Paris Hilton has recently addressed the trauma and aftermath of her intimate video leak that occurred when she was 19 years old, stating, "When I was 19 years old, a private, intimate video of me was shared with the world without my consent. People called it a scandal. It wasn't. It was abuse".

Hilton, now 44, spoke on Capitol Hill alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Laurel Lee, endorsing the Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act, or DEFIANCE Act. This bill would allow victims of AI-generated, sexually explicit content to take legal action against those who create, distribute, and solicit it with the intent to distribute. The Senate already passed the bill unanimously on January 13, and Hilton appeared in Washington, D.C., to advocate for its passage in the House.

Hilton's experience with the leaked video, which was recorded by her then-boyfriend Rick Salomon, motivated her to support the DEFIANCE Act. In her 2024 memoir, Paris: The Memoir, Hilton wrote that she felt pressured to allow Salomon, who was much older, to record them. She admitted to using alcohol and quaaludes to prepare for it. By the time the video surfaced online, Hilton and Salomon had already broken up. Salomon released the video without her consent just before her first TV show was about to air.

During her speech, Hilton expressed that there were no laws to protect her at the time. She described the internet as new, as well as the cruelty that came with it. Hilton stated that she was called names and made into a punchline. She felt her pain was sold for clicks, and she was told to be quiet, move on, and even be grateful for the attention. Hilton said she donated the $400,000 she won from Salomon to charity after a countersuit related to the video's release.

Hilton drew a parallel between her experience and the current issue of sexually explicit AI-generated images being created and shared without consent, referring to deep-fake pornography as an epidemic. She emphasized that previously, a betrayal of trust was necessary to steal something real, but now, all it takes is a computer and a stranger's imagination.

Ocasio-Cortez noted that she and other lawmakers who support the bill have also been targeted with deep-fake pornographic content. Hilton hopes her advocacy will bring about change and offer protection to other women and girls facing similar violations.