‘I am proud of Kim’

Paris Hilton believes that Kim Kardashian’s rise to fame would never have happened if she did not achieve stardom first. The 34-year-old made the revelation while speaking to Yahoo Style on Wednesday when she was asked if she agreed that the “Kardashians would not exist today” without her.

“It’s nice to inspire people,” she responded.

“We’ve known each other since we were little girls, we’ve always been friends.”

Shaking her head affirmatively, she added: “So yeah, I’m really proud of her and what she’s done.”

As Paris sees it, she readied the path for Kim – her childhood friend who later transitioned into her personal assistant and closet arranger – to reap international notoriety.

The Hilton heiress gatecrashed into Hollywood-recognition first as a party circuit fixture and model, but it was her 2003 sex tape 1 Night In Paris that earned her overnight success.

The sensational exploits were enough to pique the interests of viewers for her foray into more mainstream entertainment when “The Simple Life” premièred that same year.

“The Simple Life” was basically one of the first reality shows, she recalled during the interview. “So we had no idea what we were getting into. Nicole and I would just have fun wherever we would go.”

The Fox programme followed Paris and her then-best friend Nicole Richie, daughter of hitmaker Lionel Richie, as they abandoned their life of privilege to perform low-wage jobs like maids, farm hands and fast-food workers, among others.

It aired for three seasons on the network, and later moved to E! for two more before it was cancelled in August 2007.

Asked if she would return to the series again, she responded: “I’m so busy with work. I have my empire.”

In a similar turn of events, Kim’s sex tape with ex-boyfriend Ray J, an R&B singer, was leaked ahead of the première of E!’s “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” in October 2007. It brought the 34-year-old into the spotlight. Now in its 10th season, the show has spawned spin-offs centred around the family and made stars of Kim’s siblings Kourtney, Khloe, Rob, Kylie Jenner and Kendall Jenner. – dailymail.