HOLLYWOOD INSIDER

Paris Hilton, Evan Rachel Wood and Gina Rodriguez on their loves and what they learned from the pandemic

Los Angeles — Despite her “party girl” image, Paris Hilton is serious, soft-spoken and very business savvy. The 39-year-old socialite, DJ and business woman is coming out with a YouTube Originals documentary, “This Is Paris” on — where else — her own YouTube channel.

Meanwhile two talented actresses — Evan Rachel Wood, 33, and Gina Rodriguez, 36 — are both in the new crime comedy-drama film, “Kajillionaire,” which is about two con artists who have spent 26 years training their only daughter to swindle, scam and steal.

Apart from sharing with us what they learned from the lockdown and the pandemic, Paris has also opened up about her relationship with businessman Carter Reum, 39. Evan talked about how she's making her seven-year-old son feel safe, while Gina revealed what she has discovered about herself, how she listens to her inner voice and how she found her true love.

Below are excerpts of our conversations with the three ladies:

Paris Hilton

What have you learned during this pandemic?

It’s a very scary time around the world for everyone. And with global warming, that is terrifying to me because it’s real and anyone who says it’s not is a liar.

But I do see the light at the end of the tunnel. I feel that this whole pandemic has brought the world close, where everyone realizes that no matter where you are from or what you have, this is affecting every single person around the world.

And I just noticed like a shift almost in the energy and I feel like when people are having these conversations and even though it is hard, it’s good that people are finally realizing so much where they can make a difference. 

I think it’s really just about pointing things out and talking about them and figuring it out, instead of people just ignoring it or speaking about anything. So yeah, I am very optimistic. I am praying and hoping for the best. I hope this is all over soon and hopefully just make the world a closer and happier place, because, it doesn’t matter where you are from, we are all on the same planet and this is our world. We all need to take care of it and of each other because we are one.

I always try to see the silver lining in everything and I think the good thing that came out of this, is that I was forced to stay at home and not travel and actually get to really reflect on my life and what's most important to me. And I never really had time to do that before because I had such a crazy schedule, and was always traveling. So it's been completely different. It's changed my life in so many ways. But I'm grateful for just the time to reflect on everything.

And what are the things you are looking forward to doing after this?

I look forward to traveling. I go to Europe every single summer, since I was a little girl. This is the first time in my life that I haven't been out there. So just excited for that. And then also to get back to doing my concerts and DJing and performing. I just miss the energy of all the fans and just seeing all my friends as well.

You are always glamorous and fashionable. But what do you wear when you are just being a slob around the house? Do you have a favorite pair of sweats?

Well, during quarantine that has been my uniform. I'm only wearing my Juicy Couture velour tracksuits, which I love. I have every single color and I have like an entire closetful and that's been my uniform, just that and socks and no make-up, and my hair in just like two little buns. It's very relaxing, very chill. That's how I usually am.

And does Carter (Reum) like that? Which look does he prefer?

When I don't have make-up on — that's his favorite. He's like, 'you without make-up is so beautiful and you look like a teenager.' It's crazy but I love that he loves me all natural.

You have spoken a couple of times about wanting to have kids. You are now 39. What’s the situation with that?

I cannot wait to have a family. I finally found the perfect match, my perfect partner. And I cannot wait just for that. That's the meaning of life — having children and having a family. So I cannot wait for that day. It will be soon.

Is it true you've had your eggs frozen?

I think it's great just to be able to have that to be in control. So you don't have to worry about finding someone. But I'm just so blessed that I found my perfect person. So, ready to go.

Would you like a big extravagant wedding or are you more sedate now and just a quiet thing? What are your dreams?

When I was a little girl, I had dreams of this big fairytale wedding but I think with the pandemic and everything happening, it's a new world and events like that are not going to be possible.

So even though I would have loved to have a giant, huge celebration, I think because of this, I am not going to be able to. So I think, it's just maybe more intimate and small and with my family but, yeah, I can't wait for that day. 

It's been a day I've been dreaming about my whole life and now that I've found my Prince Charming, I just can't wait. I wish this wasn't happening in the world for so many reasons but also that. I won't be able to have that big dream wedding.

Can you talk about finding love in your 30s as opposed to in your teens or 20s? What do you bring now that you didn’t have then and what does he bring now that you might not have had then?

Just life experiences and really knowing what you want. As a teenager, I don’t even know if you can consider it real love because you don’t really have any life experiences and it’s just like an exciting fun thing. 

Looking back, I am like oh my God, I can’t believe that I was actually saying I love that person, it’s crazy. So I think just being mature and I just feel like it’s perfect timing, where I know exactly who I am, what I want.

I love myself and therefore I am open to loving someone else.  And before, I wasn’t happy and I didn’t know myself and I didn’t love myself. So you can’t really let someone in unless you are ready in every single way.

What about being with a slightly more mature man? What are the advantages?

I love that. It’s just amazing, just having someone who is my business mentor. I look up to him so much. He gives me amazing advice and being with a team, with a partnership where it’s like you are best friends. He just brings out the best in me and the best version of myself and I want to make him proud.  And it’s just an incredible feeling, it’s really special.

What are the things you do together when it’s just you alone? What is it like with just a quiet evening with the two of you?

Relaxing, romantic, chill.  Magical.

Can you describe yourself today?

