We’ve all seen the photo.
Paris Hilton, circa 2005, buzzing around a club to mark the launch of her sister’s new clothing line, sporting a tank top baring the words ‘Stop Being Poor.’
At this stage the image has been sufficiently meme-ified, scored into the minds of an entire generation as yet another example of how truly out of touch celebrities can be.
It formed opinions, it generated mild discussion. Subconsciously it shifted Paris Hilton to the part of my mind reserved for shallow celebrities who are vapid and should never be taken seriously anyway. Of course she’d wear something like that. She’s Paris Hilton.
However, as it turns out the image isn’t real at all. Paris never wore the ‘Stop Being Poor’ top. The image was photoshopped years ago and circulated widely across the web, only contributing to the long heralded narrative that the reality star and DJ was nothing but a dumb blonde who didn’t deserve her success – and that photo proved it.
Knowledge that the image was fake has existed for years, but it wasn’t until Paris addressed the photo this week that the message finally sunk in – she wasn’t dragging the non-rich at all, she was dragging people for being desperate. And there’s a big difference.
“So there’s this photo online of me – I’m sure you’ve seen it,” she says in a TikTok video. “I never wore that shirt. This was completely photoshopped.”
@parishilton Debunking the #STOPBEINGPOOR myth. 🙅🏼♀️😹 Don’t believe everything you read. 😏 #greenscreen #Iconic 👑
You can check out the video here if the above isn’t working.
“Everyone thinks this is real, but that’s not the truth. This is what it really said: ‘STOP BEING DESPERATE’. Don’t believe everything you read.”
This revelation (yes, it is) comes after Paris revealed the alleged abuse she suffered during her time at the Provo Canyon Boarding School when she was a teenager.
In a documentary released last year, the star said that she was beaten, mentally abused, and forced to spend time in solitary confinement during her time spent at the school.
The school, now under new management, has since distanced itself from these claims.
