Female Icons of the 2000s: Then and Now

#33: Paris Hilton Then

In the 2000s, Paris Hilton was everywhere — the original influencer before anyone knew what that meant. With her baby-voiced catchphrases, tiny dogs, and glittery nightlife, she turned fame itself into her art form. The Simple Life made her a household name and the prototype for every reality star that followed.

She wasn’t just famous for being famous — she was famous for inventing a new kind of fame. Paris mastered self-promotion long before social media existed, blurring the line between persona and person. Beneath the diamond-studded chaos was someone who completely understood how celebrity culture really worked.