today. thank you, guys. you did great. you did great today. you did great. thank you, thank you. tim, thank you. [ cheering ] ♪ this is "nightline." >> juju: tonight -- >> paris, paris, paris! >> juju: paris hilton in her own words. >> i felt the whole world saw me as this sex symbol, but inside i

didn't feel that way at all. >> juju: the "it" girl like you've never seen her. >> it was a living nightmare. they stole my childhood. >> juju: a raw and emotional interview. photographed a million times, yet behind the sunglasses you had a caricature of yourself, with the high voice and the rich spoiled brat perna. was that really you? >> no. that was a trauma response and kind of created this almost barbie doll fantasy life. >> juju: revealing a private pain. plus imagine dragons. an exclusive backstage pass with one of the world's biggest bands. ♪ you make me a believer believer ♪ >> juju: global superstars behind hits like "believer." with a private jam session after touring for millions. >> we wanted to see the world, we wanted to take our music to the world. so our aspirations were there. we did dream big. we always wrote big. that's the kind of music that we like. >> juju: together for decades,

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favorite. now she's revealing stunning details about her life and trauma she says she hid from the world. and how she crafted a perna to hide her pain in plain sight. >> i've never talked about this outloud with anyone in an interview. so it's weird to talk about. >> juju: you might think you know paris hilton. >> paris, paris, paris! >> i'm very shy. >> juju: no one would guess that about you. >> no one would guess that, no. but i'm extremely shy. >> juju: behind the glittery backdrop of the paparazzi princess -- >> that's it, no more. >> i just felt that the whole world saw me as a sex symbol, but inside, i didn't feel that way at all. >> juju: she says was the real paris. >> i created this character inside of this place because i just wanted to be someone else. >> juju: as we continue to

examine how young women in the limelight were treated 20 years ago in her new self-titled memoir, the pop culture icon now flipping her narrative on its head. you had a caricature of yourself with the high voice and the rich, spoiled brat persona. was that really you? >> no, that was a trauma response. i kind of created this almost barbie doll fantasy life. >> juju: a response to the unspeakable abuse and anguish she says she endured as a teenager that helped shape who she is today. she became the "it" girl in the early oughts, her face all over the tabloids. >> everyone thinks nicole and i are these two girls who never worked in her life. >> juju: mocked as being famous for being famous, mocked for her

reality show "the simple life." two decades later, her influence remains undeniable, constantly reinventing herself. she says it all stems from a painful place. you said, this is like taking a sledgehammer to the wall of silence and shame? >> this whole book is about that. it's been extremely healing. obviously, extremely traumatizing as well. because i think when you go through trauma in life, you don't want to remember it. >> juju: paris says school didn't come easy, she had adhd but didn't know it at the time. >> being in school, not being able to concentrate, not understanding why until later on. like, i wish i would have been diagnosed earlier. >> juju: in her book, paris writes when she was 14 years old, a teacher she knew developed a crush on her. he gave you compliments? >> yes. >> juju: what kinds of things did he say? >> how mature i was, how

beautiful i was, that other boys my age wouldn't understand. >> juju: she says eventually she had an encounter with him that would haunt her to this day. >> just started calling me, almost every night. and then said, "i would love to see you" and wanted know sneak out and meet up with him. >> juju: and you write, "one night he comes over and you meet him out in his car. what happens? >> once we got in the car, he kissed me. and then, all of a sudden, there was headlights and it was my parents. and then they started chasing our car. we got away, then i came back home. acted like it never happened. >> juju: you forth rightly write in the book, for 25 years i framed this as my first kiss. when you look back on it now what do you think of it as?

>> i see it as a man grooming a child. >> juju: paris said she became a rebellious teen, a risk-taker. partying, skipping school. eventually her parents, kathy and rick hilton, sent her to multiple so-called emotional growth schools for troubled teens. >> before i went to provo canyon school, i was such a free spirit. they stole my childhood. provo canyon school is the worst experience of my entire life. i can't believe that place is even still open and that they're operating. >> what do you remember from provo? >> throwing us against walls, strangling, hitting. >> you talk about having a -- later, a lingering fear of gynecologists because of some of the stuff that you endured? what was going on? >> late at night, they would take certain girls into a room

