Paris Hilton Never Wore That Viral "Stop Being Poor" Shirt!

Considering the fact that Paris Hilton defined the term "celebutante" and really leaned into her reputation as a spoiled rich girl in the 2000s, it really isn't surprising that one of her most memorable outfits consisted of a tank top that read "STOP BEING POOR." 

You know the one. It most frequently appears in a photo of Paris with her arms up, standing on a platform in what seems to be a nightclub, happily grinning at the plebeians quite literally beneath her feet.

Well, chalk it up to the Mandela Effect or the precarious nature of "truth" on the interwebs, but the fact is, Paris never actually wore that shirt! 

As the Hilton Heiress explained in a TikTok this week, the now-infamous and oft-memed tee was totally photoshopped, like, years ago, and everyone just went with it. You know, despite the fact that a quick Google search would have easily debunked it.

In real life, the tank top had an equally on-brand, but definitely less funny message: "Stop Being Desperate." 

She wore the tank back in 2005 at a fashion show for sister Nicky's now-defunct brand, Chick by Nicky Hilton. Photos from the event show Paris on the runway wearing the real shirt, matching with fellow naughty-aughts celebutante Kimberly Stewart, the daughter of Rod Stewart and former member of Paris's Party Girl Posse. 

So there you have it, folks. As Paris says in her TikTok, don't believe everything you read... or meme.

[Photo via @parishilton]