Whatever Happened To Nicky Hilton?
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Nicky Hilton was an "It Girl" in the '90s. She was just a teenager — the shy, twinning accomplice to 18-year-old sister Paris Hilton's ditzy brand of bombshell. She was born super rich. She never had a sex tape. And she was invoking the kind of gossip usually reserved for, say, someone of legal age.
Hamptons Magazine publisher Jason Binn told Vanity Fair, "They live very colorful lives. They're little stars. They've become names. To them it's like a job. I believe they wake up every morning and say, OK, where am I supposed to be tonight?" Hilton was practically born in the glare of the paparazzi's flashbulbs, a series of flattering poses at the ready, and all the riches of the world laid out before her.
So what ever happened to Paris's kid sister? With a family full of drama, and a bottomless bank account, we're dying to find out what this fascinating heiress is up to now.
She was dealing with her crazy ex-husband
Back in 2004, the Hilton sisters were sizzling on the party circuit. In August of that year, they hit Vegas for a weekend with pals Nicole Richie, Bijou Phillips, and Lindsay Lohan. It was a splashy trip full of strip clubs, hotel pool parties, and Nicky Hilton's impromptu 2:30 a.m. wedding to childhood friend, NYC money-manager Todd Meister. "It was a beautiful, small wedding with an amazing energy," friend Jeff Beacher, who stood as best man, told People. "The two of them are very much in love."
Another close friend, Ginny Donahue shared in the article, "I think Todd and Nicky share the same philosophy — live for the moment." And in this case, the timeline for that moment was "date for three months, get the marriage annulled after six weeks."
Even though the pair had been split up for years, The New York Post reported in 2012 that Meister was still attempting to make contact with Hilton. According to the article, he initiated emails with Hilton while he was in a romantic relationship with Renata Shamrakova, sending intimate messages such as, "I can't look, I'm so blind. Lost my heart, I lost my mind without you without...you!" If those words ring a bell, they're the lyrics to Usher's "Without You." But having just moved to New York that year to be with the man of her dreams, who would later become her husband, we're betting Hilton had better things to do than to reply to needy exes.
Her Nicky O hotels were a total flop
"People want to be part of Hollywood and feel like they're in the 'in' crowd. Nicky brings that," Robert Falor, president of Falor Cos, the developers in charge of converting existing structures into signature Nicky O hotels, told the Miami Herald in 2006. The "O" was for "Olivia", Hilton's middle name. Hilton said in the same interview, "I want to bring a fashion element to the hotel, because that's what I do. I think it's definitely going to bring a trendy, fashionable person who's coming into town to have fun."
A grand idea from the heiress to a hotel fortune — one that would never find its footing. The venture, with projected locations in Chicago and Miami, would go bankrupt by 2007, less than a year after plans were announced.
According to Chicago Business, Falor Group then filed a lawsuit against Hilton, claiming she didn't promote the hotels and hired out design they felt she should have done herself. The two properties stalled in development and were later sold at auction – a no go, for Nicky O.
She was busy writing a fashion guide
"It all started because I, like many girls, wake up in the morning, look at a closet full of stuff, and feel like I have nothing to wear," Nicky Hilton shared with WhoWhatWear. "I am numbers person, and found that there are pretty much six main silhouettes I wear each season and five main accessories. The 365 method has really helped me to have a more orderly closet filled with things I am actually going to wear."
Hilton's insider-wardrobe guide, 365 Style hit shelves in fall of 2014. Her signature method helps streamline the often anxiety-inducing process of getting dressed, based on your personal preferences — and yeah, a little "3-6-5" math. According to an interview with Hamptons zine Dan's Papers, Hilton assures, "You can learn to be stylish, but it should be effortless. I think style is being unique and coming up with your own signature look...not chasing every trend."
Describing her own style as "sophisticated with an edge," Hilton confessed to a fashion fail when she was younger. "I wouldn't say I regret it, but my sister and I used to love dressing alike. I'm sure there are a lot of photos you can find. I look back on that and find it funny," WhoWhatWear revealed. Considering the fashion icon has never hired a stylist, you know Hilton has put in the time working this out for herself, and for us.
She was falling in love
It was a match made in trust fund heaven. Even her husband enjoys the luxuries of old family money, although he does currently hold a CEO position in his family's financial business. You might think Nicky Hilton's the one with the hook-ups, but 31-year-old James Rothschild comes from one of the richest families on earth. Having made their fortune in banking and finance, the Rothschilds are rumored to be worth $700 trillion. Topping that off with the Hilton family's estimated $900 million fortune, these two make it rain every single day of the week.
But before we burn up our phones Googling "Tinder for Heiresses", the lovebirds met old-school-style. "It goes back to tradition," Hilton told Avenue Magazine, "In the olden days that's where you met your husband, at a wedding." According to the NYTimes, Hilton met Rothschild at Formula One heiress-supermodel Petra Ecclestone's multi-million dollar wedding to James Stunt, in a romantic castle in Rome, Italy, in 2011.