and do cervical exams with male and female staff. and it was not something that was -- like a doctor, these were just them doing this late at night to girls. >> juju: did that happen to you? >> yes. >> juju: invasive searches and stuff? >> yes. i think that was just another way for them to have that power over us, and also i think a lot of them enjoyed it. >> juju: you said they would watch you showering? >> yes, male and female staff would watch the girls shower. >> juju: paris recently posted these photos showing her just after leaving those schools when she turned 18, writing, "i can see the pain in my eyes. i was so traumatized that i pretended everything was okay, trying to block out the painful memories." when abc news reached out for comment on paris hilton's accusations, it replied with a media statement which says in part, "provo canyon school was

sold by its previous ownership in august 2000. we therefore cannot comment on the operations or student experience prior to that time. we do not condone or promote any form of abuse." she believes her traumatic experiences ultimately drew her into toxic relationships, including with a man more than ten years her senior, which ultimately led to that notorious sex tape. it didn't even occur to me that you were 19, you were a teenager when that sex tape was made. what was the dynamic of that relationship like? >> i was obviously not in a good head space. and i think i'd just met the worst person that i could meet. and then to be exploited like that, where the media was so cruel to me. i was so -- just embarrassed and

hurt and mortified. >> juju: three years after it was filmed, the video was released and made its way around the world. it became fodder for tabloids and talk shows. >> i do believe that we have evolved as a society, and now we're understanding that this was a huge violation of privacy. >> >> juju: in what way do you think you're taking back the narrative? >> i feel my narrative and story for the past two decades has been told by the media. and with this book, it's a chance for me to take back my own narrative and tell the truth. >> juju: paris has gone on to become an advocate, dedicating herself to exposing what she calls the troubled teen industry. >> imagine if it was your child who was suffering abuse. neglect or death in the name of treatment. wouldn't you do everything in your power to protect them? >> juju: working to change laws across the country.

>> i hear you may have a bipartisan bill now. >> juju: test fig to utah legislators. >> i am proof that money doesn't protect against abuse. it's been the most empowering part of my life. really turning my pain into a purpose. and having this mission. and i feel that it will make it all worth it, everything i went through, if i can stop it from happening to other children. ♪ >> juju: the paris sitting here today at 42 is living life on her own terms. she's now married, a mother, and one of the highest-paid deejays in the world. in the moment, what are you feeling? >> it's such a magical feeling. i just feel empowered, i feel excited. i feel safe up there, as well.

>> juju: what would you tell young women today and that young paris? >> i would tell her, that you're going to go through a lot in life, but one day you're going to take everything that you've learned and use it for the power of good, to help others. >> juju: and my full interview, "paris hilton in her own words," is streaming on hulu. coming up, imagine dragons. the members of one of the world's most popular bands talking about bringing the thunder. ♪ thunder feel the thunder lightning and the thunder ♪ ♪ thunder feel the thunder lightning and the thunder ♪ detect this: living with hiv, i learned i can stay undetectable with fewer medicines. that's why i switched to dovato. dovato is a complete hiv treatment for some adults. no other complete hiv pill uses fewer medicines to help keep you undetectable than dovato.

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♪ >> juju: they stream hits by the billions and pack arenas across the country and around the world. imagine dragons also recently treated our ashan singh to a concert at the home of lead singer dan reynolds. they talked about how they've managed to stay together through thick and thin and what it was like when they hit the next level. ♪ ♪ i can't have you if i'm only gonna do you wrong ♪ >> reporter: imagine dragons are used to playing for tens of thousands of fans. but today they have an audience of one. ♪ over and over again ♪ >> reporter: we're front row for a private impromptu jam session around lead singer dan reynolds' grand piano.

♪ shot shot shot a hole through every single thing that i love ♪ >> reporter: since they first hit the charts with "it's time" in 2012 -- ♪ i get a little bit bigger than this ♪ >> reporter: imagine dragons' potent lyrics and forceful melodies have made them rock superstars. ♪ changing who i am ♪ >> reporter: with hits like the fiery ballad "believer." ♪ hey you make me a believer believer ♪ ♪ thunder feel the thunder lightning and the thunder ♪ >> reporter: and the electro pop-infused "thunder." ♪ lightning and the thunder ♪ >> reporter: it racked up a slew of awards, including a grammy for "radioactive" in 2014. their 2017 album "evolve" went double platinum, sending them on a tour that sold over 1.7

