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Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are finally sharing the true story behind their alleged feud.
The pair appeared on the Wednesday, December 11 episode of Call Her Daddy to promote their new show Paris & Nicole: The Encore, which debuted the following day. Hilton and Richie, 43, explained how their friendship turned "sour" in 2005, leading them to film the fourth season of their popular TV series The Simple Life separately.
First they clarified that "nothing really happened" between them, placing the onus more on the "toxic" coverage of them in the tabloids. "Back then, the media was just so toxic and they loved starting feuds between people, because, obviously, that sold tabloids," Hilton, 43, said.
The Paris in Love alum continued, "So it was mostly the media just spinning things and creating drama that didn't exist, which was normal in the 2000s. They did it with everyone." Richie added that being 23 and 24 at the time, the friends "didn't know how to communicate with each other."
"We didn't have the communication skills we have right now to have check-ins, which is so important," the House of Harlow founder shared, noting that back then, "if [they] were hearing something [in the tabloids], [they] would assume [it was true]."
Richie described their feud as "otherworldly," explaining that because it was documented on The Simple Life, it "blew up to be something that was so big that it became impossible to connect or have any sort of real feeling around it."
Hilton and Richie had been friends since they were 2 years old, so the Candidly Nicole star admitted it was difficult to look back on their rift. She said it makes her "sad to think about a time without [her] friend," but she believes it has helped her learn how to communicate better as an adult.
"And I think just with all relationships, it's so important to have check-ins and to be honest and real and, you know, tender with the people that you love the most," said the mom-of-two, who has been married to Good Charlotte rocker Joel Madden since 2010. Hilton also shares two children with her husband Carter Reum, whom she married in 2021.
Hilton and Richie first put their friendship on display in December 2003 when The Simple Life premiered. Their dynamic as friends — as well as the fish out of water image of heiresses being dropped in small towns to do physical labor — gained popularity, and more seasons of their reality show.
However, in April 2005, the Cooking with Paris star was quoted as saying she'd like Rod Stewart's daughter Kimberly Stewart to join her as the co-star of The Simple Life, per Page Six. From there, tabloids began documenting her and Richie's rift. Just days later Hilton said, "It's no big secret Nicole and [I] are no longer friends."
Rumors swirled that Richie was jealous of Hilton's fame, and the latter simply stated, "Nicole knows what she did, and that's all I'm ever going to say about it."
The two repaired their friendship in 2006, after reconnecting for Richie's 25th birthday. Their new series, Paris & Nicole: The Encore is streaming on Peacock.
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