Glamour: We touched on it a bit, but can you explain how the reunion concept came about?
Nicole Richie: Paris and I were on text over Christmas break, and she had sent me a photo of Braxton [Leding], who we lived with in Arkansas during season one of The Simple Life. And it was more just like, ‘Oh my God, look how big he is. He’s an adult now.’ And Paris said, ‘It’s about to be 20 years.’ And I wrote her back and said, ‘Should we do something?’ And she said, ‘Should we?’ And I said, ‘Okay, let’s come back to this. Let’s let it marinate and let’s just see. Let’s see if we really are feeling it.’ So we got together after the new year, and we just talked about what we would want to make together, period. Simple Life related or not, we had done this amazing show 20 years ago and it was something that I look back on with such fond memories.

This seems like a good time to ask about some of the relentless tabloid culture you both endured during the early days of your fame. I was watching clips of interviews and red carpets when you were promoting The Simple Life and it was pretty fucked up, honestly. The way reporters and tabloids treated women was shocking. This time around, is it different?
Paris Hilton: The media in the ’00s was so toxic. They would target a certain group of girls, Nicole and I being two of those, and it was very difficult to be a young girl and discover who you are with the whole world watching. But then also exaggerating and creating these storylines just to sell tabloids. It’s amazing now how much times have changed. I think it’s just a lot more respectful and it feels a lot safer now. The ’00s were vicious to all the girls.

I don’t think people had the media literacy they do now—we truly believed anything we read about celebrities back then. Were you able to shake off the vile stuff you read about yourselves?
Hilton: There would be a lot of nights I’d cry and I’d call my mom. I’d be like, “This is not even true.” But it also made me so strong where after a while I just realized these are people who don’t even know me, they’re just making stories up. The people who love and know me know the truth. And you just have to try to ignore it. So that’s why I feel the girls today are so lucky that that doesn’t happen anymore. It’s very, very traumatizing to have to live through.
Richie: I think it took a heavier toll on me than I could have admitted even to myself at the moment. But looking back, I can see how big of an effect it played on my daily life and my daily choices. But it’s also been such a strong motivation for me to own my own voice and my own narrative. And it makes me really proud of women that we’ve come such a long way to say, “That’s actually not okay.”

Did you both have any expectation, 20 years ago when you signed on to The Simple Life, that it would become such a critical piece of pop culture?
Richie: I mean, we enjoyed doing it, so of course we hoped that people would like it, but the reason why we said yes was solely for the purpose of having fun. We thought it would be such an adventure. We didn’t know what town we were going to. All we knew was that we were going to be gone for 30 days. It’s very different from signing up for something today because you’re doing it to build your brand. That model did not exist back then. So we were solely doing it because we have always chased joy and wanted to have fun.

The longevity of the show is staggering—usually when things have a TikTok resurgence, they go away first and then are rediscovered. The Simple Life never really went away. It’s quoted constantly, and frequently written about. Do you think the reunion special will attract mostly nostalgic viewers or the new generation of fans?
Hilton: Definitely both, because from the beginning of the reunion, we wanted the fans to be a part of it. I put a video on TikTok and said, “We want to include some of the fans in the show with us. And could you please tell me some of your favorite moments as well as sing our song ‘Sanasa.’” And we got thousands of videos from all around the world, all ages. It was such a special moment in time, before social media. You could never do a show like that today. And really, we’re the blueprint for all these other shows.

Did you guys ever disagree about The Simple Life? Or about anything having to do with the new project?
Richie: No, we were navigating the show together, so I think we would always find ourselves on the same side of a situation because we were our safe people in those scenarios. And no, with the new show, we developed the entire thing together.

Obviously both of you come from prominent families. Were they on board with The Simple Life?
Hilton: Our parents did not want us to do it and told us not to.
Richie: Yes, that’s true.
Hilton: It was the first of its kind. They hear that we’re going to be sent somewhere and we don’t know where we’re going. But after the first episode aired, my mom called me and she’s like, “This is the most hilarious show I’ve ever seen in my life. You and Nicole are incredible.” She’s like, “I was wrong for once.”

