Paris Hilton reveals what made her 2000s media era ‘so extremely painful’

Paris Hilton is getting real about her mental health, and this time, she’s shining a light on a side of ADHD that she said was “so, so extremely painful” to experience. In an upcoming episode of Lauryn and Michael Bosstick’s Dear Media podcast “The Him & Her Show,” Hilton sat down for a wide-ranging conversation that delves into her childhood experience with ADHD and how it impacted her long before she had a name for it. The episode is set to air on January 26, and Paris Hilton revealed that she wasn’t officially diagnosed until her late 20s, meaning she spent much of her childhood and adulthood trying to deal with symptoms she didn’t fully understand.

During the conversationThe “Simple Life” star opened up about rejection sensitive dysphoria, also known as RSD, which she described as a common experience among people living with ADHD. Rejection sensitivity dysphoria occurs when a person feels “intense emotional pain related to rejection,” and Hilton admitted she’s battled this emotional spiral firsthand.

Hilton said she suffered from symptoms of RSD, which she described as “almost like a demon in your mind, it’s like giving yourself negative self-talk.” She also admitted that she didn’t realize what she was experiencing until later, saying she “didn’t even know what she was experiencing.” [RSD] that was before,” but after speaking to “so many people” with ADHD, she learned that others face the same struggles.

Hilton explained that connecting with people who share similar experiences has been “helpful,” especially after living her most public years under constant surveillance. “I’ve been through so much in my life, and especially in the 2000s, everything I was experiencing with the media and having this RSD with ADHD, it was so, so painful,” she said.

Hilton’s latest comments aren’t the first time she’s spoken openly about ADHD. In fact, she’s leaning into it more and more and even reframing it as something that helped shape the person she is today. “I wouldn’t be the person I am today without it,” Hilton said. PEOPLE in an October 2025 interview.

At the time, Hilton teamed up with experts Sarah Greenberg and Dr. Andrew Kahn for a YouTube series called “Inclusive by Design,” focused on creating accessibility in the home and workplace for people with ADHD. Hilton said she wanted the series to be practical, but also personal, and to help others feel less alone.

“I really wanted to share strategies and different things that I’ve learned while managing my ADHD, both in my personal and professional life, and I really hope that by sharing my experiences it can help reduce the stigma of ADHD and make neurodiversity accessible,” Hilton said. “I just saw how many people who think differently feel so alone, so I really wanted to create space and just show how I accept and leverage my ADHD, and they can too.”

Hilton also described how she felt isolated when experiencing ADHD symptoms as a child, particularly at school, and how she often internalized them as if there was something wrong with her. “For me, growing up, no one talked about ADHD,” Hilton said, explaining this when she was in school. “It was very difficult for me to remember certain things. I constantly lost my homework and got in trouble with teachers.”

“I just felt like something was wrong with me and I was just sad, but then I would just mask it or, like, kind of try to act like nothing was wrong inside,” she continued. “I was going through so many emotions, and after talking to so many other people with ADHD, I can totally understand it now. It’s exhausting to have to do this and feel this way.”

Although Hilton has made it clear that the emotional side of ADHD has taken a toll on her, she also says that she’s finally reached a point where she can better understand herself and even accept what makes her different.

Now, she says, “I’m learning so much and I just wish I knew everything I know now, when I was a kid and growing up in school, but I’m doing this for the little girl in me… now I see it as a superpower, and I wouldn’t be the person I am today without it. I’m such a creator. I’m constantly thinking of new ideas.”