Kathy Hilton has a lot of people angry after her appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. The wife of hotel tycoon Rick Hilton and mother of Paris Hilton has had the internet talking since her episode Wednesday which featured a segment called, “Will Kathy Know Them?” In the viral clip, the 63-year-old said she believed Lizzo was “Precious,” a fictional character from Lee Daniel’s film under the same name, played by Oscar-nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe.
While Andy Cohen, Kung Minkoff, and the episode’s bartenders: Judge Mathis’ son, Greg Mathis Jr., and his partner Elliot Cooper, burst into laughter, her Real Housewives of Beverly Hills co-star Crystal Kung Minkoff tried to add a bandaid to the situation, “She is precious, though. Lizzo is precious,” she said quickly. Kathy somehow made it worse, making it seem like she does know who Lizzo is, that’s just her nickname to her. “That’s what I call her! Her nickname is Precious, to me,” she said.
There are many reasons why the comment was problematic, especially since the successful artists look nothing alike. “When Precious came out, a lot of people used the character’s name as a derogatory label to fuel their fatphobia and to bully. So no, I don’t think that it’s funny that Lizzo, home minding her own business, had to watch herself be called Precious in front of millions on live tv,” wrote comedian and actor Kalen Allen on Twitter.
There has been speculation that maybe Kathy meant plus-sized model Precious Lee, but a lot of people on Twitter aren’t buying it. “You know for damn sure that ain’t who she meant,” wrote one user.
Lizzo has not responded to the mixup and has been living her best life on an island- as she should.