Now you guys have kids of your own. Nicole, you have a 15-year-old son and an almost 17-year-old daughter. How is it raising teenagers in 2024?
Richie: So wild and fun. I just so clearly remember what it’s like to be a teenager. It feels like it happened yesterday for me. And they know everything I did. I knew before I had them that I was going to have to be transparent with them about who I was. And I’ve actually found freedom in that. I didn’t want my kids having some big discovery about me. And I’ve always been very open and honest with my kids and hope that they are open and honest with me.

Paris, you have a one-year-old daughter and an almost two-year-old son. Is having children different from what you expected?
Hilton: It’s been life-changing. They’re just such little angels and have really changed my whole world, and just make me realize what’s most important in life. It’s love on another level, which I didn’t know I could feel. I’m just so grateful for them every day. They’re just so precious and smart and fun. They’re the cutest things on the planet. My son just learned “Sanasa.”

Was that his first word?
Hilton: His first word was “yas.” And then “mama.”

I’m curious about your thoughts on the Y2K-style resurgence? You both were key architects of that aesthetic in real time.
Richie: It’s very funny and sweet. I don’t necessarily connect with all the Y2K interpretations, which I’m sure is how people in the ’70s thought when we decided that we loved the ’70s. But yes, as far as the Juicy sweatsuits and the trucker hats and everything, yes, it’s very sweet.

Do you still have stuff from that era?
Hilton: I do. My 21st-birthday dress, which is iconic. I have the Von Dutch hat that I was wearing in Arkansas. The Dior monogram pieces, Louis Vuitton, all of that. It was so out there and so extra. It was the most fun time in fashion.

You both have families, businesses, and now this show. Are there enough hours in a day?
Hilton: I always put my babies first, so I am saying no to things all the time. But I also do have a lot of responsibilities with all of my brands and all the different projects I’m doing on a daily basis. So there’s definitely not enough time in the day to get everything done, but I don’t stop and I multitask. So it’s just trying to stack as much as possible into a day as I can. And I don’t really have weekends off. I try to do as much from home as possible. So I built my recording studio there, which is right next to the baby nursery. And my podcast studio is there as well. I try to do as many of the photo shoots from my house as possible. And just saying no to so many different offers because my family means the most to me.

I want to ask about mental health and overall self-care. Paris, when you were in the Glamour office earlier this fall, some of us saw you hooked up to an IV in the hall that was dispensing blue liquid—and we have questions.
Hilton: I’m obsessed with biohacking and wellness. I have this longevity doctor, and he comes once a month and I do methylene blue mixed with NAD, and it’s incredible for cell turnover, for focus, for energy, for anti-aging, for all the things. It gives me so much energy, clarity. It’s like a Benjamin Button IV.
[Editor’s note: Always consult with a licensed physician before beginning any supplement regimen.]
Richie: For me, it’s very important not to run myself into the ground. I have many different facets that I’m juggling all the time, being a wife, being a mother, being a businessperson, being a friend, which I think is so important. Having dinner with my girlfriends and being able to relax and laugh is—I treat it like a job. It is such an important part of my life. And I need it to feel like myself. And then taking time for myself, which is different than taking time with my family. That’s my time to read, to be in nature. And I don’t think that I could really do anything that I do without being connected to myself. And I never want to be in a place where I’m not connected, where I’m not aligned with myself. I want to bring my highest self to anything that I do.

Do you ever rewatch The Simple Life?
Hilton: It’s my favorite show to watch. I’ve never stopped watching it. I’ve seen so many episodes, so many different times. My son, Phoenix, and I watch it, and he just laughs so hard. Every time I laugh, he looks at me and he’s just laughing. He’s like, “Mama, Mama.”
Richie: I’ve seen it. When we decided to do the reunion, yes. Paris came over. We watched a few episodes, so yes, I have, but I hadn’t seen it since it originally came out.
What’s next for you both? Are there more projects together in the future?
Hilton: They’re already asking what we’re shooting next.
Richie: I feel like people are going to want us to do this forever.
Hilton: Literally.
Richie: No, literally. We’re in each other’s lives and we can decide what we do together, whether that be on TV or on film or on this or on that. This has been incredible. It’s been so much fun to shoot something and promote something with your friend. I still get nervous and it makes a world of difference for us to do it together. I wish we could just do everything together.