Paris Hilton & Nicole Richie: Queens of the 2000’s (FBF)
Alex Cooper hosts Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie on Call Her Daddy, where they discuss their lifelong friendship since age two, their wild 2000s experiences, and the announcement of a three-part Simple Life reunion series marking the show's 20th anniversary. The conversation covers childhood mischief, paparazzi trauma, iconic nights out, and how their friendship evolved through media-manufactured drama.
Summary
Alex Cooper sits down with Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie on Call Her Daddy for a wide-ranging conversation about their decades-long friendship and the upcoming Simple Life reunion. The two reveal they have known each other since they were two years old, sharing the same piano teacher, tap recital, and orchestra instructor (Mr. Houser), and were treated so inseparably that they were only allowed to sleep at each other's houses growing up due to strict parents.
The conversation dives into childhood memories, including their trips to Las Vegas as young as 11-13, where Nicole would lie to both parents about her whereabouts to sneak away. They recounted sneaking into a Starlight Express musical, taking taxis to pet stores to buy ferrets and chinchillas to smuggle back to California, and ultimately getting caught by Las Vegas police on New Year's Eve after claiming to be 15 (thinking that sounded old). Nicole's father, Lionel Richie, famously screamed at them upon being called to retrieve them.
They discussed their romantic histories, with Nicole sharing the story of her first real boyfriend whose AOL name was 'Playa4Life,' who cheated on her on the Peter Pan ride at Disneyland. She described orchestrating an elaborate conference call to get him to confess. Both acknowledged being cheated on, with Paris noting she often found out via TMZ, and explaining she ghosts rather than confronts exes. Nicole described working herself up to confront a girl at a party, only to be flicked across the room before she could act.
Iconic 2000s memories included Nicole wearing her ball python Cleopatra as a neck accessory while roller-skating through clubs in wheeled shoes with Paris, and their strict schedule of weekly club nights (Josephs on Mondays, Las Palmas on Wednesdays, Concord or LAX on Thursdays). They also revealed their childhood-written song and their AOL screen names — Nicole's was 'BallerinaGirlNR' (which friends misread as 'BallerInAGirl') and Paris had 'BeautifulBlondeBABYGirl,' 'PrincessPH,' and 'Barbie420.'
On the topic of paparazzi, both shared traumatic experiences. Nicole described being hospitalized after a crash involving paparazzi when her son was six weeks old, and reflected on accepting treatment in her 20s that she would never tolerate now. Paris described living on Kings Road above Sunset Plaza with 20 cars chasing her at 100 mph and strangers jumping her gate and going through her trash.
Regarding their well-publicized falling out during Season 4 of The Simple Life, both attributed it primarily to toxic 2000s media manufacturing feuds between women, combined with their own lack of communication skills at the time. Nicole noted it makes her sad to think about time without her friend, and both emphasized the importance of check-ins in relationships.
The Simple Life reunion came about organically over Christmas texting, sparked by Paris receiving a DM from Braxton — the three-year-old boy from the original show — announcing he had passed the bar exam. The two spent about two weeks privately discussing what a 20th anniversary celebration could look like before involving anyone else. The three-part reunion series will include a return trip to Arkansas, and Paris plans to travel on her newly rebranded 'Sliving Air' plane.
Key Insights
- Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton have been friends since age two and were treated as a single unit by their parents, only allowed to sleep at each other's houses, and always dressed as twins by their mothers.
- Nicole Richie attributes their Season 4 Simple Life falling out primarily to 2000s media toxicity manufacturing celebrity feuds, combined with their own lack of communication skills as young women in their 20s — not a significant personal betrayal.
- The Simple Life reunion was sparked by Paris receiving a DM from Braxton, the toddler from the original show, who had just passed the bar exam — prompting Paris and Nicole to privately discuss a 20th anniversary project for about two weeks before involving anyone else.
- Paris Hilton described living under near-constant paparazzi surveillance on Kings Road, including being chased at 100 mph by 20 cars, having strangers jump her gate, and people going through her trash — experiences she describes as creating intense paranoia.
- Nicole Richie was hospitalized after a paparazzi-related car crash when her son was just six weeks old, and reflects that she accepted mistreatment in her 20s she would never tolerate now due to not knowing how to enforce boundaries.
- Nicole Richie described a childhood pattern of lying to both divorced parents simultaneously — telling her mom she was at her dad's and vice versa — in order to join the Hilton family on Las Vegas trips as young as 11.
- Nicole Richie's AOL screen name 'BallerinaGirlNR' was misread by a group of friends as 'BallerInAGirl' for an entire hour, and Paris Hilton's screen names included 'BeautifulBlondeBABYGirl,' 'PrincessPH,' and 'Barbie420,' which she describes as reflective of her genuine self-confidence.
- Nicole Richie wore her ball python Cleopatra as a choker necklace while roller-skating through clubs alongside Paris in wheeled shoes — a recurring activity she describes as their most iconic era, noting the shoes were useful for escaping unwanted male attention.
Topics
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