Gabourey Sidibe finally breaks silence on Kathy Hilton mistaking her for Lizzo

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Gabourey Sidibe has responded to Kathy Hilton’s recent mistake of thinking she was Lizzo, clarifying the situation.

Four years after a clumsy mistake became a viral sensation, the actress, who has been nominated for an Oscar, finally spoke about the embarrassing incident.

This happened on an episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in 2022, during the show’s game where Kathy Hilton tries to identify famous people.

When shown a picture of Lizzo, Paris Hilton mistakenly identified her as Octavia Spencer, and then asked if Lizzo was the actress who played ‘Precious’.

While Andy Cohen and viewers appeared visibly uncomfortable, Paris Hilton firmly maintained it was just a nickname, which immediately caused criticism online due to how awkward the situation seemed.

Sidibe, age 42, shared a funny story on Wednesday’s One54 podcast. She remembered being confused when the woman didn’t recognize her, saying, ‘I’ve actually been to her house before and met with her, so I said, “I know you—you’re Kathy!”’

She explained that while she’s never personally met Lizzo, they work in different areas. She also shared that she’s often mistaken for other Black, plus-sized women, and that this experience is usually strange and carries a hint of racism.

She elaborated, recalling that she found it odd when Kathy Hilton mentioned something strange. She explained that Hilton had once invited her to her home to discuss potentially dressing her, which she thought was a very unusual request.

Sidibe seemed taken aback by Hilton referring to her as her famous character. 

‘You oughta know my real name, also, ’cause she said ‘Precious?’ I just…I don’t know.’ 

Once the mistake became widely known, Hilton explained it was due to her difficulty seeing and being far from the monitor on set.

Okay, so I was scrolling through her tweets, and she was explaining why she didn’t recognize someone on stage! It was SO cute. She said the screen was really far away, and honestly, her eyesight isn’t the best, which I totally get! She was like, ‘If you remember,’ and then added a bunch of crying emojis, ‘I couldn’t even tell if it was Justin Timberlake or Melissa Etheridge!’ It just made me love her even more, she’s so real!

Twitter users strongly criticized the comment, with one person writing that it was offensive to call a plus-size Black woman “Precious,” regardless of whether the commenter was unaware of the reference or didn’t intend to cause harm. They added that commenting on someone’s weight is always inappropriate.

Someone angrily stated that if Kathy Hilton compared Lizzo to the character Precious, then Hilton is either a liar, unintelligent and dishonest, or openly prejudiced – or all three.

Despite the viral drama, Sidibe has continued to thrive. 

Following her acclaimed performance in the 2009 film Precious, she’s established a successful career in movies, television, and theater.

She’s known for her roles in shows like The Big C, Empire, and American Horror Story. She’s also been praised for paving the way for plus-size actresses in Hollywood.

Sidibe also uses her public voice to discuss important issues like body positivity, race, and the difficulties she’s faced as a Black woman in Hollywood.

She’ll be back for the thirteenth season of American Horror Story, joining returning stars like Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, and Leslie Grossman.

Ariana Grande joins the cast as a newcomer. 

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2026-02-08 00:03