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Simple Life for Paris in Rwanda
16/10/2007 07:52 - (SA)
New York - US socialite Paris
Hilton is on a mission to change her image, heading to Rwanda on
a trip she hopes will allow her to leave a mark on the world -
and possibly create another reality TV show.
Hilton, 26, a hotel heiress, said in June that she was a
changed person and vowed to shed her party-girl image after
leaving jail where she served three weeks for violating
probation in a drunken-driving case.
"Before, my life was about having fun, going to parties -
it was a fantasy," Hilton told Newsweek magazine, opting to
speak to the news focused journal rather than a celebrity
magazine.
"But when I had time to reflect, I felt empty inside. I want
to leave a mark on the world."
'Reading the Bible'
She acknowledged she has long enjoyed the Hollywood party
scene but she said she spent her time in jail reading the Bible
and praying to God for strength, deciding to give new meaning to
her life by pursuing charity work.
Hilton skyrocketed to fame in 2003 after an amateur sex
video of her filmed in night vision hit the internet.
She used this fame to build an acting career, appearing in
various movies and in reality TV, lampooning her own persona as
a clueless child of privilege on The Simple Life.
She also released a self-titled album in 2006 and has her
name attached to various products from perfume to shoes.
During her trip to Rwanda, Hilton will be visiting schools
and health-care clinics and staying in accommodations a long
shot from the Hilton Hotels owned by her family.
"I'm scared, yeah. I've heard it's really dangerous," she
told Newsweek (www.newsweek.com) in an issue on newsstands from
October 15. "I've never been on a trip like this before."
Children's charity
She will be travelling with a children's charity called
"Playing for Good," a group which helps businesses and
celebrities get involved in charity work - but with a camera
recording it all.
"She's using her celebrity and the cameras that follow her
for the good of humanity," said Scott Lazerson, the
organisation's founder.
Newsweek said Lazerson was filming the trip in hopes of
selling it as a reality show called The Philanthropist
featuring various celebrities on drives to help world poor.
Hilton is currently filming the horror musical Repo! The
Genetic Opera in Toronto, Canada, in which she is playing a
role in a black wig and false nose.
- Reuters
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South Africa
