“It just blew up to be something that was so big that it became impossible to connect to or have any sort of real feeling around it,” Richie said, adding that she feels “sad” now looking back at that time apart from her friend.
Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are opening up about falling out in their 20s.
While appearing on Wednesday’s episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, the two — who are promoting their new reunion series Paris & Nicole: The Encore — explained what ignited their feud during filming for The Simple Life back in 2005.
According to Hilton, 43, and Richie, also 43, the “toxic” tabloids were mainly to blame for “creating drama” between them.
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“Back then, the media was just so toxic, and they loved starting feuds between people because, obviously, that sold tabloids,” Hilton told host Alex Cooper. “So, it was mostly just the media spinning things and creating drama that didn’t even exist, which was normal during the 2000s. They did it with everyone.”
Richie added that their age at the time was also a factor.
“It’s [what Hilton said] combined with like, and we are in our 20s, and we had no time,” she explained. “It wouldn’t happen now because, you know, I think we were just so young that we didn’t even know how to communicate with each other, so you know, if we were hearing something, we just would assume, ‘Is that true? Is that not true?’ and we didn’t have the communication skills that we have now to have check-ins, which is so important.”
When Cooper asked the two if it makes them feel “sad” looking back at their time apart, Richie said, “It makes me sad to think about a time without my friend.”
Richie then addressed her eventual reconciliation with Hilton.
“We were friends for a long time before anyone even knew because our families are friends, you know,” she said. “And so, we’ve been friends our entire lives. And I don’t mean to belittle it at all, but when you’re talking about some fight; I watch it with other 20-year-olds that I know and they’re going through a little thing and then they’re back, going through a little thing and then they’re back.”
“But because ours was a part of a TV show, it just blew up to be something that was so big that it became impossible to connect to or have any sort of real feeling around it,” she continued.
“It became something that was otherworldly,” she added.
Amid the height of The Simple Life fame, Hilton and Richie reportedly began feuding in 2005. Despite the drama, the reality show was confirmed for Season 4, with the two costars filming much of the season separately.
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Hilton and Richie mended their friendship the following year, and they went on to star in the fifth and final season of The Simple Life.
During an interview with W Magazine in October, the pair discussed their feud that nearly ended the series and their friendship.
“There was not necessarily a Will Smith and Aunt Viv sit-down. I know for people who followed The Simple Life, that was a very big part of it. There was a whole season where we didn’t shoot together,” Richie explained when asked whether they’ll revisit the feud. “But our lives are so braided together outside of that. Our relationship has spanned almost 40 years. So for us, I think that was more of a little blip.”
“The media during that time was very into creating feuds between people and exaggerating and inventing stories to sell tabloids,” Hilton added. “The world was definitely making a way bigger deal of it than it actually was. Nicole and I have been best friends since we were 2 years old. She’s like my sister.”
Paris & Nicole: The Encore — a three-part reunion special — premieres December 12 on Peacock.
