Paris Hilton is reportedly working on a docuseries about media’s “toxic” treatment of female celebrities — including herself — in the early 2000s.
Hilton’s production company, 11:11 Media, has optioned Sarah Ditum’s book, “Toxic: Women, Fame, and the Tabloid 2000s,” according to multiple outlets.
Ditum, a journalist for The Sunday Times, will collaborate with 11:11 on the series, according to Variety.
The book, which hit shelves in January, centers on the misogyny that fueled tabloid coverage of celebs such as Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Janet Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Aniston and Britney Spears (whose iconic 2003 song seems to have inspired the book’s title).
“When I discovered ‘Toxic,’ I was immediately taken by the depth of Sarah’s dedication, research and writing,” Hilton said in 11:11 Media’s announcement, per Variety. “Sarah’s work inspired me to envision ‘Toxic’ as a documentary series where we can provide a platform for similar stories of those who had to navigate intense public scrutiny, so they can reclaim their narrative from a time when they had little control.”
The announcement noted that the women’s battle with fame amid a “ruthless and rapidly evolving media environment” and “how their experiences influenced broader perceptions of identity, body image [and] relationships” will also play a central role.
“‘Toxic’ was always intended to put the women I write about back at the heart of their own stories,” said Ditum, according to Variety.
The project is in line with Hilton’s activism, including “her mission to empower survivors of the ‘Troubled Teens Industry,’” her website notes. Hilton herself was an alleged victim of physical, sexual and psychological abuse at residential treatment programs meant to reform misbehaving teens.
The allegations Hilton has leveled are among many disturbing revelations in recent years concerning those who populated the zeitgeist in the early 2000s.
In her memoir that dropped late last year, Spears detailed much of the mistreatment she faced in the spotlight, including the harrowing experience of her oppressive 13-year conservatorship, which was only terminated in late 2021.
In recent weeks, Investigation Discovery’s docuseries “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” centered on troubling, and in some cases criminal, behavior and allegations surrounding the culture at Nickelodeon beginning in the 1990s.