I am all grown up, I’m kind, I'm smart, and I have a big heart and yeah, I'm ready to show the world who I really am, finally.

Evan Rachel Wood

What have you learned about this lockdown and how is it going with your partner and family?

It’s a wonderful mixture of chaos and anxiety and the most precious family moments. It's been an incredible bonding experience. I think this is a year that we'll all be speaking about for the rest of our lives, so whoever we are with and sharing this time with, whether you're together forever or not, I think you're going to be bonded for life and I certainly feel that way.

Yeah, and I really love this time with my son. He just turned 7 and he's at such a great age. I'm a working, single mom and so being able to have this much time with him has just been wonderful. I think we've gotten closer. It's difficult that he doesn't have a lot of kids to play with and things like that ,so I feel for him but he's been a trooper, honestly. I don't know if I could have gotten through without him.

How is he handling it and how are you making him feel safe and unafraid?

It's been nice because he is being sheltered from all of the negativity and the fear and anxiety because he's little and there's no reason to put that on him right now and so it's created a very nice home environment that's all about like all right, let's go into the garden today and see what's sprouting and okay, let's just go for a walk, let's do an art project.

I think it's forced us to be creative and there are days that we're still just so bored (laughs) and it's like I'm sorry, man, there's nothing I can do but I think if he were any younger or any older it would be really hard but he's at a great age where it's all about make believe. So it's about being creative and having fun.

What has been the most insane job that you have ever taken when you have needed money? How has your sense of self been?

I have taken weird jobs just to take weird jobs. I was a magician’s assistant once. Nobody knew I was doing it, because you never saw my face, so that was a weird job. I have done cons; I have four backstage passes and wristbands and things like that before they had the chip system.

My sense of self has been a journey for me because I was a child actor and when you grow up in the public eye, it’s hard not to conform to what you think people want. I had to do some extra work figuring out who I really was and how that fit in with being a public figure. But I feel good about where I am in my life and with who I am.

There’s that saying, “sons that don’t get hugged by their fathers grow up to not hug their sons.” And that’s definitely true in a sense, but there’s also people that do extra work to break the cycle.

And if you are lucky, you can identify those things and you can stop them. And it does take work, but it is possible.

Gina Rodriguez

What have you discovered or learned about yourself during this pandemic?

I think a lot. This is going to be huge, actually. That I was making so many decisions for the approval of other people. Of either my parents or the industry. I wasn't making choices based on my joy. I was making choices based on what I thought other people would want.

And when everything, when we had to like, kind of sit down, shut it all down and I wasn't doing art and ignoring the reasons why I did certain things and I had to face like, "Wow, I really wanted my father to be so proud of me that I have lived for him for like 30 years." And I don't think I've lived for me.

I love him and it's not his fault. But when I started making decisions for my joy, how much joy I actually started to have, and that's been the biggest thing. And that means also sacrificing things that otherwise, I think I was supposed to do.

It's been very surprising, like, "Oh, I actually don't enjoy that." And I don't want to do that anymore. And to be like, "Can you believe I would ever say that?" I surprised myself about what actually brings me happiness. And that shift has been great. I don't do it every day, but I want to. I want to just because you treat people better, because you are better when you start here. And I didn't realize how much I didn't start there for so long.

Can you talk about your inner voice and what would be the consequences if you haven’t listened to it?

That is a good question. You know, I would say that I have a pretty strong intuition, I have a pretty strong voice. And when it comes to art specifically, when I don’t listen to that voice, the art does not thrive, and that has been very visible for me. Like I have unfortunately learned that lesson. 

If I am not 100 percent inspired, if I am not 100 percent like I have to do this, then it shows.  And so I did that once and I will never do that again. And I have even said it from then on, like if I am not fully invested, then you don’t even want me. And that’s something I have learned. You want somebody that is fully invested, because I am not the greatest artist when I am not absolutely madly in love. 

And so one time I didn’t listen to the voice and it was the time I did not have the most flourished experience. It was a lot more difficult. And so it taught me to get back to that voice. But that voice definitely falters at times or if I don’t have trust in myself it falters. So I know now that if that intuition is not really speaking to me, I need to work on trusting myself.

During this lockdown, we learn about things we never knew existed like being with a mate that you think is a jerk and you want out the minute there is no more lockdown or you feel so lucky you found this person. What is your love story?

My love story.  So I had my love story on “Jane the Virgin” which changed my life and Jane was a love story.  But then I met my love within that love story, (laughs) and I met Joseph LoCicero on set and he was a guest star and then I didn’t see him for six months.  And then I saw him in the gym, the boxing gym, and then we started dating and he, his mother was a big, big fan of the show before he got cast on it. So that was like the first serendipitous, when he got cast it was like mom, I got cast in the show and she was like, that’s my favorite show!  And then he started watching the show to prepare and he told me he was in love with me while watching the show.  But that wasn’t even me. And so then when he came on set, he was like you were everything I thought you would be.  And then six months later, I had seen him at the gym, and he is my person. I mean I think I never would have guessed I was. My grandmother was telling me that she was going to pass before I got married. She was so disappointed about no one taking me. It was like it’s okay grandma, it will be okay.  And so he was not just a surprise to me, but I think he was like a prayer for my grandma.  Joe is now my husband. — LA, GMA News