Paris Hilton has expressed feeling 'at peace for the first time in a very long time' after the Provo Canyon School, where she claims she was abused, was shut down. The Utah Department of Health and Human Services revoked the school's license earlier this month, citing noncompliance issues including unnecessary restraint, aggressive physical contact, and instances of neglect dating back to 2025. The institution must terminate all services by August 6, though it has 15 days to appeal the decision.
Hilton's Long Fight for Justice
The reality TV star and mother of two has lobbied relentlessly for years to regulate private residential treatment centres. She testified against the school before a House committee and has continued advocating for troubled teens. In an Instagram post on Saturday, Hilton wrote: 'I've been waiting to write this post since I was 17 years old. Provo Canyon School is shut down. BOTH campuses. Forever.'
She described severe nightmares about the place since her teenage years and expressed relief that no child would suffer there again. Hilton recounted how in 2020, when she stood outside the school, staff covered windows to prevent children inside from seeing survivors fighting for them. 'They thought they could hide the truth. They were wrong,' she stated.
Details of Alleged Abuse
Hilton appeared before the Utah State Judiciary, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee in 2021, alleging former staff subjected her to 'verbal, physical and mental abuse.' She claimed students were 'restrained, hit, thrown into walls, strangled and sexually abused regularly.' Hilton testified: 'I was verbally, mentally and physically abused on a daily basis. I was cut off from the outside world and stripped of all my human rights.'
She further alleged being forced to consume medication without a diagnosis, having no privacy during bathroom use or showers, and being monitored constantly. One staff member reportedly bragged about being 'the one who broke Paris Hilton.'
School's History and Response
Provo Canyon School opened in 1971 and was sold in August 2000 to Universal Health Services (UHS). UHS stated they cannot comment on operations before that time but are committed to providing high-quality care. They said: 'We do not condone or promote any form of abuse. Any and all alleged/suspected abuse is reported to our state regulatory authorities, law enforcement and Child Protective Services immediately as required.'
The new school denied using solitary confinement as intervention or prescribing medication as discipline. The Utah DHHS stated the institution 'failed to provide applicable health and safety services for clients.'
Ongoing Advocacy
Hilton emphasized her fight continues: 'Children are still being abused in facilities across our country. If you are hurting children, know this: we are coming.' She dedicated the victory to every survivor who spoke out and every advocate who never gave up, concluding: 'Today, for the first time in a very long time, I feel something I never thought I would: Peace.'
