Paris Hilton has taken to TikTok to provide a very important update on her infamous “Stop Being Poor” shirt. Worn in the mid-2000s, the shirt subsequently found a second life as a reaction meme, perfectly encapsulating just how out of touch rich people are.
Now, though, the reality star, DJ, artist, and CEO of Sliving has clarified that the top — paired with a pink skirt for the Las Vegas launch of her sister’s clothing line in 2005 — never said “Stop Being Poor” in the first place.
“So, there’s this photo online of me, I’m sure you’ve seen it,” she says, with the iconic image as her backdrop. “I never wore that shirt. This is completely photoshopped. Everyone thinks it’s real, but that’s not the truth.”
In fact, the shirt originally read “Stop Being Desperate”, as revealed in a second image featured in Hilton’s TikTok. “This is what it really said,” she explains. “Don’t believe everything you read.”
Unsurprisingly, the revelation has shocked many fans and followers, who have been believing the edited slogan for years. Some have even suggested that the photoshopped version is better (and it does better capture the glamorous chaos of Y2K pop culture, let’s be honest).
Paris Hilton has also recently looked back on other, less lighthearted moments from the mid-2000s, including a “cruel” interview with David Letterman and her leaked sex tape from 2004, which she says left her with PTSD. Looking forward, meanwhile, she’s set to star alongside Sky Ferreira in a pandemic-inspired thriller, 18 & Over.
Watch Paris Hilton debunk the “Stop Being Poor” myth in her TikTok below.
