Tragic Details About The Hilton Family
This article contains references to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse.
These days, the name Hilton is undeniably associated with wealth. Beyond the surname's connection to the Hilton hotel empire — and the fortune it's generated — several other members of the Hilton family have gone on to pursue projects of their own. Paris Hilton launched a billion-dollar perfume line, Nicky Hilton started a lucrative fashion empire, and Hawley Hilton McAuliffe has long led the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, which seeks to redistribute the family's hotel-related wealth to those who need it the most.
Perhaps because of these impressive feats, it might seem that the Hilton family has never struggled. However, this is far from the truth. Back in the early 1900s, when Hilton hotel founder Conrad Hilton first developed the idea for his company, the Hiltons were a family fallen on hard times. Although they did eventually get back on their feet — and create one of the country's first hotel empires, while they were at it — they also went on to endure financial struggles, public humiliation, and more.
Before starting their hotel chain, the Hilton family was broke
Despite the Hilton family's reputation for wealth, its hotel empire was born from a situation of necessity. Back in 1907, when Hilton hotel founder Conrad Hilton was about 20 years old, the family took a huge financial hit. At the time, the family owned a general store in New Mexico. However, the business' profits were not enough to make ends meet. As investigative journalist J.R. Taraborelli explained in his book, "The Hiltons: The True Story of an American Dynasty," in an attempt to keep his family out of poverty, the young Conrad suggested his family start a hotel by taking some of the extra rooms in their house and selling them to travelers needing a place to stay. Conrad suggested that his father would run the hotel, while he would handle baggage and his mother and sisters would be responsible for kitchen duty.
It's important to note that the Hiltons' house at the time was hardly comparable with one of their modern hotels — Taraborelli described it as "a dilapidated structure that looked as if it might collapse at any moment." However, in spite of this, the business was ultimately successful, and the Hilton family stayed afloat.
They lost their fortune in the Great Depression
If Conrad Hilton found it challenging to keep his family afloat in 1907, it was even more difficult after the Great Depression began in 1929. Just two years before the stock market crashed, Conrad's hotel business had grown so much that he became the head of the Texas Hotel Association. Because his enterprise had grown so quickly, it proved extremely tricky for him to switch gears when the economy did, eventually, come to a halt. As a result, by the time 1930 came rolling in, Conrad had lost every single one of his hotels — except for one.
To make matters even worse, Conrad had amassed an enormous debt in the process of building the Dallas Hilton. As reported by J.R. Taraborelli's "The Hiltons: The True Story of an American Dynasty," the grand total came to $500,000. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, this equates to almost $9 million today.
Naturally, Conrad did not take these numbers lightly. Per Taraborelli, the businessman would later confess, "I was heartsick about it. But, of course, everyone in business was facing ruination at this time in our history." Rather than dwell on his problems, Conrad focused on pooling together private loans until he could pay off the $500,000. His plan worked, and Conrad was, ultimately, able to save his last hotel.
Conrad Hilton's third son might not have been his biological child
Eventually, Conrad Hilton's hotel business pulled through the Great Depression, but the same could not be said for his family life. As Conrad dedicated more and more hours to the success of his hotel, he spent less and less time with his wife, Mary Hilton. As per J.R. Taraborelli's "The Hiltons: The True Story of an American Dynasty," Mary tried her best to get Conrad's attention. She adopted a glamorous hairstyle, cooked Conrad's favorite meals, and took good care of his two oldest sons, Barron Hilton and Nick Hilton. Despite all of Mary's efforts, however, she just couldn't compete with Conrad's thirst for empire.
As time went on, Mary stopped competing for Conrad altogether. Instead, she began spending time with a gentleman by the name of Mack Saxon. Unlike Conrad, whose strength was mostly mental, Saxon was a former quarterback who continued to show off as a coach.
Around this time, Mary gave birth to a baby, Eric Hilton. Soon after his birth, Mary and Conrad divorced, allowing Mary to walk down the aisle with Mack. Even though Conrad was awarded custody of all three of his sons, Eric was the only one whom the patriarch would not raise himself. Instead, Eric would be sent to live with his mother and her new husband, begging the question of whether he was really Conrad's biological son at all.
