What was Francesca Hilton's Net Worth?
Francesca Hilton was an actress, comedienne, and writer who had a net worth of $10 thousand at the time of her death in January 2015. Francesca Hilton was well known for being the daughter of actress and socialite Zsa Zsa Gabor and Conrad Hilton, the founder of the Hilton Hotels.
Her mother married Conrad Hilton in 1942. They divorced in 1947. Through her father, Francesca was the great aunt of Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton. She appeared in some television films as well as on the big screen. She played the role of a shoplifter in the film "Cleopatra Jones," as Helene in the movie "Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills" and in the television detective show "Cannon." She also had the role of Woman #one in the movie, "Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story" in 1995 and "A Safe Place" in 1971.
In 2005, her mother Zsa Zsa, accused Francesca of trying to steal $2 million by forging her name to take out a loan on her mother's house in Bel Air. But the case was dropped when her mother failed to appear in court and refused to sign any papers in the lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed by Zsa Zsa's husband, Frederic Prinz Van Anhalt.
Early Life
Constance Francesca Gabor Hilton was born on March 10, 1947, in New York City. Her parents, Conrad Hilton and Zsa Zsa Gabor had just been granted a divorce before she was born. Her father was the founder of the Hilton Hotels chain, while her mother was a Hungarian actress and socialite. Gabor released an autobiography in 1991 called "One Lifetime is Not Enough," in which she alleged that her pregnancy was the result of rape by then-husband Conrad. When Hilton was an infant, her life was threatened when a burglar entered the family's home and tied up her mother and the housekeeper, threatening to kill Hilton unless her mother gave him money or other valuables. The burglar ended up stealing jewelry worth over $750,000.
Hilton was the only child of Gabor, meaning she is also the only descendant of the socialite Gabor sisters. She is also Conrad Hilton's only daughter. However, she did have three half-brothers through her father and his first wife – Conrad Jr., Barron, and Eric. Her mother also remarried several times throughout her childhood and adolescence. She was married to British actor and singer George Sanders from 1949 to 1954. She then married Herbert Hutner from 1962 until 1966. Her mother would go on to get married five more times until her death in 2016.
As a child, Hilton lived a privileged life, often attending movie premieres with her mother. She also competed in equestrian competitions as a child. She did begin working as a teenager, as she had a job at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills during the summers.
Career
Hilton aspired to be an actress. She appeared as herself in "Philbin's People" in 1970. Her film debut came in 1971 when she landed a minor role in "A Safe Place." In 1973, she had an uncredited role in the film "Cleopatra Jones" and appeared in an episode of "Cannon." The following year, she appeared in an episode of "V.I.P.-Schaukel" and also had a role in the film "The Gravy Train." She did not appear in any other television or film roles throughout the rest of the 1970s or the 1980s, except for only minor appearances as herself in an episode of "Tattletales" in 1984.
During most of this time, Hilton worked as a photographer. She also sometimes worked at the Conrad Hilton Foundation, her father's philanthropic organization. Hilton did struggle with money during this time. When her father died in 1979, he left the vast majority of his wealth to the Conrad Hilton Foundation. Hilton tried to contest the will, as it left her only $100,000. She ultimately lost the suit, however.
Hilton reentered the spotlight later in life. In the 1990s, she had several television and film roles. In 1995, she appeared in the television film "Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story." In 1997, she had a role in "Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills." The following year, she appeared in an episode of "Intimate Portrait" and then in "E! True Hollywood Story." Her final film role came in 1999 when she appeared in "Forever Fabulous." She did appear as herself in an episode of "Biography" in 2000 and in two episodes of "Entertainment Tonight" in 2007 and 2008.
In 2008, she also began performing stand-up comedy at The Comedy Store in West Hollywood. Her show centered on her family, and she often joked about her great nieces, Paris and Nicky Hilton. Some of her jokes were not very flattering towards her family, as she referred to her great-nieces as pole dancers and pole stars on more than one occasion.
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Personal Life and Death
During the latter years of her life, Hilton struggled with money, and she had more and more issues with her family. In 2005, her stepfather, Frederic Prinz von Anhalt, filed lawsuits against her, which accused her of fraud in obtaining a loan for which she used her mother's house as collateral. He also accused her of manipulating her mother's will. A judge threw out the case as her mother, Gabor, did not appear or sign a statement, which left the lawsuit without evidence. Hilton also denied the allegations.
In her mother's older years, Hilton sued for an independent conservatorship to be set up in order to care for her mother, who had become incapacitated. However, a judge ultimately appointed Van Anhalt, her stepfather, as the temporary conservator.
Hilton's health declined during the 2010s. She also had very little money to seek medical care with. In late 2014, she was impoverished and living in weekly rental apartments and sometimes in her car. She suffered a major stroke in early January 2015 and was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She died on January 5, 2015, at the age of 67. Her mother was still alive at the time of Hilton's death, though she was suffering from dementia. Her husband, von Anhalt, did not tell Gabor of her daughter's death for fear it would upset her.
Hilton's half-brother, Barron, took possession of Hilton's body and organized a funeral for her, which was held at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in West Hollywood. She was cremated, and her ashes were interred at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery near her aunt, Eva Gabor.
