Fans Think They Know Exactly Why Paris Hilton Kept Her Son's Birth Hidden From Her Mom For A Week
Paris says she was just protecting her privacy fro the press, but fans see something deeper.
Michael Mattes, DFree/Shutterstock.com; parishilton/Instagram Paris Hilton, 42, has worn many hats—socialite, star of "The Simple Life," singer of the cult classic song "Stars Are Blind"—and she's even been called "the original influencer," credited with founding our modern social media-centric culture.
But the biggest role Hilton has ever played is her newest one—mother, after she and husband Carter Reum, 42, recently welcomed their first child, Phoenix Barron Hilton Reum.
Hollywood and social media have been buzzing with the news that Paris Hilton is now a mom, despite how tight-lipped the star herself has been about her son, waiting more than a month to announce his name.
And it turns out the public and the press are not the only ones who were kept in the dark about the newest member of the Hilton family.
Paris Hilton kept her baby's birth secret from her family, including mom Kathy Hilton, until he was 'over a week old.'
Hilton says she and Reum are "over the moon" and "so in love" with their new arrival, born via surrogate in January.
Hilton revealed the hush-hush approach to Phoenix's birth on her iHeartRadio podcast "This Is Paris," in which she also announced her forthcoming book "Paris: The Memoir," out March 14, and the inspiration behind Phoenix's name.
Hilton said she kept baby Phoenix from Kathy and Nicky Hilton because she wanted to keep "everything really private."
"Not even my mom, or my sister, my best friends—no one knew literally until he was over a week old," Hilton said on her podcast.
Hilton attributed the decision to her years of living directly in the spotlight, and the numerous times she feels her life has been "invaded" over the years.
"It was really nice to have that with Carter, be our own journey together," she said, adding that she and Reum are "over the moon" and "so in love" with their new arrival, born via surrogate in January.
"I just feel like my life has been so public," she went on to say, "and I've never really had anything just be mine."
Hilton also says her Reum, an entrepreneur and native of Chicago who also has a so-called "secret daughter," Evie, with Mel Gibson's ex Laura Bellizzi, has "always been a really private person."
Bellizi is a former reality star herself who appeared on the short-lived VH1 show "Secrets of Aspen" in 2010.
Hilton said she was afraid if she told anyone about baby Phoenix's birth, it would end up in "TMZ or Page Six."
Hilton said that it was "so hard to keep that in, because we were so excited and wanted to tell our families," but that she "really felt that I wanted this journey to be for us only."
"We were just nervous because if you tell a person, then they tell someone, and all the [sic] sudden, it's in TMZ or Page Six, and I've had enough of my life like that," Hilton explained.
She went on to say she and Reum "made a pact together that we would not tell anyone"—a pact that included her mother.
Some fans think Paris Hilton kept Phoenix's birth from Kathy Hilton because she does not trust her.
Hilton's privacy concerns certainly make sense. But it's hard not to raise an eyebrow at the fact that she kept even her own mother shut out from the news of her first grandchild.
Kathy Hilton, however, has a history of revealing private information to the press without Paris's consent, as a fan on Reddit pointed out.
"Well Kathy is the one who told everyone about Paris’s fertility struggles so….," the fan wrote, referencing Kathy's 2022 claims to E! News about Paris' supposed struggles to conceive, which Paris denied in a public clap back to TMZ.
Scenes from Paris Hilton's YouTube documentary 'This Is Paris' revealed cracks in her relationship with Kathy Hilton.
In the 2020 documentary, Paris revealed the horrifying abuses, including sexual abuse, she suffered while at Utah's Provo Canyon School in her teens.
The boarding school and rehab for teenagers has become infamous for myriad accusations of abuse from former students going all the way back to the 1980s.
Fans say scenes in which Kathy Hilton reacted to Paris's traumas explain why she kept her baby's birth a secret.
"It's obvious her mother is a HUGE NARCISSIST," another person said. "I think [Paris] does love her mom...or maybe doesn’t realize her mom's a narcissist but this move would suggest otherwise. Good for her."
"The abuse she went through there, [Kathy and Nicky] just brush it off like she deserved it," another Redditor added.
Fans also think Paris Hilton does not trust her sister Nicky Hilton.
Fans pointed out that in "This Is Paris," Nicky Hilton defended Kathy and Conrad Hilton's decision to send their daughter to Provo Canyon School when Paris revealed the abuses she suffered.
"Her sister went, 'well, you were a handful to mom. You should apologize to her.' I have similar family dynamics and I don’t tell my family about the things I care about or want to protect," a fan on Reddit said.
Others pointed out Nicky's tendency to center themselves in Paris's narratives.
"From the way they interact it was clear that her family, including mom and sister, invalidate her often and make a lot of things about themselves," another user wrote.
And fans noted Paris and Nicky's dynamics are eerily similar to how Kathy and sisters Kyle and Kim Richards interacted on "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."
One fan cited a "RHOBH" scene in which Kim revealed a personal problem and "Kyle just goes on this ramble about herself and how Kim’s behavior affects HER."
The similarities don't stop there. Fans also called out how in Paris's documentary, "Nicky acts like the older [sister] and Paris would listen to her like a younger sis"—a dynamic identical to aunts Kim and Kyle Richards.
"Nicky sounds just like Aunt Kyle wow," a fan mused in response.
No one can truly know the internal dynamics of a family, of course, no matter how public it may be.
But given what we do know, Hilton's decision to keep her baby news under wraps isn't surprising—and it's hard not to feel like it was probably a good idea.
John Sundholm is a news and entertainment writer who covers pop culture, social justice and human interest topics.