Paris Hilton on Why She Chose Surrogacy for Her Children

From Party Icon to Motherhood Matriarch

Paris Hilton has spent decades under the spotlight as a media personality, reality TV pioneer, and heiress to the Hilton empire. But now, she’s entering a new phase — one that’s less about red carpets and more about bottle feedings and bedtime stories. In a heartfelt interview with Romper, Hilton opened up about motherhood, surrogacy, trauma, and how her glamorous past starkly contrasts with her quiet, private journey into family life.

In November 2023, Paris and her husband Carter Reum welcomed their second child, daughter London Marilyn Hilton Reum, via surrogate. The couple’s first child, son Phoenix, also arrived via surrogacy earlier that year, in January. But few knew either child was on the way — not even some of Hilton’s closest relatives.

A Thanksgiving Surprise: How Paris Kept Her Family Planning Quiet

In classic Hilton fashion — but with a twist — Paris chose to make a dramatic reveal of baby London’s arrival during Thanksgiving. But instead of a public social media announcement, she kept things intimate, surprising her extended family in person.

“My life has been so public, so out there. I didn’t want my son coming into this world with any negative energy,” she told Romper. “I’m really happy I did it that way, just for Carter and I to have that journey together without the outside world chirping in.”

Despite being known for living life in front of the camera, Hilton took the opposite approach when it came to motherhood. The decision to keep both pregnancies private represents a radical shift — a boundary between her public brand and her private life as a mom.

Dreaming of a Daughter: Meeting London Marilyn

Hilton always imagined having a daughter — someone to share cute outfits, tea parties, and “mommy-and-me” activities with.

“I always imagined my mini-me, putting her in little dresses and all the mommy-and-me things we could do together,” she said, beaming. “Just having my little best friend.”

Although her mother Kathy Hilton and sister Nicky Hilton Rothschild were aware that Paris and Carter were expecting a second child, the timing of the birth remained secret until the big Thanksgiving surprise.

Her fans, the media, and most of her inner circle remained unaware, even as Hilton maintained her usual high-profile schedule, making appearances, launching new projects, and promoting her various brands.

Why Paris Hilton Chose Surrogacy

Past Trauma and PTSD: A Driving Factor

One of the most poignant revelations in Hilton’s interview is the role of past trauma in her decision to use a surrogate. For years, Paris has been vocal about the abuse she endured as a teenager while attending Provo Canyon School, a residential facility in Utah.

“I just have so much PTSD from what I went through as a teenager,” Hilton admitted. “If I’m in a doctor’s office, I get a shot, anything, I will literally have a panic attack and I can’t breathe.”

She detailed how the mere thought of medical procedures or childbirth caused her extreme anxiety, which she feared would be harmful for both her and the baby if she were to carry the child herself.

“I just knew that would not be healthy for me or the baby, growing inside of someone who has such high anxiety,” she explained. Surrogacy, then, was not just a convenience — it was a medical necessity for her mental well-being.

The Healing Power of Choice

By choosing surrogacy, Hilton reclaimed control over a body and mind that had once been subjected to trauma beyond her consent. It allowed her to become a mother on her own terms — and in a way that safeguarded her health, both physically and mentally.

In doing so, she also contributed to destigmatizing surrogacy, a process still often misunderstood by the public. Her honesty gives voice to women who may face invisible barriers to traditional childbirth — especially those whose trauma lives on in the body.

Navigating Motherhood: Paris Hilton’s New Priorities

From Nightclubs to Nap Time

Known in the 2000s as one-third of the “Holy Trinity” of nightlife royalty — alongside Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan — Hilton’s current priorities would have been unrecognizable to her 20-something self.

“I used to look at my friends who’d be like, ‘Oh, I have to go home to my kids and my husband,’ like, ‘You’re so lame. This is so fun. I can’t imagine being like that,’” she laughed. “Now I’m one of those boring people, and I couldn’t be happier. I couldn’t imagine it any other way.”

Hilton no longer craves the club lights or celebrity galas that once defined her brand. Instead, she embraces early mornings, soft lullabies, and quiet family time.

“This is my best era yet,” she said, calling this chapter her “mom era.”

