Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Shocker: Paris Hilton Was In On That Plane Crash Prank The Whole Time
While the near-plane crash that Paris Hilton thought she was in turned out to just be a terrifying prank, there's a new twist: turns out Paris was in on the joke the whole time.
On Thursday, TMZ reported they had obtained documents from the TV production company behind the segment. "We will act as if something is going wrong and ask all passengers to jump off the plane!!!" read the offer to prospective celebrity 'victims.' "Of course everyone will panic, we'll be having skydivers in disguise with us on board." They even had the blessing of officials from Dubai.
In the video segment, the pilot pretends to shut down the engines and attempt to crash-land the plane after losing control. A few people even parachute out the back. All the while, Paris Hilton is losing her mind as the cabin goes to total bedlam. "We will monitor the funny reactions from our celebrity guest when they fear jumping off the plane," said the pitch.
Although Hilton is admittedly a pretty funny celeb to prank, she was not the first choice of the show (ouch), though their offer of only $1 million probably made it hard to land any big names.
On Tuesday TMZ reported that Hilton was suing the Egyptian TV show, Ramez In Control for emotional distress and claimed that she was afraid to fly now—a very important part of whatever Paris Hilton's job is. On Wednesday they caught up with the celebrity socialite and she told them, "I think they went a little too far with their prank. There's things that are funny, but that was not funny. It was terrifying."
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

-
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons Thursday after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.