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 putting a spotlight on a side of ADHD she says was “so, so extremely painful” to live with. On 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 dives into her experience growing up with ADHD and how it impacted her long before she ever 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 early adulthood trying to navigate symptoms she didn’t fully understand.

During the conversation, the "Simple Life" star opened up about rejection-sensitive dysphoria, also known as RSD, which she described as a common experience for people living with ADHD. Rejection sensitivity dysphoria is when someone feels “intense emotional pain related to rejection,” and Hilton admitted she has battled that emotional spiral firsthand.

Hilton said she dealt with symptoms of RSD, which she described as "almost like a demon in your mind that is like saying negative self-talk to you." She also admitted she didn’t even realize what she was experiencing until later, saying she "didn't even know what [RSD] was before," but after talking to "so many people" with ADHD, she learned that others deal with the same struggles.

Hilton explained that connecting with people who share similar experiences has been “helpful,” especially after living through her most public years under constant scrutiny. "I've been through so many things in my life, and especially in the 2000s, just everything I was going through with the media and suffering from this RSD with ADHD, it was like so, so extremely painful," she said.

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

At the time, Hilton teamed up with experts Sarah Greenberg and Dr. Andrew Kahn for a YouTube series titled "Inclusive by Design," which centered on creating accessibility at home and in the 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 just really wanted to share strategies and different things that I've learned from managing my ADHD, both in my personal and professional life, and I really hope by sharing my experiences it can help reduce the stigma of ADHD and make neurodiversity relatable,” Hilton said. “I've just seen how so many people who think differently feel so alone, so I really wanted to create space and just show how I'm embracing and harnessing my ADHD, and they can, too."

Hilton also described how isolating it felt to experience ADHD symptoms as a kid, especially in school, and how she often internalized it as something being “wrong” with her. “For me growing up, like no one was talking about ADHD,” Hilton said, explaining that when she was in school. "It was so difficult for me to remember things. I would constantly lose my homework get in trouble with the teachers.”

“I just felt like something was wrong with me and I'd just be sad, but then I would just mask or, like, kind of try to act like nothing's wrong on the inside," she continued. "I was just going through so many emotions, and after speaking to so many others with ADHD, I can totally understand it now. It's exhausting having to do that and to feel that way.”

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

Now, she says, “I'm learning so much and I just wish that I knew all I know now, back when I was a kid 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 that I am today without it. I'm such a creator. I'm constantly thinking of new ideas."

And with her upcoming podcast appearance, Hilton is once again using her platform to highlight what ADHD can look like behind the scenes, especially for people who spent years believing they were simply “too much,” too sensitive, or struggling in silence.

Paris Hilton's appearance on Lauryn and Michael Bosstick’s Dear Media podcast "The Him & Her Show" will be released on January 26.