Reality star Kathy Hilton will no longer serve as the West Hollywood Pride Parade’s Grand Marshal Icon, the city and Hilton announced in a joint statement Wednesday, following outrage from some LGBTQ+ community members.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.When the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum was announced as WeHo’s pick in late May, many online questioned the choice, citing her purported MAGA leanings.Hilton has not publicly endorsed President Donald Trump, whose policies have drawn criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates.Several critics online also referenced a 2022 rumor that Hilton said a homophobic slur to a DJ during the “RHOBH” group trip to Aspen, Colorado, an accusation that fellow Real Housewife Lisa Rinna brought up during a reunion episode that season.“i’m curious why kathy hilton was chosen considering the last i heard about her she was attending trump’s parties & calling a dj” an antigay slur, YouTube star and LGBTQ activist Tyler Oakley wrote in a post on X, responding to the city’s announcement.“I’ve lost complete faith in WeHo City Hall to oversee the parade or anything else related to Pride,” another X user wrote.
In a statement shared exclusively with NBC News, a representative for Hilton said the reality star has known the Trump family strictly via social circles since the early 2000s.“Hilton has not endorsed any political candidate since 2008 and does not align herself or is part of the MAGA movement,” the representative said.The representative said Hilton attended a close friend’s memorial held at Mar-a-Lago and briefly visited the Trump National Golf Club on a day it was having a Super Bowl event — not as a show of support for any political party.Less than a week after online backlash erupted, West Hollywood officials scrapped the Grand Marshal Icon honor for Sunday’s parade.
The decision was made by the city, the WeHo Pride produc...