Paris Hilton recently found herself at the center of a lighthearted online debate after sharing photos of her family’s coordinated Halloween costumes, with critics questioning why the entrepreneur took the lead role instead of her young children.
In an Oct. 26 Instagram post, Hilton, 45, shared images of her family outfitted as characters from “Beauty and the Beast.” Hilton wore a classic gold ballgown complete with matching gloves and a brunette wig to portray Belle, while her husband, Carter Reum, dressed as the Beast. Their three-year-old son, Phoenix, wore a costume modeled after Lumière, the enchanted candelabra, and their two-year-old daughter, London, dressed as Chip, the movie’s small teacup.
“My life is a fairytale, and the magic never ends,” Hilton wrote in the caption accompanying the post.
The elaborate family portraits drew praise from many followers who celebrated Hilton as a holiday enthusiast and commended Reum for embracing his role as the Beast. However, other commenters took issue with the casting choices, arguing that the children—particularly London—deserved to take center stage.
“Cute, but maybe the kids should have been Belle and Beast and the adults the side dishes,” one user wrote.
Another commenter questioned the dynamic, asking, “Why not let your daughter be Belle? Attention has to be on her!”
Hilton subsequently addressed the criticism in the comments section of a separate Instagram post, explaining that the toddler’s costume was entirely self-selected. “London said she wanted to dress up as Chip,” Hilton wrote, adding that the youngster identified the tiny teacup as her favorite character in the film.
The explanation drew support from a wave of followers who defended the family against what they viewed as overblown criticism. Supporters argued that the outfits were harmless holiday fun and that a toddler’s preference for a specific character carried no deeper parenting implications.
“Why is everyone so pressed in the comments?” another commenter asked, pointing out that elaborate annual Halloween photo shoots have become a regular tradition for Hilton since she became a mother.
Hilton, who refers to the holiday season as “Slivingween,” has previously embraced elaborate costuming for her family. Ahead of her son’s first Halloween in 2023, she noted in an interview that she had already accumulated roughly 20 distinct outfits for him to wear.
