Kathy Hilton

Kathy Hilton

Kathy Hilton at daughter Nicky Hilton's fashion show (2008)
Born Kathleen Elizabeth Avanzino
March 13, 1959
Citizenship American
Occupation Actress
Fashion designer
Philanthropist
Spouse(s) Richard Howard Hilton (m. 1979)
Children Nicky Hilton
Paris Hilton
Barron Nicholas Hilton II
Conrad Hughes Hilton III
Relatives Kim Richards(half-sister)
Kyle Richards (half-sister)
Website
kathyhilton.com

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

Early life

Hilton is the daughter of Kathleen Mary (née Dugan; 1938–2002) and Laurence K. Avanzino (1935–1997). Her paternal grandfather was of Italian descent. She also has Irish and Scottish ancestry.[6][7][8] Hilton's parents later divorced, and her mother married Kenneth E. Richards; through this remarriage, Kathy has two half-sisters: actresses Kim and Kyle Richards.[4] Hilton also has five half-siblings from her father's remarriage. She graduated from a private high school in Los Angeles, where she became best friends with Michael Jackson until his death in 2009.[9]

Acting career

Left to right, Kathy Hilton, daughter Paris Hilton, half-sister Kyle Richards at NBC party, February 2011.

In 1968, Hilton began working as an actress, retiring in 1974. Notable appearances include Bewitched, Family Affair, Happy Days, The Rockford Files, and The Dark. At the age of 17, she was one of two final candidates to play the role of Jan Brady for The Brady Bunch Hour. Eve Plumb refused to reprise her role, but Geri Reischl eventually won the role. On the May 13, 2008 episode of The Young and the Restless, she made a guest 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".[10]

Business ventures

In the 1980s and early 1990s, Hilton operated her own gift and antiques store The Staircase on Sunset Plaza in Los Angeles.[4] She debuted with 2002 merchandise sales on cable TV's QVC home shopping network.[4] In 2007, she began selling a signature skincare line on HSN.[4]

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.[4][11][12][13][14][15]

Philanthropy

She is known for her philanthropic endeavors.[5] 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.[16] 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.[17]

Personal life

She met Richard Hilton at the age of fifteen. They married in 1979.[18] They have four children: daughters Paris Hilton (born 1981)[15] and Nicholai "Nicky" Hilton (born 1983);[15] and sons Barron Nicholas Hilton II (born 1989)[15] and Conrad Hughes Hilton III (born 1994).[15]

The couple reside in Bel Air, Los Angeles.[4][14]

References

  1. ↑ New York Magazine
  2. ↑ New York Magazine
  3. ↑ New York Magazine
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Booth Moore, Special occasion calls for a twist with Kathy Hilton, The Los Angeles Times, December 9, 2012
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ophrah Winfrey Network: Life With La Toya
  6. ↑ Jerry Oppenheimer, House of Hilton, Crown Publishing, 2006
  7. ↑ Providence Journal
  8. ↑ Providence Journal
  9. ↑ "The Hilton Sisters". New York Magazine. March 31, 2013.
  10. ↑ Kathy Hilton can't watch sisters' lives 'fall apart' on 'Real Housewives', The San Francisco Chronicle, June 2012
  11. ↑ Official website
  12. ↑ Haein Jung, Natalie Stone, Kathy Hilton Showcases Dress Collection at Intimate Cocktail Reception, The Hollywood Reporter, 11/30/2012
  13. ↑ Jennifer Chan, Kathy Hilton Can Dress You for the Holidays, E!, November 30, 2012
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Marshall Heyman, Celebrating the Holidays With the Hiltons , The Wall Street Journal, December 2, 2012
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 Maria Martin, Kathy Hilton is 54, fabulous – and frugal, The Charlotte Observer, August 07, 2013
  16. ↑ 'Kathy Hilton calls on pals to help charity, Pasadena Star-News, December 22, 2007
  17. ↑ The Hilton Ladies Step Out for the Starlight Children's Foundation, Radar Online, March 27, 2011
  18. ↑ Kathy Hilton Shares Marriage Advice, OK! Magazine, November 26, 2007

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kathy Hilton.