Kathy Hilton’s friendship with the Kardashian-Jenner family goes way back — even before their reality TV days.
“Well, Kris [Jenner] and I were friends,” Hilton, 66, said on the Wednesday, July 23, episode of “Call Her Daddy,” adding that they had known each other for “years” back “when the girls were little girls.”
She continued: “We had done some charity things together, and so Caitlyn [Jenner], Kris, [husband] Rick [Hilton] and I — we would go on trips together and go to New York, Las Vegas … you name it. The four of us and a couple of other people would hang out, go down to the desert.”
As the adults got “really close,” so did their children. Kathy and Rick share daughters Paris and Nicky Hilton. When Kris and Caitlyn wed in 1991, Caitlyn became a stepparent to Kim, Kourtney, Khloé and Rob Kardashian. Kris and Caitlyn, who divorced in 2014, later welcomed daughters Kendall and Kylie Jenner.
Like most young adults, Kris and Kathy’s kids went off to do their own things. However, when Paris got the offer to do The Simple Life with pal Nicole Richie, Kathy had the idea to bring Kim into the fold.
“I called Kris one day and I said, ‘Paris is starting this TV show and she needs somebody that can be with her and organize her.’ I thought it would be a great opportunity for Kim and Paris to have fun together,” she recalled. “I know that she’ll make sure Paris gets here on time and I just wanted Paris to have someone.”
Kathy explained that when she brought the idea up to Kris, she was instantly on board.
A$AP Rocky, Kathy Hilton, Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for LACMA
“We kind of set up this playdate, and she said, ‘I love it!’ So the girls ran around the world together and had a blast,” the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star said.
After being by Paris’ side in the early 2000s, Kim’s career took off as she and her family got their own reality series. Kim previously credited Paris for helping her get to where she is today.
“I am really grateful for my experiences with her,” Kim said of Paris to E! True Hollywood Story in 2019. “She’s a huge, huge reason [for] my success.”
Kathy Hilton kept her distance from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills until season 11, but that didn’t mean her rocky relationship with Kyle Richards wasn’t a topic of discussion on the Bravo series. When RHOBH premiered in 2010, Kyle was joined by sister Kim Richards — and by the end of the season, the […]
Despite their successes as a pair, the women’s friendship seemingly fizzled as they went on to live their own lives. However, the duo reunited in 2014 at designer Riccardo Tisci’s birthday party. Following the run-in, Kim shared a throwback photo of her and Paris.
“Reminiscing about the 1st time we went to Ibiza in 2006! @parishilton it was so good to see you & catch up!! Loves it lol,” she wrote via Instagram.
Since then, Kim and Paris have become close again as they’ve attended countless events together, from holiday parties to Paris’ wedding to husband Carter Reum.