Conrad's daughter, Francesca, also might not have been his biologically
Conrad Hilton may have had his doubts about Eric Hilton's paternity, but this never made it into the papers. However, when it came to his daughter, Francesca Hilton, nothing could be further from the truth. A product of the short union between Conrad and his second wife, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Francesca lived most of her young years believing that Conrad was her biological father. When Conrad died in 1979 — and left her nothing more than $100,000 of a $200 million fortune — Francesca interpreted her father's decision as a slight (via Forbes). She decided to contest the will and find out — one way or another — why her father had given her so little.
Unfortunately, however, this decision would alter the outcome of Francesca's life forever. During the resulting investigation, it was discovered that Conrad had never believed he was Francesca's father. To add insult to injury, Franscesca learned that, at one point, she had been written out of Conrad's will altogether.
In the end, Francesca was denied the ability to request more money from her father's will. She was also forced to walk away from the original $100,000 she was offered. The young woman then proceeded to spend the rest of her life facing rumors about her questionable paternity.
Elizabeth Taylor alleged she was assaulted after joining the Hilton family
Whereas Francesca Hilton made the papers for her unknown paternity, Nick Hilton appeared in the news for his relationship with a certain starlet. Indeed, on May 6, 1950, Conrad Hilton's oldest son tied the knot with an 18-year-old Elizabeth Taylor. The union should have brought a touch of Hollywood glamour to the Hilton dynasty, but, instead, it only led to tragedy.
As Elizabeth would later write in her 1988 autobiography, "Elizabeth Takes Off," her time as a member of the Hilton family was full of pain. According to the actress' account, her marriage to Nick grew tumultuous soon after they wed. She alleged that during their honeymoon, Nick "became sullen, angry and abusive, physically and mentally" (via People).
Later, in an interview with The New York Times, the star claimed she had become pregnant during the short-lived marriage. However, according to her account, Nick attacked her, causing her to miscarry. Looking back on this difficult time, Elizabeth said, "I couldn't take his physical abuse or his mental abuse [any] longer." The pair filed for divorce just months later. As per a 1951 Los Angeles Times report, the actress won the divorce case on the grounds that Nick had been abusive toward her.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
Nick Hilton was said to have sexually assaulted a hotel employee
Elizabeth Taylor was not the only woman whom Nick Hilton was said to have abused. According to investigative journalist J.R. Taraborelli in his book, "The Hiltons: The True Story of an American Dynasty," Nick was also accused of having sexually assaulted Virginia Larson, who had worked as a maid at his father's hotel. However, per the accounts of Nick's friends and acquaintances, he had never exchanged a word with Larson. Even so, he was said to have followed her into one of the rooms she was cleaning and assaulted her.
The following day, Virginia told her colleagues what had happened and was encouraged to file a report against Nick with his father, Conrad Hilton. When Nick got wind of this, he chased after her in hopes of intervening. They argued, and he hit her across the face. Before Virginia could tell Conrad what Nick had done, Nick wrote her a large check in exchange for her silence.
Virginia was never able to seek justice for what Nick had allegedly done, and the tragedy of what transpired likely stayed with her for years to come, while Taraborelli reported that Nick bragged about the incident to his friends.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Zsa Zsa Gabor published a sensationalist tell-all about the family
Conrad Hilton's second wife, Zsa Zsa Gabor, was a unique woman. Although she was, at one point, famous for being married to the hotel mogul, Zsa Zsa hardly spent her life in Conrad's shadow. Instead, she became a television presenter, known for making outlandish comments. As her biographer, Sam Staggs, would later tell the New York Post, "Zsa Zsa said things on television that were extremely funny, but they were so outrageous, I'm surprised she didn't get bleeped. Somebody asked her, 'How many husbands have you had?' and she said, 'You mean apart from my own?'"
Unfortunately, however, some of these comments eventually impacted the reputation of the Hilton family. In 1991, Zsa Zsa published a tell-all biography called "One Lifetime is Not Enough," in which she makes several claims that were not just completely unsubstantiated — they also contradicted previous statements she had made.
Many of Zsa Zsa's wildest claims focus on immediate members of the Hilton family. In one passage, she claims to have had an affair with Conrad's son, Nick Hilton. The TV personality wrote, "I had always loved Nicky Hilton, my stepson. I began to love Nicky, the man. He was sexy and exciting" (via The Standard). In the end, Zsa Zsa's biography was not particularly well received by the Hilton family, whose members contested many of her allegations.