The ‘Cutesy Crew’: A New Family Identity

Paris now refers to her household as “the cutesy crew,” a playful nod to the close-knit, affectionate vibe she’s worked hard to cultivate. From matching outfits to quiet time at home, Hilton and Reum are focused on building a world of love, calm, and stability for their children.

It’s a stark contrast to the chaos and overexposure that once marked Paris’s early years in Hollywood — and it seems she’s deliberately working to ensure her children don’t repeat her experiences.

Raising Children in the Spotlight (or Not)

Keeping the Entertainment Industry at Arm’s Length

One of Hilton’s most surprising stances is her strong disinterest in having her kids follow in her entertainment-industry footsteps. Despite her own success as a media personality, she now views the spotlight with a much more protective lens.

“I’m hoping that they want to be scientists,” she said of Phoenix and London, only half-joking. “It’s a scary world out there, especially today. I’m just terrified when they become teenagers.”

Hilton’s experience as a child star, as well as the trauma she’s unpacked in her documentary This Is Paris and her memoir Paris: The Memoir, seem to have deeply informed her approach to parenting.

Her own childhood — often structured around image, fame, and expectations — left her with a desire to give her kids something entirely different: privacy, autonomy, and a chance at normalcy.

A Strict Parenting Style

“I’ll probably be really strict,” Hilton admitted, surprising many who associate her with wild, rebellious fun. But the future she envisions for her kids is firmly rooted in safety and protection.

“I just want them to be happy and to grow up in a safe, loving environment,” she added. That includes shielding them from fame, limiting social media exposure, and being present in their day-to-day lives.

Public Perception vs. Private Reality

Rewriting the Narrative

Paris Hilton has long been misunderstood. For years, the media treated her as a superficial party girl. But recent years have revealed a far more complex portrait: a woman who endured childhood trauma, built an empire, and is now reshaping her life on her own terms.

In her memoir, Hilton reveals that the “dumb blonde” persona she perfected on The Simple Life was a coping mechanism — a shield. Now, as a mother, she’s peeling away those layers to reveal her truest self.

Becoming a mother has allowed her to live outside of her brand. No longer bound by tabloid expectations, she gets to define what it means to be Paris Hilton — and that version involves diaper changes and bedtime stories more than diamonds and drama.

Love Over Legacy

Although Hilton comes from a famously wealthy and influential family, her focus now is not on dynasty but on love. Rather than grooming Phoenix and London to carry on the Hilton name in the spotlight, she seems more interested in raising kind, curious children with normal lives.

“Everything I do now is for them,” she told Romper. “They are my everything.”

Surrogacy, Stigma, and Advocacy

Redefining Motherhood

Hilton’s candid admission of her surrogacy journey — and the trauma that prompted it — adds an important voice to a conversation that’s still steeped in taboo. Surrogacy is often treated as an “alternative” or “celebrity-only” route to parenthood, rather than a legitimate and necessary medical option for many.

By normalizing her use of a surrogate and openly sharing the mental health reasons behind it, Hilton creates space for others to do the same without shame.

She also pushes back against traditional notions of motherhood — that it must involve carrying the baby — and emphasizes that parenting is about love, effort, and presence, not biology.

Advocacy Through Transparency

Paris has slowly become a powerful advocate for mental health and abuse survivors. Her testimony against the troubled teen industry led to legislative changes in Utah and sparked national conversations about reform in “behavioral treatment” facilities for teens.

Now, she continues her advocacy in a quieter but equally impactful way — by showing that trauma survivors can become nurturing, protective parents who build safe homes.

Conclusion: Paris Hilton’s Reinvention Is Her Most Powerful Yet

Paris Hilton’s transition from nightlife icon to devoted mother isn’t just a personal transformation — it’s a cultural one. Her openness about surrogacy, trauma, and motherhood challenges outdated ideas of what it means to be a woman, a celebrity, and a parent.

She’s no longer chasing headlines; she’s chasing bedtime stories, baby giggles, and quiet Thanksgiving moments.

And in doing so, she’s setting a new kind of example — one where healing, honesty, and love define the legacy she passes on to her children.