Michael Buckner
Over time, Paris Hilton’s name has intermittently surfaced alongside several prominent figures — from Jeffrey Epstein to Michael Jackson and Donald Trump. In a new interview with The Times published on November 15, she responded to questions about those associations.
Rumors have circulated that Ghislaine Maxwell once tried to court Hilton as a companion for Epstein — an allegation first amplified in the 2020 documentary Surviving Jeffrey Epstein, when an associate of Maxwell described seeing her take notice of the young Hilton at a party and suggest an introduction. The claim resurfaced in subsequent coverage, including reporting by Rolling Stone.
Hilton, now 44, told The Times she doesn’t recall meeting Maxwell and downplayed the attention: “I don’t even remember ever meeting her,” she said, adding that her name often gets dragged into sensational stories.
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while jailed awaiting trial on federal sex‑trafficking charges. He had earlier served 13 months for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Maxwell was later convicted and is serving a lengthy prison sentence.
The fallout around Epstein remained a live issue in 2025: at the time of the interview, the House of Representatives was preparing to vote on legislation that would require the Department of Justice to disclose its investigative files related to Epstein and his alleged network, according to contemporaneous reporting. The New York Times covered the developing congressional action.
Hilton also reflected on her longtime friendship with Michael Jackson, whom she described as “like an uncle.” She said she never observed behavior from Jackson that matched the allegations leveled against him and that, from her perspective, he was never the sort of person to cause harm.
Regarding Donald Trump — who, like Maxwell, appeared in photos from a 2000 fashion event — Hilton clarified her voting record. She said she did not vote for him in 2016 or in 2024, contradicting an earlier claim she had supported him; on the latter occasion she explained she “didn’t have time” to participate in the vote because she was traveling and relocating.
Hilton emphasized the hectic pace of her life during that period, citing frequent travel and major personal transitions as reasons she wasn’t closely tracking those stories.