Paris Hilton was often neglected as a child
Unfortunately for the Hilton family, tragedy often seems to seep from one generation to the next. Born in 1981, Paris Hilton came into the world well after most of the family history had already unfolded. That said, she still experienced many tragic moments — some as early on as her infancy.
One of the most difficult challenges facing the young Paris was likely the inexperience of her own mother, Kathy Hilton. Kathy was just 22 years old at the time of Paris' birth and did not always know how to take care of a baby. Speaking to J.R. Taraborelli for his book, "The Hiltons: The True Story of an American Dynasty," Paris' grandmother, Pat Hilton, reveals, "Kathy brought [Paris] over to Marilyn's and was so excited to introduce me to the baby. She called her 'Star,' as I remember it — a nickname for her. She handed the infant to me and said, 'Here, Pat, why not hold Star for a little while?' I was thrilled to do so, she was such a happy, beautiful baby."
Sadly, things did not end there. As Pat told Taraborelli, "But, then, Kathy disappeared. The next thing I knew, Marilyn and I had Paris for the entire day." While Pat admitted that she was more than happy to watch Paris for the afternoon, she was concerned how Kathy took off with no warning.
Paris claims she was sexually assaulted at boarding school
Paris Hilton's parents did not ostensibly spend much more time with her as she grew older. In contrast to the majority of young women of her generation — who resided at home and attended public school — Hilton was sent off to Provo Canyon School, a boarding school where she says she suffered immensely.
In an interview with The New York Times, Hilton recalled the gruesome details of what she allegedly experienced at the institution. "Very late at night, this would be around like three or four in the morning, they would take myself and other girls into this room and they would perform medical exams," Hilton stated, adding, "They would have us lay on the table and put their fingers inside of us ... And now, looking back as an adult, that was definitely sexual abuse."
Additionally, Hilton said she experienced emotional and verbal abuse at the school. In the documentary, "This Is Paris," the actress and entrepreneur shares, "From the moment I woke up until I went to bed, it was all-day screaming in my face, yelling at me, continuous torture. The staff would say terrible things. They were constantly making me feel bad about myself and bully me" (via Vanity Fair).
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
The Hilton heiress' sex tape was leaked to the world
Following her harrowing experience at boarding school, Paris Hilton was violated again and again. One of the most brutal instances of this occurred after Paris made a sex tape with her much older boyfriend, Rick Salomon. Following the couple's breakup, Rick decided to turn the tape into revenge porn. He released 37 seconds of the clip in spite of the negative impact it would have on Paris.
In her book, "Paris: The Memoire," the hotel heiress recalled begging Rick not to make the tape public. However, apparently, he insisted that he "had every right to sell something that belonged to him – something that had a lot of financial value" (via USA Today).
For Paris, this response was devastating. As she explained in her book, "I felt like my life was over, and in many ways it was. Certainly, the career I had envisioned was no longer possible. Everything I wanted my brand to be, the trust and respect I was trying to rebuild with my parents, the sliver of self-worth I'd been able to recover – all that was instantly in ruins." Paris' mother, Kathy Hilton, was so upset by the tape that she refused to leave her bed, meanwhile Paris' brothers avoided looking her in the eye. The humiliation Paris experienced was overwhelming.
The young Conrad Hilton has been arrested again and again
Paris Hilton is not the only young Hilton to have become embroiled with scandal. The heiress' younger brother, Conrad Hilton, has also been involved in quite a few incidents over the years. Unlike his older sister, though, who was largely a victim of circumstance, Conrad has been known to create the scandals in which he's been involved.
As NBC News reported, Conrad was arrested in 2017 for allegedly stealing a Bentley belonging to his ex-girlfriend's father. He was also booked for having violated a restraining order that his former girlfriend had filed against him. During his arrest, the Daily Mail reported, Conrad screamed, "I'm Conrad motherf***ing Hilton, don't you forget it." He was also said to have shouted several racist and homophobic slurs.
This arrest was hardly the first time that Conrad has faced legal trouble. Per NBC News, the hotel heir spent two months in jail in 2016 after misusing drugs, including cocaine. He had also been arrested once at the residence of the same ex-girlfriend who filed the restraining order against him.