Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are finally opening up about the rift that nearly ended their iconic friendship during the height of their fame. Appearing on the Call Her Daddy podcast, the duo discussed how sensationalized tabloid narratives played a central role in their fallout, which infamously forced them to film Season 4 of The Simple Life separately.
“Back then, the media was just so toxic,” said Hilton, now 43, as she recounted the relentless tabloid coverage that pitted the two against each other. “They loved starting feuds between people because, obviously, that sold tabloids.”
Richie echoed Hilton’s sentiment, blaming much of the drama on fabricated stories. “It was mostly the media just spinning things and creating drama that didn’t exist,” she said.
The duo also acknowledged their own shortcomings during that turbulent period. At just 23 and 24 years old, they lacked the communication skills necessary to navigate the rumors and pressure. “If we were hearing something, we would assume [it was true],” Richie admitted.
The feud was particularly surreal for Richie, who described it as “otherworldly” due to how public it became. With their disagreements spilling onto the set of The Simple Life, the tension was magnified. “It blew up to be so big that it became impossible to connect to or have any sort of real feeling around it,” she explained.
Fortunately, the rift didn’t last. The childhood friends reconciled in 2006 when Hilton extended an olive branch for Richie’s 25th birthday. Reflecting on their journey, Richie expressed deep regret over their falling out. “It makes me sad to think about a time without [my] friend,” she said.
Now closer than ever, Hilton and Richie are celebrating their renewed friendship and partnership by revisiting their reality TV roots. Their new series, The Simple Life: Encore, premieres December 12 on Peacock, promising fans a nostalgic trip back to the era of Paris and Nicole’s iconic antics.
Through candid reflections and shared experiences, Hilton and Richie’s story is a testament to the power of forgiveness and the enduring strength of childhood bonds.