‘I was wrong for once’: Paris Hilton’s and Nicole Richie’s parents were deeply opposed to ‘The Simple Life’ so what changed their minds?

It’s been 20 years since The Simple Life first aired and now the stars of the show — lifelong friends Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie — are back for Paris & Nicole: The Encore. The three-part series has the duo recreating the best moments from the original show, and it’s evident they still have the chemistry they once had in their early 20s.

The Simple Life followed the two socialites as they traded their glamorous lifestyles for a taste of simplicity. The duo immersed themselves in activities like manual labor and house chores, tasks that are far removed from their high-society upbringing, and their lack of experience added a humorous touch that highlighted their cluelessness and made for some memorable moments.

In an interview with Glamour, Richie shared what prompted them to do it. “The reason why we said yes was solely for the purpose of having fun,” she said. Both women were just 22 years old when the first season aired, and it was a time when they “chased joy” and were willing to go on big adventures. The two first met as children while living in the same affluent neighborhood in Los Angeles and even attending the same school. When the opportunity to star in a reality show was presented, they were eager to do it. Their parents, however, weren’t as thrilled.

“Our parents did not want us to do it and told us not to,” Hilton said, with Richie adding, “Yes, that’s true.” The whole idea of the show was to place the women in various scenarios in different locations, and their parents were concerned about their well-being. Hilton and Richie did it anyway, and watching the show changed their parents’ tune. Hilton’s mother, Kathy Hilton, called her after the first episode aired and said, “This is the most hilarious show I’ve ever seen in my life. You and Nicole are incredible. I was wrong for once.”

Paris and Nicole have resolved their issues

The Simple Life aired for five seasons, but during season 4, Hilton and Richie shot separately due to a personal conflict. Richie called it a tiny “blip” in their decades-long friendship, and while there were numerous rumors about what they were fighting about at that time, the two said that they were greatly exaggerated and some were invented. “The world was definitely making a way bigger deal of it than it actually was,” Hilton explained. They reconciled after a few years, and as Richie said later, “Our fight was so built up by the press. Half of it wasn’t even real.”

Now that Hilton and Richie are getting together for a show once again, Richie’s father, singer Lionel Richie, has something to say about the duo’s antics. “They haven’t changed. Let me tell you something, those two scare me just standing next to each other,” he told Entertainment Tonight in May.

Lionel shared how concerned he was when he saw what they were doing, recalling the time when he watched them “driving down the freeway backwards,” but her daughter said it was all for reality TV. Lionel doesn’t know what the two are up to this time around, but said he was “very happy for both of them.” Paris & Nicole: The Encore is a three-part reunion series premiering on Peacock on Dec. 12, 2024.