Kathy Hilton

Kathy Hilton (born Kathleen Elizabeth Avanzino, later Richards; March 13, 1959)[1][2] is an American actress, socialite, fashion designer, and philanthropist.[3][4][5][6] She is the mother of socialite Paris Hilton and fashion designer Nicky Hilton.[5]

Kathy Hilton
Hilton in 2008
Born
Kathleen Elizabeth Avanzino

(1959-03-13) March 13, 1959
New York City, U.S.
Other namesKathy Richards
Occupation
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1979)​
Children4, including Paris and Nicky Hilton
RelativesKim Richards (half-sister)
Kyle Richards (half-sister)
Websitewww.kathyhilton.com

Early life

Hilton is the daughter of Kathleen Mary (née Dugan) and Larry Avanzino, an Italian-American. On her mother's side, Hilton has Irish ancestry.[7] Hilton's parents later divorced, and her mother married Kenneth E. Richards (1917–1998), who already had three grown children from a previous marriage, and had Kathy's two maternal half-sisters: actresses Kim and Kyle Richards.[5] Hilton also has five paternal half-siblings from her father's remarriage. She graduated from Montclair College Preparatory School in Los Angeles, where she became best friends with Michael Jackson. They remained close friends until his death in 2009.[8]

Acting career
Left to right: Kathy Hilton, daughter Paris Hilton, half-sister Kyle Richards at NBC party, 2011

In 1968, Hilton began working as an actress, retiring in 1979. Notable appearances include Nanny and the Professor, Bewitched, Family Affair, Happy Days, The Rockford Files, and film appearances include The Dark and On the Air Live with Captain Midnight. On the May 13, 2008, episode of The Young and the Restless, she made a cameo appearance as herself.

In 2005, she hosted the reality show, I Want To Be a Hilton on NBC. She also appeared on The World According to Paris in 2011.

In June 2012, Hilton commented that she refuses to watch her half-sisters Kim and Kyle Richards on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, stating they caused her to "break down in tears" over watching their lives "fall apart".[9] In October 2020, it was revealed that Hilton would appear as a friend of the housewives for the eleventh season of the show.

Business ventures

In the 1980s and early 1990s, Hilton operated her own gift and antiques store The Staircase on Sunset Plaza in Los Angeles.[5] She debuted with 2002 merchandise sales on cable TV's QVC home shopping network.[5] In 2007, she began selling a signature skincare line on HSN.[5]

Since 2012, she has designed the Kathy Hilton Collection of party dresses, sold in four hundred stores worldwide, including Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom.[5][10][11][12][13][14]

Philanthropy

She is known for her philanthropic endeavors.[6] In 2007, she raised money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, by asking celebrities to auction some of their belongings and donating the proceeds to them.[15] In 2011, alongside her two daughters, she received an award from the Starlight Children's Foundation at its 'A Stellar Night' Gala in Century City, Los Angeles.[16]

Personal life

She met Richard Hilton at the age of fifteen while attending a private high school. In 1979, she married him.[17] They have four children: daughters Paris Hilton (born 1981)[14] and Nicky Hilton (born 1983),[14] as well as sons Barron Nicholas Hilton II (born 1989)[14] and Conrad Hughes Hilton III (born 1994).[14] Hilton has two granddaughters through her daughter Nicky and her husband James Rothschild: Lily Grace Victoria Rothschild (born 2016) and Teddy Marilyn Rothschild (born 2017).[18][19] Hilton also has a third granddaughter from her son Barron and his wife Tessa: Milou Alizée Hilton (born 2020).[20]

The couple resides in Bel Air, Los Angeles.[5][13]

References
  1. Oppenheimer, Jerry (2006). House of Hilton. Crown Publishing. On March 13, 1959, almost seven months after the church wedding, Kathleen Dugan Avanzino, a month away from turning twenty-one, gave birth to a healthy and beautiful baby girl whom they named Kathleen Elizabeth Avanzino
  2. Sandra, Gurvis (2011). Paris Hilton: A Biography. Their daughter and Paris's mother, 'little' Kathleen Elizabeth Avanzino, was born seven months after the impromptu wedding, on March 13, 1959.
  3. New York Magazine
  4. New York Magazine
  5. Booth Moore, Special occasion calls for a twist with Kathy Hilton, The Los Angeles Times, December 9, 2012
  6. Ophrah Winfrey Network: Life With La Toya
  7. Oppenheimer, House of Hilton
  8. "The Hilton Sisters". New York Magazine. March 31, 2013.
  9. Kathy Hilton can't watch sisters' lives 'fall apart' on 'Real Housewives', The San Francisco Chronicle, June 2012
  10. Official website
  11. Haein Jung, Natalie Stone, Kathy Hilton Showcases Dress Collection at Intimate Cocktail Reception, The Hollywood Reporter, 11/30/2012
  12. Jennifer Chan, Kathy Hilton Can Dress You for the Holidays, E!, November 30, 2012
  13. Marshall Heyman, Celebrating the Holidays With the Hiltons , The Wall Street Journal, December 2, 2012
  14. Maria Martin, Kathy Hilton is 54, fabulous – and frugal, The Charlotte Observer, August 07, 2013
  15. 'Kathy Hilton calls on pals to help charity, Pasadena Star-News, December 22, 2007
  16. The Hilton Ladies Step Out for the Starlight Children's Foundation, Radar Online, March 27, 2011
  17. Kathy Hilton Shares Marriage Advice Archived 2010-01-06 at the Wayback Machine, OK! Magazine, November 26, 2007
  18. "Nicky Hilton Rothschild Welcomes Daughter Lily Grace Victoria". People. July 8, 2016.
  19. . "People." December 23, 2017.
  20. "It's a Girl! Barron Hilton and Wife Tessa Welcome Daughter Milou Alizee". People. March 13, 2020.
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