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FROM THE MAGAZINE Ally Hilfiger never wanted to be a _Rich Girl_, said Maureen Callahan in _Page Six_ magazine. It’s a label I’ve been trying to run away from my entire life, says the
daughter of fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger. But when MTV came calling five years ago, she reluctantly agreed to sign on to _Rich Girls_, a reality show about the fabulous lives of New
York’s young and overprivileged. It was a decision she immediately regretted. Hilfiger, then 17, came off as a lonely, awkward teen, desperate for people to like her in spite of her wealth;
under the pressure of the sudden visibility, she and her best friend began bickering on camera, and their friendship unraveled for the entertainment of the TV audience. I felt really, really
alone, says Hilfiger. One day, in the middle of filming, I got so upset that I locked myself in the bathroom and just started crying. I felt like I wanted my life to end right then and
there. For five months, she sought refuge from the humiliation of reality TV by drinking, smoking pot, and dreaming about running away to Thailand. Once the show ended, her parents checked
her into rehab. Now sober, Hilfiger is taking acting classes and working in an art studio. Her greatest accomplishment, she says, is not allowing herself to be used anymore. If anyone asks
me to drop my name to get in someplace—no. A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com SUBSCRIBE TO THE WEEK Escape your echo
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