Is Paris,” a YouTube Originals documentary, is currently available for free (with ads) on Hilton’s YouTube channel.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

Today’s Top Stories

CNN

A video recorded by Facebook user Larry Jacquez shows the police response following the shooting in...

Jamiel Lynch, CNN     

At least 3 people killed and 2 officers wounded in a shooting in Farmington, New Mexico, police say

Multiple people were shot and at least three killed in a shooting in Farmington, New Mexico, police said in a Facebook post.

11 months ago

Migrants seeking asylum in the US look through the border wall as volunteers offer assistance on th...

Nouran Salahieh

End of Title 42 policy brings fewer migrants than expected

Southern border communities report fewer migrants, but concerns remain about overcrowded processing and detention facilities.

11 months ago

EVERETT WALMART, EVERETT, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES - 2023/04/19: An empty cart is seen near an emp...

Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN

The real reasons stores such as Walmart and Starbucks are closing in big cities

Several forces are pushing Walmart and Starbucks out of some city centers: a glut of stores, people working from home, online shopping, exorbitant rents, crime and public safety concerns, and difficulty hiring workers.

11 months ago

Gay rights supporters attend the annual Pink Dot event in Singapore in June 2022. Photo credit: Ros...

Heather Chen

A law that cancels cancel culture? This country is considering it

   (CNN) — Cancel culture, the online trend of calling out people, celebrities, brands and organizations — rightly or wrongly — for perceived social indiscretions or offensive behaviors, has become a polarizing topic of debate. To some, it’s an important means of social justice and holding powerful figures to account. But to others, it’s often “misused and misdirected” and has become […]

11 months ago

Vatican Museum restorer Alice Baltera works on the bronze Hercules statue, in the Round Hall of the...

Francesco Sportelli, Associated Press

Vatican experts uncovering gilded glory of Hercules statue struck by lightning

Vatican Museum restorers are working to remove centuries of grime from the largest known bronze statue of the ancient world: the gilded Hercules Mastai Righetti.

11 months ago

Linda Yaccarino, here in 2022, is leaving NBCUniversal amid reports that Elon Musk has selected her...

Chris Isidore

Elon Musk names NBCU ad chief Linda Yaccarino as Twitter CEO

 (CNN) — Elon Musk on Friday named longtime media executive Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter, months after he promised to step back from the role. “I am excited to welcome Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter!” Musk wrote in a tweet on Friday. He said she “will focus primarily on business operations, […]

11 months ago

Sponsored Articles

close up of rose marvel saliva blooms in purple...

Shannon Cavalero

Drought Tolerant Perennials for Utah

The best drought tolerant plants for Utah can handle high elevations, alkaline soils, excessive exposure to wind, and use of secondary water.

Group of cheerful team members high fiving each other...

Visit Bear Lake

How To Plan a Business Retreat in Bear Lake This Spring

Are you wondering how to plan a business retreat this spring? Read our sample itinerary to plan a team getaway to Bear Lake.

Cheerful young woman writing an assignment while sitting at desk between two classmates during clas...

BYU EMBA at the Marriott School of Business

Hear it Firsthand: 6 Students Share Their Executive MBA Experience at BYU’s Marriott School of Business

The Executive MBA program at BYU offers great opportunities. Hear experiences straight from students enrolled in the program.

Skier being towed by a rider on a horse. Skijoring....

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Looking for a New Winter Activity? Try Skijoring in Bear Lake

Skijoring is when someone on skis is pulled by a horse, dog, animal, or motor vehicle. The driver leads the skiers through an obstacle course over jumps, hoops, and gates.

Banner with Cervical Cancer Awareness Realistic Ribbon...

Intermountain Health

Five Common Causes of Cervical Cancer – and What You Can Do to Lower Your Risk

January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness month and cancer experts at Intermountain Health are working to educate women about cervical cancer.

Kid holding a cisco fish at winterfest...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Get Ready for Fun at the 2023 Bear Lake Monster Winterfest

The Bear Lake Monster Winterfest is an annual weekend event jam-packed full of fun activities the whole family can enjoy.

How the director of ‘This Is Paris’ reintroduced Paris Hilton to the world