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In April 2005, Hilton announced that she severed both personal and professional ties with Simple Life co-star Nicole Richie [6]. Neither party fully commented on the reason why, but insiders suggest the feud started when Richie played a copy of the "One night in Paris" sex tape at a party.
She was the subject of a South Park episode entitled "Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset" in which she opens a store called "Stupid Spoiled Whore" selling girls everything they need to emulate her, such as a perfume dubbed Skanque.
In November 2004, Hilton participated in Sean "P. Diddy" Combs' Vote or Die campaign, to encourage youths to vote in the Presidential election. She drew criticism when it was revealed she did not vote, nor had she even registered to do so. Ironically, she would somewhat fulfill her theoretical obligation to "die" when the promoters of her film, House of Wax, employed a "See Paris die" advertisement campaign, highlighting the death scene of her character in the film.
On February 19, 2005, the contents of Hilton's personal T-Mobile account were posted to the Internet.[7] They included phone numbers (which included many celebrities such as Nicky Hilton, Christina Aguilera, Fred Durst, Eminem, Lindsay Lohan, Alsou, Nicole Richie, Jay-Z, Anna Kournikova, Snoop Dogg, Andy Roddick, Kimberly Stewart, Avril Lavigne, Frankie Muniz, Ashlee Simpson), notes (with even more numbers and email addresses and reminders such as her date to host Saturday Night Live), and thirty-five digital snapshots. In two of the leaked photos, Hilton is standing topless next to the MTV Latin America's VJ Eglantina Zingg, whom she kisses. The images from the hacked phone can be seen at CallingParis.com. In other leaked videos, she is seen making out with celebrity lesbian Ingrid Casares and Playboy Playmate Nicole Lenz. [8]. Many of her notes showed heavy usage of Internet slang. Her address book can be viewed here [9].
Within days, it was revealed [10] that Hilton's account could be accessed by anyone guessing the answer to the "forgotten password" challenge question she chose: "What is your favorite pet's name?" As the answer to this question is a matter of public record, [11] an anonymous party was able to guess it and notify the press.
In 2004, Hilton was accused of using racial slurs. Carole Aye Maung, reporter for the British tabloid News of the World[12], said that she viewed a tape that showed Hilton and Tommy Hilfiger model Brandon Davis in conversation with two African-American men who asked Hilton if she would model for them. After the men left the scene, Hilton allegedly referred to them as "dumb niggers." Reports said the tape was originally discovered by Star Magazine. After these reports, Hilton issued a statement saying "I am deeply hurt by recent reports. Anyone who knows me knows that this is not me. I love everybody and am not a person who discriminates against anyone--ever." Later, Davis told The National Enquirer that Hilton frequently used the word "nigger" to refer to blacks and that she had "puts down Jews and other minorities, too." Davis said he ended his friendship with Hilton.[13][14]
Anothercontroversy involving Hilton was her appearance in a Carl's Jr. television advertisement, originally broadcast in May 2005. In the commercial, which introduces the restaurant's "Spicy BBQ Six Dollar Burger", Hilton wears a provocative swimsuit and soaps up a Bentley automobile and herself before taking a big bite out of the burger. According to Forbes Magazine, Carl's Jr. paid Hilton $400,000 for filming in this commercial.
This has drawn criticism from television watchdog groups, including the Parents Television Council. The research director for the PTC, Melissa Caldwell, says; "This commercial is basically soft-core porn. The way she moves, the way she puts her finger in her mouth - it's very suggestive and very titillating." The Los Angeles, California based group says they plan to mobilize their more than 1 million members to contact the restaurant chain and voice their concern.[15]
Andy Puzder, CEO of Carl's Jr., says the group needs to "get a life... This isn't Janet Jackson; there is no nipple in this. There is no nudity, there is no sex acts; it's a beautiful model in a swimsuit washing a car." Puzder was referring to the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy when he spoke of Jackson. Puzder says he showed the ad to his three children, ages 7 to 12, and says they weren't corrupted.
FOX News host Bill O'Reilly speculated that Hilton did not in fact eat the burgers she endorsed and was therefore dishonest, inviting her to come on his show The O'Reilly Factor and eat one of the burgers on the air in order to prove him wrong. Hilton has not thus far acknowledged the invitation.
In addition to featuring the ad on their website, Carl's Jr. has also built a separate site to play a longer version of the commercial. A similar ad with Hilton for Hardee's hamburger chain (also owned by Carl's Jr. parent corporation CKE Restaurants) aired in 2005.
Before this deal with Carl's Jr., Hilton lost out on a $750,000 multi-commercial deal with Burger King because the company did not feel her sexy image was a good fit with their brand.[16][17]
The ad was spoofed in the 2006 movie Date Movie.
On October 13, 2005, diamond heiress and actress Zeta Graff filed a lawsuit against Hilton for slander. The lawsuit alleges that Hilton deliberately gave a false story to The New York Post in order to humiliate Graff. Graff is seeking ten million dollars in damages.
According to the story as originally published in The New York Post, Graff confronted Hilton in the London nightclub Kabaret, tried to rip a diamond necklace off Hilton's neck, and had to be restrained and thrown out of the club by security [18]. It was later revealed that the story was only partially true. Graff and Hilton did meet in the nightclub that night, but had only a brief argument. Hilton tried to have Graff thrown out but the club's owner refused. Hilton and her friends left the club in protest while Graff remained behind.
In her deposition, Hilton denied planting the story in The New York Post and even claimed not to be aware of it until much later. However, Hilton's former publicist Robert Shuter gave sworn testimony that he and Paris worked together to create the story, and he was told by her to call The New York Post and give them the story as an anonymous source [19].