Kathy Hilton is an American actress, socialite, fashion designer, and philanthropist. She is the mother of socialite Paris Hilton and fashion designer Nicky Hilton.
Early life
Hilton is the daughter of Kathleen Mary and Laurence K. Avanzino. Her paternal grandfather was of Italian descent. She also has Irish and Scottish ancestry. Hilton's parents later divorced, and her mother married Kenneth E. Richards, who already had three grown children from a previous marriage, and had Kathy's two maternal half-sisters: actresses Kim and Kyle Richards. Hilton also has five paternal 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. They remained close friends until his death in 2009.
Acting career
In 1968, Hilton began working as an actress, retiring in 1979. Notable appearances include Nanny and the Professor, Bewitched,Family Affair, Happy Days, The Rockford Files, and film appearances include The Dark and On the Air Live with Captain Midnight. On the May 13, 2008 episode of The Young and the Restless, she made a cameo 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".
Business ventures
In the 1980s and early 1990s, Hilton operated her own gift and antiques store The Staircase on Sunset Plaza in Los Angeles. She debuted with 2002 merchandise sales on cable TV's QVC home shopping network. In 2007, she began selling a signature skincare line on HSN. 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.
Philanthropy
She is known for her philanthropic endeavors. 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. 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.
Personal life
She met Richard Hilton at the age of fifteen while attending a private high school. In 1979, she married him. They have four children: daughters Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton, as well as sons Barron Nicholas Hilton II and Conrad Hughes Hilton III. Hilton has two granddaughters through her daughter Nicky and her husband James Rothschild: Lily Grace Victoria Rothschild and Teddy Marilyn Rothschild. Hilton also has a third granddaughter from her son Barron and his wife Tessa: Milou Alizée Hilton. The couple resides in Bel Air, Los Angeles.
