Kathy Hilton

Kathleen Elizabeth Hilton, born Kathleen Elizabeth Avanzino on March 13, 1959, is an American socialite, fashion designer, actress, and television personality. She is the mother of socialite Paris Hilton and fashion designer Nicky Hilton, and the maternal half-sister of television personalities Kim Richards and Kyle Richards.

Hilton was born in Manhattan, New York City, to Kathleen Mary Dugan and Larry Avanzino. Her ancestry is Italian on her father's side and Irish on her mother's side. After her parents divorced, her mother married Kenneth E. Richards, bringing actresses Kim and Kyle Richards as her half-sisters. Hilton also has five paternal half-siblings. She graduated from Montclair College Preparatory School in Los Angeles, where she became close friends with Michael Jackson, remaining friends until his death in 2009.

Hilton began working as a child actress in 1968 before retiring from acting in 1979. Her television appearances included Nanny and the Professor, Bewitched, Family Affair, Happy Days, and The Rockford Files. Her film work included roles in The Dark and On the Air Live with Captain Midnight. She later made a cameo appearance as herself on The Young and the Restless in 2008.

Between 2003 and 2005, Hilton appeared on select episodes of The Simple Life. In 2005, she hosted the NBC reality series I Want To Be a Hilton, and later appeared on The World According to Paris in 2011. Hilton subsequently joined The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in regular guest and recurring appearances. She joined the show as a friend of the housewives for its eleventh season, becoming a prominent figure on the series. Although she departed after two seasons, she returned for a reunion appearance in early 2024 and was scheduled to return for the show's fourteenth season.

In business, Hilton operated the gift and antiques store The Staircase in Los Angeles during the 1980s and early 1990s. She debuted merchandise on QVC in 2002, launched a skincare line on HSN in 2007, and released the fragrance My Secret in 2008. In 2012, she launched the Kathy Hilton Collection of party dresses, sold internationally in stores such as Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom. She modeled for Valentino in Vogue in 2020 and featured in an Oscar de la Renta campaign in 2021.

Hilton has also engaged in charitable activities. In 2007, she raised money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation through celebrity auctions. In 2011, she and her daughters received an award from the Starlight Children's Foundation at the A Stellar Night Gala.

In her personal life, Hilton is married to Richard Hilton and lives in Bel Air, Los Angeles. The couple has four children: Paris, Nicky, Barron Nicholas II, and Conrad Hughes III, alongside eight grandchildren. Her home was featured in Architectural Digest in 2021.