Paris Hilton Set to 'Reclaim Her Narrative' By Producing Docuseries on '00s 'Toxic' Tabloid Culture

Do you think you know enough about 2000s pop culture? Wait, till Paris Hilton shows you her side of the story. The 43-year-old's 11:11 media production acquired rights to Sarah Ditum's book Toxic: Women, Fame, and the Tabloid 2000s into a docuseries throwing light on the "sexist, exploitative tabloid culture" between 2000-2010 that pushed women to the edge, including herself. 

The mother of two would explore the lives of nine female celebrities from the early '00s- Hilton herself, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Aaliyah, Janet Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Kim Kardashian, Chyna, and Jennifer Aniston. The pop culture misogyny that was prevalent back then tested the limits of these women's endurance concerning their celebrity status. 

The 11:11 Media officially announced,  "The book explores their battles with fame, their efforts to control their own narratives, and their various degrees of success and failure in doing so. Ditum portrays her subjects as nuanced individuals confronting the challenges of celebrity amid a 'ruthless and rapidly evolving media environment.'" 

Hilton told Variety, "When I discovered Toxic, I was immediately taken by the depth of Sarah's dedication, research, and writing. Sarah's work inspired me to envision Toxic as a documentary series where we can provide a platform for similar stories of those who had to navigate intense public scrutiny, so they can reclaim their narrative from a time when they had little control." 

The former New York Daily News gossip columnist Ben Widdicombe and the author of Gatecrasher: How I Helped the Rich Become Famous and Ruin the World, recalled, "It was blatant, horrifying misogyny [in the 2000s]. I'm glad it's being re-evaluated. I think it has to be," as per The Guardian. 

Hilton, to begin with, was subjected to extreme public humiliation after her notorious ex-boyfriend Rick Salomon sold their 2001 sex tape as he signed the deal through Vivid Entertainment titled 1 Night in Paris. After fighting for her innocence for years, she settled her lawsuit against Saloman (who also sued her for defamation) for a reported $400K.

Meanwhile, her ex-stylist turned reality TV star Kardashian was in the same boat few years down the line. However, in her case, her ex-boyfriend and partner in the sex tape alleged  2007 Superstar sex tape as her ex-boyfriend Ray J alleged in 2020 that they both signed $400K contracts with Vivid Entertainment. But similar to Hilton, the SKIMS mogul also maintained her innocence. 

Widdicombe recounted the inhumane treatment 'Princess of Pop' Spears and other women of 2000's received. "The media was incredibly cruel to Britney and other women at the time. It was a great moral failing of the tabloid press, that we did that. And I unfortunately was a cog in that machine," he admitted. 

He also confessed that at one point, he feared for their lives. "I was seriously worried that either Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton or Britney Spears would die. Britney had mental health problems, Lindsay had a drug problem and Paris was known to drink and drive. And the media would pretend to hand-wring in sorrow, but actually their deaths would make a lot of money for them." 

With the docuseries, Hilton would tell the story from her perspective and the author of the book, Ditum, is thrilled to be a part of it. "Toxic was always intended to put the women I write about back at the heart of their own stories. I'm incredibly excited for what they'll bring to the next stage of Toxic."