She was juggling a long-distance relationship
As Nicky Hilton's new relationship with British crush James Rothschild progressed, the couple, based in LA and London, had to get creative in making their arrangement work. About her first impressions of Rothschild, "We didn't meet 'til after [Petra's wedding] reception during the cocktail hour. I was standing there with my sister, talking to some boy who was chatting up Paris. And [Rothschild] walked over and introduced himself. And I was like 'He's cute, too'," Hilton dished in W Magazine.
They maintained a jet-setting long distance relationship for about a year. Hilton continued, "We would meet halfway, in New York." Finally, when the pair decided to make things official, they moved together to New York. Hilton reportedly put her $2.9 million Sunset Boulevard home up for sale in LA, and headed to the Big Apple in 2012.
She took her engagement ring on a European road trip
"When I first met James at an event Nicky was doing, I remember seeing him look at her and thinking, 'Now that is a good guy who loves her'," Alice + Olivia designer and friend Stacey Bendet of shared with Avenue Magazine. "It made me so happy. He's just a humble, sweet person who truly adores her, and I think they're going to be really happy."
As if ripped from the pages of a fairytale jet-setting romance, Rothschild secretly flew from London to LA to ask Hilton's parents for her hand in marriage. Later in 2014, during their anniversary trip to Lake Como, Italy — the place where they had first met — the couple took a boat out onto the lake, where Rothschild got down on one knee and proposed to the 30-year-old heiress. She said yes. And what other way to celebrate than with an engagement-moon trip through Europe. Of course the happy couple documented their travels on Instagram, with some wanderlust-inducing pics of Milan, Lake Como, and a delicious taste of Rome.
She was planning her wedding
"I think Valentino is so elegant, so timeless. I think a lot of brides today try and go a little too fashion-y or avant-garde. And I really just wanted timeless, classic, beautiful," Nicky Hilton told W Magazine of her couture bridal gown. While her dress bore a striking similarity to Kate Middleton's 2011 Alexander McQueen wedding gown, it was a flattering homage, as Hilton and Rothschild held their 2015 ceremony at Kensington Palace, just like a pair of royals.
Hilton's older sister Paris, who served as maid of honor, gave the couple her blessing in People, "They're just perfect for each other. They're best friends. They're so loyal and they're so in love. They're the ultimate couple. They're like a prince and princess. I think it's important to find someone you trust and love [to] spend the rest of your life [with]. I think that's the meaning of life: to get married and have a family." Paris posted a solo shot to Instagram with the wistful caption, "Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale."
Major family drama almost ruined her wedding
Except for the moment her delicate lace bridal veil got run over by a Bentley, Nicky Hilton's lavish palace wedding went off without a hitch. But before the big day in July 2015, there was major family drama brewing behind the scenes. Though her mom, dad, sister Paris, brother Barron, and aunt Kyle Richards were able to join in the festivities, several of the 31-year-old bride's closest relatives didn't even show up.
So what was going on? There was younger brother Conrad's California court appearance regarding an arrest from 2014. He didn't show up in court, but according to The Desert Sun, it wasn't because he was partying at his sister's London wedding. Hilton's aunt, and former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kim Richards also missed the ceremony, because she was in rehab in Malibu. Even though aunt Kyle Richards attended the wedding, Richards' husband Mauricio Umansky was noticeably absent, thanks to a business-related fallout between Umansky and Hilton's father Rick. But judging by that radiant bliss on her wedding day, we've got a hunch the drama stayed home for Hilton's glam destination wedding.
She's a hardcore philanthropist
Nicky Hilton says she and all of the Hilton grandkids are encouraged to take part in her great-grandfather Conrad N. Hilton's Foundation, according to Genlux Magazine. The altruistic heiress packs her schedule with charitable galas and engagements throughout the year.
In 2016, she has supported Jessica Seinfeld's GOOD+ Foundation, providing resources for families living under the federal poverty level, Reach Act which aims to eliminate preventable deaths of mothers and children worldwide, Animal Haven, a non-profit animal shelter in New York, as well as designer friends involved in the ethical and sustainable fashion movement. This affluent girl's got a lot on her plate, but she's all about sharing.
She can't stop obsessing about cats
"The cat eye is my go-to makeup look," Nicky Hilton told People, "It's versatile — you can go clean and classic or smoky and sexy." A self-described cat lover, shameless fan of a good cat print, and the owner of an actual cat named SoHo (and previously, kitties Mac and Cheese) it was a natural collaboration when Smashbox Cosmetics founder Davis Factor approached Hilton to design three limited edition cat-eye kits in 2015. "I've always been a cat person. They're so elegant and stealth and mysterious," she shared in Genlux Magazine. When asked if that description also fit her personality, she replied, "I would say so."
In an interview with XO Jane, she confessed, "I'm a total beauty addict. I love makeup, lotions and potions. The store I spend most time in is hands down Sephora."