million tickets around the world. do you ever pinch yourselves that you guys are here in this way? >> i can only speak for myself. it was kind of a strange adjustment to make. really only within the last two or three years i've really -- i don't know, i finally kind of got it. >> reporter: dan started the band in an unlikely place for a rock star. mormon college campus byu. they later moved to vegas to raise their profile. >> i remember sitting in like a tiny home that we'd rented out together in las vegas. we had a white board that we purchased. we were writing down band goals. this was over a decade ago. and one of the first goals was to be a global band. >> reporter: the current lineup of imagine dragons consisting of drummer daniel plats man, bassist ben mckee, and ben sermon have been together over a decade and they don't take it for granted. how do you maintain relationships as a band, also stick it out this long?

>> having the foundation of respect is the thing that has kept us together. >> we've been through loss, we've been through death in families together, we've been through illness and babies and relationships and end of relationships. and you can either see all that and then hate each other through it or you can see it and say, damn, we really love each other. >> reporter: being mainstays in the ever-changing landscape of pop music, the band has built a brand on consistency and turning a blind eye to the trends. is it harder to make successful pop music in today's era where there are 15-minute career that is are born off apps like tiktok? >> music's a language, it's constantly evolving. that world has absolutely changed from ten years ago to now. i think it's a really dangerous strategy if you try to change your process and your target to whatever's trending right now, because whatever's trending right now isn't going to be trending very soon.

♪ i'm far from good it's true but still i've got you ♪ ♪ next to me ♪ >> reporter: worldwide, the dragons have a rabid following, headlining the inaugural lollapalooza india earlier this year with 60,000 attendees. what was that like going to india? >> wild, culture shock. the biggest culture shock i've had in quite a while. >> it's amazing to go to a place you've never been to after being a band for a decade, finding fans there that are passionate and know all the words to all the songs. >> it was incredible. yeah, there were -- flesh going back as far as the eye can see, everybody's freaking out. ♪ you make me a believer ♪ >> reporter: these guys aren't letting their epic success go to their heads. >> we'll be on the road for a long time. it's like, oh, we're feeling exhausted, poor us. then we'll go to a pediatric cancer event or a gala and you see these kids fighting the ultimate fight. then suddenly your problems are nothing.

>> reporter: since 2013, they've been determined to give back. launching the tyler robinson foundation, named after a terminally ill 16-year-old fan. their annual "love loud" festival in support of lgbtq+ youth also hits close to home. >> this is life-changing for a lot of the people here. and you are awesome for doing it. >> that was just so cool to see. especially happening in utah at that time. how is that festival doing? >> "love loud" is about raising conversation, about how homes and families, especially in communities of high orthodox faith, can love, celebrate, their lgbtq youth. a lot of these communities, we find that the suicide rate is higher, drug use is higher for these kids who are not accepted in their homes. this is me the first year we're taking to it austin, we're taking to it d.c. >> reporter: imagine dragons have seen every minute top. what keeps them so cool is that they remain unbothered by the light. >> we wanted to see the world, we wanted to make our music to

the world. our aspirations were there. we did dream big, we wrote big. that's the kind of music that we like. >> billions of streams, hundreds of millions of fans. do accolades matter to you guys? >> i don't quite connect with the numbers and accolades, personally, too much. maybe if i look at it too hard or too closely or care about it too much, you know, it will disappear like a rainbow or a pot of gold or something. this is what your creative art should be. in a way -- i don't know. i guess -- thanks for the free therapy session. >> juju: our thanks to ashan. up next, the sights and sounds from a fourth of july extravaganza as america turns 247. my active psoriatic arthritis can make me feel like i'm losing my rhythm. with skyrizi to treat my skin and joints, i'm getting into my groove. ♪(uplifting music)♪ along with significantly clearer skin...

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♪ >> juju: finally tonight, the independence day show-stopper here in new york city. the macy's fourth of july fireworks did not disappoint. with a dazzling pyrotechnics display over the east river, millions of spectators gathered in celebration as some 60,000 shells lit up the sky, synchronized to a patriotic score. and special this year, a tribute to one of the best. ♪ simply the best ♪ as the late tina turner, the queen of rock 'n' roll, was recognized in the program. ♪ you're better than all the rest you're better than anyone ♪ >> juju: and that's "nightline." watch full episodes on hulu. see you right back here same time tomorrow. thanks for staying up with us. good night, america. happy fourth of july.