Paris Hilton Says She Bonded with Britney Spears Over the ‘Cruel’ Realities of Fame: ‘It Has Made Us Both Strong’

Aside from being decades-long besties, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears connect over their shared experiences.

On Thursday, Jan. 29, Hilton made an appearance on I’ve Never Said This Before with Tommy DiDario and opened up about the “shared trauma” she and other celebrity women experienced in the early 2000s.

“I was just with Britney a few weeks ago for her birthday in Mexico and we were just talking about how cruel and mean-spirited people were back then,” Hilton, 44, said. “And she is someone that can relate to that. Very few people can. It has made us both so strong.”

Later on in the conversation, Hilton expanded on the topic after she was asked what advice she would give her younger self.

“Back then it was entertainment to tear down women. It was very isolating. If I were to go back and speak to my younger self I would say, ‘Paris you’re going to go through a lot in life and sometimes its going to be so difficult and scary and hard but one day its going to be worth it,'” she said.

She added, “Because you’re going to inspire millions of people, you’re going to create a blueprint and turn your pain into your purpose and help save the lives of children, women and survivors all around the world.”

Hilton and Spears’ relationship dates back to their early 20s — and they’ve spoken about their friendship numerous times over the years.

In November 2024, Hilton celebrated the 18th anniversary of the day she and the “Circus” singer, who’s also 44, “invented the selfie.”

Meanwhile, in Spears’ 2023 memoir The Woman in Me, the singer-songwriter reflected on her friendship with Hilton, writing, “It was never as wild as the press made it out to be” and she thanked the heiress for her years of friendship.

That same year, Hilton told PEOPLE that she was “so proud” of Spears for “telling her story” in the memoir.

“I know how hard it can be doing a memoir because you have to really dive in and think about so many moments in your life that I’m sure you don’t even want to think about,” she explained. “But it is truly such a healing experience, and writing my book, [Paris: The Memoir], has changed my life in so many ways.”

She added, “I am just proud of what a strong woman she is.”

Hilton appeared on I’ve Never Said This Before with Tommy DiDario to promote her new documentary, Infinite Icon: A Visual Memoir, which premieres on Friday, Jan. 30. In December, she told PEOPLE it was about “inspiring others to be authentic and to own their narrative and to make a difference in the world.”