She gave birth to her daughter
"People say your life doesn't even begin until you have children," Nicky Hilton mused, in an interview with Avenue Magazine in May 2015. "I'm so excited for the next chapter in my life, having children and starting a family. There's nothing better than that."
She wouldn't have to wait long at all. Just two days before the couple's first wedding anniversary in July 2016, they welcomed daughter Lily-Grace Victoria into their family. And Hilton's own mother Kathy swears her daughter's got natural maternal instincts. In a chat with reporters at the 2016 Brent Shapiro Foundation for Alcohol and Drug Prevention Summer Spectacular, mother Kathy described visiting Hilton as Lily-Grace got settled, "We spent a month together out in the Hamptons and she's breastfeeding and it's a full time job — literally a full time job — so she can't go anywhere for more than an hour. I think we went out twice."
She's not letting her daughter get away with anything
Nicky Hilton's mother Kathy joked, "I tell her certain things, but she's read up on everything." Both Hilton's parents and mother-in-law agree Hilton lays down the law as a parent. "They always say I'm strict, and I am!" Hilton shared with Avenue Magazine. "Manners are so important to me. When I see children with no manners it drives me up the wall, and you have to blame the parents. It's all about filling the children with lots of hobbies and activities so they can't get into trouble."
With only glimpses here and there of Lily-Grace on Instagram, 32-year-old Hilton and Rothschild have kept their daughter's life as private as possible, so far. Sister Paris gushed about her niece to Yahoo Celebrity, "I'm obsessed with her. She's the most beautiful baby I've ever seen in my life. I literally cry when I hold her because I'm so happy for my sister."
She never really wanted to be a party girl
"Half of what you read about us wasn't true," Hilton admitted, about her highly-publicized teen years with sister Paris. "The things I would read about myself in these gossip columns growing up... I once read I jumped onstage at some concert and was singing with the band. I mean, can you imagine me doing that? Anyone who knows me would know that wouldn't happen in a million years."
Back in 1996, Hilton and her family moved from LA to NYC to follow their father as he opened his east coast branch of real-estate firm Hilton & Hyland. She told Vanity Fair, "I cried. Everything was, like, different. Like when I was in LA in seventh grade we would just all sit home on a Friday night and watch movies, and like, make up dances, and in New York there's, like, house parties and boys..."
These days, Hilton is in her 30s and she defines herself more as a mother, philanthropist, wife, and style maven. Reflects on her wild past, she revealed to the Daily News, "That whole Hollywood scene, it wasn't me. I never wanted to be in the columns and I don't behave in a manner they would write about."
She had another baby
Hilton and Rothschild welcomed their second child, another daughter, together in New York city on Dec. 20, 2017 as per People. The happy couple named their new little lady Teddy Marilyn Rothschild after Hilton's paternal grandmother Marilyn June Hawley, as noted by the publication. The mother-of-two took to Twitter a couple of days later to share her joy with followers, noting that, "Christmas came early!" for their family and that they were feeling super blessed.
Although having two daughters seems ideal for the girly and fashion-focused Hilton, the sex of the baby actually remained secret until Teddy was born, with Nicky's sister Paris even adorning her baby shower with both blue and pink cupcakes just in case. Nicky hinted at their tight relationship, when assuring People, prior to giving birth, that she didn't mind either way if it was a boy or a girl, admitting, "I did love having a sister."
She paid a hilarious homage to Paris
As if there was any doubt in anybody's mind after all these years, Hilton showed just how close she and sister Paris really are, winning Halloween 2018 in the process, with a festive costume paying homage to her in the most hilarious way possible. As breathlessly noted by Harpers Bazaar, Nicky chose a very classic Paris look for her Halloween getup. Namely, 21st birthday party Paris.
She wore the mini metallic dress (albeit a slightly less risqué version than her sister's) and tiara made famous by Paris all the way back in 2002, gamely sharing the inspired look with her Instagram followers ahead of going out on the town to celebrate the spookiest night of the year. Sadly, there's been no word yet on whether Paris's unofficial biggest fan, Kendall Jenner, is planning to steal back her biggest impersonator crown. But it'll take a serious commitment to top Nicky's take.
She created a mother-daughter capsule collection
Before welcoming second daughter Teddy into the world, Hilton honored her connection with firstborn Lily Grace by collaborating with hip brand Tolani on a mother-daughter capsule collection. Nicky x Tolani was announced via Hilton's Instagram account back in August 2017, and launched in spring of the following year, with Paris naturally in attendance to celebrate.
On the inspiration behind her chic, boho-style collection, Hilton told Women's Wear Daily that she actually came up with the idea while pregnant the first time around. "They had never done children and they loved the idea so I worked very closely with them in making all of the different prints. Most of them were taken right off my iPhone," the proud mother explained. In spite of her own, considerable personal fortune the heiress ensured the Tolani collaboration was reasonably-priced and that the kids' clothing was washing machine friendly, "because who wants to send baby clothes to the dry cleaner?"