As I stood by the pool of the Setai Hotel in Miami, sipping a lychee martini, word went round our circle that Paris Hilton wished to leave for the beach. It sounded like a simple request ? but nothing is ever simple where Paris is concerned.The heiress had decreed her ‘exit’ was, like so many trivial moments in her life, a photo opportunity.
Within minutes she had phoned half a dozen journalists and photographers and told them where she was and what she was planning to do. Others in her entourage did the same: “Paris Hilton is at the Setai and she’s about to leave. Get down here straight away.” As if from nowhere, two hair and beauty stylists appeared and slipped behind a partition with Paris. She re-emerged 15 minutes later, primped and preened within an inch of her life.
Then, with one more check of her appearance and a glance to make sure the paparazzi were in place, she fixed her smile and stepped out to face the swarm of photographers.
As a celebrity publicist, I’ve worked with a lot of famous people and encountered plenty of colossal egos, but I have yet to meet anyone who manipulates the system quite like Paris Hilton.