Earlier this year, sharing selfies on Instagram was linked to leading a happier life, although it could also just mean that you’re a narcissist. Either way, according to Paris Hilton, it’s her we have to thank (or blame).
In 2017, Hilton declared that she invented the selfie with Britney Spears all the way back in 2006, and yesterday she took to Twitter to celebrate the 14th anniversary of the historic event. “14 years ago, Britney Spears and I invented the selfie,” she writes. “#LegendsOnly.”
While it’s undeniable that Hilton and Spears are legends (and that the former did probably contribute to the popularity of selfie-taking in the mid-00s Blackberry era) many have, unfortunately, disputed her claim to inventing the selfie.
Under her celebration post, Twitter users cite earlier examples ranging from Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), to Buzz Aldrin’s space selfie in 1966, which was auctioned for more than £40,000 earlier this week.
Real selfie connoisseurs trace the practice back to back to 1839, when the chemist and photography pioneer Robert Cornelius took a self portrait by removing his camera’s lens cap and running into frame. But was he cheek-to-cheek with Britney Spears? Thought not.
While she’s not reminiscing on taking star-studded selfies, Paris Hilton has recently been working on her return to music with the new single “I Blame You”, trying her hand as an artist, and attempting to track down one of Banksy’s fake copies of her 2006 debut album, Paris.