Hilton, an advocate against child abuse, says she is 'beyond grateful' to lawmakers sponsoring bill
Paris Hilton advocates for reforming troubled teen industry: ‘Turning my pain into a purpose’
Entrepreneur Paris Hilton and Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., discuss their efforts to reform the troubled teen industry with a new bill that aims to help states prevent and treat child abuse.
American media personality and businesswoman Paris Hilton gave separate shoutouts online to the Republican and Democratic senators who are supporting the bipartisan Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act.
"To the 10 republican senators co-sponsoring the #StopInstitutionalChildAbuseAct, thank you," Hilton posted Monday on X. "I am beyond grateful for you this holiday season."
Hilton tagged Republican Sens. John Cornyn, Shelley Capito, Katie Britt, Thom Tillis, Tommy Tuberville, Susan Collins, Markwayne Mullin, Cynthia Lummis, Roger Marshall and Pete Ricketts in her post.
PARIS HILTON DETAILS TRAUMA, ABUSE AT ‘TROUBLED TEEN’ FACILITY
To the 10 republican senators co-sponsoring the #StopInstitutionalChildAbuseAct, thank you💖I am beyond grateful for you this holiday season @JohnCornyn @SenCapito @SenKatieBritt @SenThomTillis @TTuberville @SenatorCollins @SenMullin @SenLummis @RogerMarshallMD @PeteRicketts pic.twitter.com/PelDTZ3RjH
— ParisHilton (@ParisHilton) November 20, 2023
The bicameral bill, authored by Cornyn, Tuberville, Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Rep. Earl Carter, R-Ga., was introduced April 27. It aims to provide stronger oversight for residential youth treatment programs to identify and prevent child abuse.
In another post, Hilton thanked the seven Democrats for co-sponsoring the bill, which is now in committee.
I am so grateful to @SenJeffMerkley @SenatorLujan @SenTinaSmith @SenLummis @SenBlumenthal @SenatorHassan @SenAngusKing @PattyMurray who are co-sponsoring the #StopInstitutionalChildAbuseAct, thank you for prioritizing and protecting children 💖 pic.twitter.com/dnyo9y7Ue8
— ParisHilton (@ParisHilton) November 20, 2023
Hilton, an advocate of the bill since its inception, alleged in a New York Times video op-ed series last year that she was a victim of sexual abuse as a teenager in the '90s, when she attended a boarding school in Utah.
She said she was the victim of a "parent-approved kidnapping" when she was a misbehaving 16-year-old, with two men dragging her out of her home and into a congregate-care facility.
PARIS HILTON SPOTTED AT WHITE HOUSE FOR MEETING ON CHILD ABUSE LAW
Actress and model Paris Hilton shakes hands with Sen. Jeff Merkley at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol Building on April 27, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker)
"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 said in the interview. "It wasn’t even with a doctor, it was a couple of different staff members, where they would have us lay on the table and put their fingers inside of us."
Hilton later said she realized as an adult it was sexual abuse.
‘PARENTS, DO YOU AGREE?’ BIDEN ALARMS WITH ASSERTION THERE'S ‘NO SUCH THING AS SOMEONE ELSE’S CHILD'
Sen. Tommy Tuberville speaks at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol Building on April 27, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker)
In an interview with Fox News earlier this year, Hilton said she was "doing everything I can in my power to fight for these children because these are children who come from families that can't help and support them, and children from the juvenile justice system, foster care system."
"And they have no voice," she said.
Paris Hilton, an advocate of the bill since its inception, alleged in a New York Times video op-ed series last year that she was a victim of sexual abuse as a teenager when she attended a boarding school in Utah. (Bob Kupbens)
Fox News' Madeline Coggins contributed to this report.
Jamie Joseph is a writer who covers politics. She leads Fox News Digital coverage of the Senate.
