In 2018, Paris Hilton handed out bottles of her perfume and signature cushions as she visited survivors of the 2017 Mexican earthquake, a visit that now lives in online infamy for all the wrong reasons. The viral claim that Hilton kissed a woman’s belly, thinking she was pregnant, when she supposedly wasn’t, is said to be untrue. Reports confirm that the incident, which took place during a charity event in San Gregorio, was a heartfelt gesture toward a visibly pregnant woman. Major outlets, including the Daily Mail, confirmed the woman’s pregnancy.
The acclaimed media socialite, worth an estimated $400 million, knelt down, kissed the baby bump, then flashed a peace sign as cameras clicked. Yet years later, social media brewed its own tale: One Instagram post via@structuredmag mentioned:
A post shared by STRUCTURED (@structuredmag)
Some Reddit users echoed doubts, though others argued:
Hilton’s act came during her reported $350,000 donation drive to help rebuild the quake-hit city, which lost 370 lives and left thousands wounded. Dressed in patterned jeans and oversized shades, she stood like a modern-day heiress turned humanitarian.
Paris Hilton Once Explained the Truth Behind Her Fake Baby Bump and Surrogacy Journey
Years after that misunderstood moment, Paris Hilton peeled back another layer of her maternal story. In 2024, she opened up about her surrogacy experience in Paris: The Memoir (which was shared exclusively with Today), revealing how she tried to simulate pregnancy to feel connected to her unborn children.
I wanted to know what it felt like to be pregnant, so I bought a prosthetic stomach and wore it around the house for the day. I know that sounds crazy, but I wanted it to feel real — even in just this small way.
Hilton and her husband, Carter Reum, welcomed their son, Phoenix, in January 2023, and their daughter, London, that November, each carried by a separate surrogate. She confessed:
Feeling that weight on the front of me, running my hands over it, envisioning a whole life in front of us.
Though the faux bump helped ease her curiosity, Hilton later admitted she felt “silly” but fulfilled.
It didn’t matter that no one else could see that I was expecting. My emotional baby bump was real, it was precious, and I was so completely happy to know it was exactly where it needed to be.
Supported by Reum, she described being “afraid to breathe… like keeping your eye on two little baby birds in a nest — so fragile, so precious, and completely out of our hands.” After their February 2021 engagement, Hilton and Reum tied the knot in Los Angeles on November 11.
Paris Hilton Reflects on Her Grandfather’s Reaction to Her Wild Rise to Stardom
At The Information’s WTF Summit, Paris Hilton’s past met her present in one tender memory; her grandfather’s ultimate nod of pride. “I always really looked up to him,” she shared about Barron Hilton (via Parade), the late business magnate.
I saw what my great-grandfather and he did with the Hilton hotel brand, and that’s when I just thought of the power of a personal brand, and that I could do it as myself.
Then came the line that marked her arrival, as she confessed:
One day when I was having dinner with my grandpa, he said to me, ‘You know, I used to be known as Barron Hilton, but now I’m known as Paris Hilton’s grandpa.’
The audience laughed. Hilton smiled, proud yet humbled, and added:
Yeah, it’s something I’ll never forget — such a special moment for me. I’m just so proud of the hard work and everything that I’ve done, and always leaning into what I love, what I believe in, and what is going to make the world a more fun and sliving place.
Her journey from tabloid magnet to global entrepreneur has redefined fame itself. Once the face of early-2000s pop culture, Hilton now commands industries: beauty, music, tech, and philanthropy. The mother of two has carved her own empire from scratch, perfume by perfume, beat by beat, deal by deal.
The viral “belly kiss” claim may have aged like a meme, but Paris Hilton’s record proves otherwise; she’s long moved from heiress antics to heartfelt action. But what do you think? Did the internet jump to conclusions too fast? Drop your thoughts below!
