Getty ImagesParis Hilton believes her sex tape ruined her chances of being viewed as royalty.
The 36-year-old socialite sat down with Marie Claire magazine for an interview in which she discussed her career as well as her ups and downs in the public eye, including that infamous sex tape with ex-boyfriend Rick Salomon.
In case you forgot, Hilton sued Salomon for releasing the tape—which featured an 18-year-old Hilton and 33-year-old Salomon—without her consent. To this day, discussing the situation infuriates her.
"It's really hurtful, because my whole life I really looked up to Princess Diana, all these elegant, amazing women, and I feel like [Salomon] just took that all away from me," she told the publication. "I could have been like that, but because of that tape, I will always be judged and thought of as whatever they say about me because of a private moment between my boyfriend and me."
She continued, "I wish I had never met him. That is actually the one regret in my life. I wish that I had never met that guy. I could not leave my house for months. I was so depressed, humiliated. I didn't want to be seen in public."
In fact, that relationship eventually seeped into the way she viewed men in general, too.
"I would always need a boyfriend. I just felt like I needed to be with someone," she explained about her younger self. "I feel like I cannot trust anyone. As soon as I start dating a guy, all of a sudden they become this guy that all the girls want."
However, it appears she's since found someone she feels comfortable with as she began dating Leftovers star Chris Zylka in February.
But boyfriends and sex tapes aside, Hilton wants people to know she's serious about her career and being a successful businesswoman.
"People love to talk s--t," she admitted of the public's view about her. "I'm used to it, over the years. I love how, anyone I meet, I always change their mind right away. I'm not what people think. It's fun to kind of laugh with it and say I'm in on the joke."
As for the people who may never get the chance to meet her, she said, "I want people to know that I'm grown-up. I'm a responsible businesswoman. I work very hard. I'm down-to-earth. Nothing has been handed to me."
You can read her full interview with Marie Claire here.