Paris Hilton Clarifies Infamous 'Stop Being Poor' Shirt Is Fake

DJ, heiress and well-known Rich Person Paris Hilton has posted a TikTok clarifying that one of the most infamous pictures of her—depicting her wearing a shirt with the phrase "Stop Being Poor"—is fake.

@parishilton

Debunking the ##STOPBEINGPOOR myth. 🙅🏼‍♀️😹 Don’t believe everything you read. 😏 ##greenscreen ##Iconic 👑

♬ original sound – ParisHilton

"So there's this photo online of me. I'm sure you've seen it," says Hilton. "I never wore that shirt. This was completely photoshopped. Everyone thinks it's real, but that's not the truth."

The photo was taken at her sister Nicky's 2005 fashion show, and the shirt she was wearing read, "Stop Being Desperate."

The photoshopped picture became a well-known meme after it was first posted on Tumblr in 2013. After the photo circulated for several months, Museum of Hoaxes clarified it was a photoshop in November of that year.

Despite the debunking, the photoshopped picture continued to see use online in memes for the remainder of the decade, particularly in reference to conservative economic policies.

Ultimately, Paris Hilton did not come up with the solution to global poverty with an iconic t-shirt. But it can't be denied that "Stop Being Poor" just has a better ring to it than "Stop Being Desperate."