Paris Hilton dresses son in tropical print after Maui trip controversy

Just a week ago, Paris Hilton was branded an “idiot,” “disgusting” and “oblivious,” for continuing her family vacation at a luxury Maui resort in the days after historic wildfires tore through nearby Lahaina, destroying the town and killing more than 100.

This week, the hotel heiress and reality TV star continued to appear to be oblivious by posting glamour shots of herself and her baby son, Phoenix, with the two wearing matching tropical-print outfits. The photos showed her cradling the 8-month-old in her Beverly Hills mansion, with the two of them wearing outfits with palm-leaf prints that could be interpreted as souvenirs from their Maui trip.

#MommyMonday with my angel baby🥰💙👶🏼 pic.twitter.com/XyoUQ6d3rF

— ParisHilton (@ParisHilton) August 21, 2023

“Mommy Monday with my angel baby,” Hilton captioned the photos, which showed her playing the role of doting mom. The photos were posted on Instagram Monday, Page Six and other outlets reported. They have since been removed from Instagram, but they remain on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter.

Whether the photos were on Instagram or X, many of Hilton’s fans were delighted. “Adorable!” one person wrote on X. “Does he know how lucky he is?” asked another.

But, for others, the photos served as reminders of the backlash that she and her husband, Carter Reum, faced after they were photographed frolicking on the Wailea beach with Phoenix on Aug. 12, as Page Six reported.

Paris Hilton is seen in Hawaii. pic.twitter.com/tqwHLHtngi

— @21metgala (@21metgala) August 14, 2023

The beach photos were shot four days after wildfires had swept down out of the mountains, ravaged the historic town of Lahaina and decimated people’s homes, jobs and lives. The death toll from the fire is 115 and expected to rise.

Hilton, Carter Reum and their son Phoenix reportedly arrived on the island on Aug. 8 — the same day that wildfires broke out near Lahaina, some 30 miles from their luxury resort. As the world’s attention was focused on the destruction, and some residents being forced to flee for safety by jumping into the Pacific Ocean, Hilton and her family stayed on the island.

Hilton reportedly chose not to interrupt her trip, even as Hawaiian tourism officials asked tourists and other non-essential travelers to leave the island to free up hotel rooms for residents left homeless by the catastrophe.

Paris Hilton heard about the Maui wildfire devastation and said

“That’s hot” pic.twitter.com/XfSt8lyjaZ

— America Unmasked (@AmericaUnmaskd) August 14, 2023

On social media, Page Six reported, one person referred to the “Simple Life” star as an “idiot” on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. Someone else said, “Disgusting. They’ve asked all tourists to leave the island,” while yet another person said, “Wow. Read the room.”

A source close to Hilton insisted that the DJ and her husband took some time during their trip to lend a helping hand to wildfire survivors, by “gathering supplies and taking them to shelters and those in need.”

But others aren’t buying it. On the Crazy Days and Nights gossip site, author Enty, the self-described entertainment lawyer with well-placed sources, shared a skeptical blind item about Hilton’s supposed good works on Maui. He later revealed the blind item was about Hilton.

“Considering how much she loves photos of herself, don’t you think this former A+ list reality star would have taken photos and videos if she actually did volunteer at a shelter or drop off things at a shelter in Maui?” Enty wrote. “She has never cared for anything but herself.”