Paris Hilton has reflected on her leaked sex tape and the devastating impact it had on her life following its release, claiming it felt like rape.
The American socialite, 37, was mortified after former boyfriend Rick Salomon sold the rights to the intimate home-made film in which he records them having sexual intercourse.
Filmed at the height of their relationship in 2001, it was subsequently sold following their separation in 2004 and distributed with the title 1 Night In Paris.
And looking back at the moment she realised Salomon had sold the video, Paris told new documentary The American Meme it felt like she had been sexually violated.
'It was like being raped. It felt like I’d lost part of my soul and been talked about in such cruel and mean ways,' she recalled. 'It felt like I’d lost part of my soul and been talked about in such cruel and mean ways.
'I was like, "I just don’t want to live," because I thought everything was taken away from me. I didn’t want to be known as that. I would never be who I could have been.'
Paris settled out of court in 2005, reportedly receiving $400,000 - a percentage of which was planned for her chosen charities.
But the blonde star previously admitted she made no money from Salomon's sale.
She told GQ in 2006: 'I never received a dime from the video. It's just dirty money and he should give it all to some charity for the sexually abused or something. To be honest, I don't even think about it any more.'
Despite its controversial history the film would be a huge success, winning the Adult Video Industry (AVN) Awards for Best Renting Title of the Year, Best Overall Marketing Campaign – Individual Project, and Best Selling Title of the Year in 2005.
Charting the lives of social media influencers and also featuring interviews with DJ Khaled, Dane Cook and Emily Ratajowski, The American Meme premiered at New York's Tribeca Film Festival in April.
The film, directed by Bert Marcus, aims to expose "the cost, including exhaustion, depression, and the inevitable backlash each has experienced from the media and from fans, that comes when these influencers attempt to turn their followings into empires".
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter abut the new film, director Marcus praised the socialite for her openness.
'She didn't shy away from anything,' he said. Paris was brave enough to tell her truth. In the first conversation we had about the film, she told me, "I don't give a s**t anymore."
'I want to do something that is real, that has impact. Young people live in the now and you want to be relevant and have your name out there.
'People don't really think about the long-term repercussions, which is why Paris is sharing moments from her earlier life, where she made mistakes or trusted people she shouldn't have that took advantage of her. There is so much to be learned from Paris Hilton.'
