Paris Hilton is speaking out against the “unacceptable” snark she’s received after sharing photos of her holding eight-month-old son Phoenix on social media.
The reality star and heiress found herself inundated with eyebrow-raising comments about Phoenix’s appearance last week after uploading a collection of images from a recent visit to New York to Instagram.
Many of the remarks, sadly, were focused on the child’s head size.
“You need to have your baby evaluated by a pediatric neurosurgeon, he has a pretty large fontanelle (soft spot) and macrocrania, he would likely need a MRI or US to rule out blockage of spinal fluid in his brain to be on the safe side,” one person wrote.
Added another: “Does he have encephalitis? Like what is actually going on I’m not trying to be rude that doesn’t seem normal.”
Hilton first responded to a TikTok video uploaded by a user named Stephanie Tleiji over the weekend that summed up the criticism.
“There are some sick people in this world,” she wrote in the comments. “My angel is perfectly healthy. And yes, of course he has been to a doctor, he just has a large brain.”
On Tuesday afternoon, Hilton elaborated on her thoughts in a lengthy note shared on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
“Living life in the spotlight, comments are inevitable, but targeting my child, or anyone else’s for that matter, is unacceptable,” she wrote. “This hurts my heart more deeply than words can describe. I’ve worked hard to cultivate an environment that is all about love, respect, and acceptance, and I expect the same in return.”
After describing her son as “the biggest blessing of my life,” she added: “It’s hard to fathom that there are people in this world who would target such innocence. I hope that people can treat one another with more kindness and empathy.”
Hilton and her husband, Carter Reum, welcomed Phoenix in January via a surrogate.
Prior to her son’s arrival, the former co-star of The Simple Life reality TV show had stated that becoming a mother was “definitely one of my top priorities.”
“I cannot wait,” she told E! News’ “Daily Pop” in early 2022, just months after she and Reum tied the knot. She went on to note that she’d ideally like to have two or three children.