Soon to be a Hilton in-law! Paris Hilton announced that she was engaged to Chris Zylka on Tuesday, January 2, after a romantic proposal in Aspen, Colorado.
The heiress has grown up in the public eye as part of the Hilton family and became a household name after starring in the reality show The Simple Life. Her new fiancé, who is an actor, has also appeared on various television shows, but his life perhaps isn’t as well-known as his future wife’s.
Us Weekly has rounded up some things to know about Hilton’s future husband, which include details about his background, his career and which other celebrities he has dated in the past.
Here’s what you need to know about Chris Zylka.
Chris Zylka Is Not His Real Name
Zylka was born on May 9, 1985. He is of Ukrainian descent and was raised in Youngstown, Ohio. His full name is Christopher Michael Settlemire but he now uses his mother’s maiden name as his stage name.
He’s an Actor
The groom-to-be started his career in 2008 with a guest appearance on the show 90210. He guest-starred on other shows since then including Everybody Hates Chris, Hannah Montana and Cougar Town. He also had recurring roles in shows like 10 Things I Hate About You, was a main character on The CW’s The Secret Circle and most recently starred in HBO’s The Leftovers. Zylka has also starred in movies including Shark Night, Piranha 3DD and The Amazing Spider-Man.
Zylka Was Once Homeless
Zylka attended the University of Toledo but later dropped out and moved to California to pursue his acting career. He told Out magazine in an interview in February 2012 that he was homeless during that time until his manager, Jon Simmons, discovered him while he was working an odd job at a restaurant.
“He was eating at the restaurant and asked me if I was an actor,” the 32-year-old told the magazine at the time. “I said, ‘No, I want to be, but I’ve never worked before.’ From that moment on, he trained me and developed me, and one thing led to another.”
He’s Been Engaged Before
Zylka proposed to his model/designer girlfriend Hanna Beth in April 2014. The couple split in March 2015, after they engaged in a vicious battle on Twitter. The actor also posted an Instagram message, writing: “Im disappointed that i didnt see how fake you were, or pay attention to the backstabbing you did in front of me. I will rise up.”
Prior to that relationship, the American Horror Story actor was in a relationship with actress Lucy Hale for less than a year. The couple went their separate ways in September 2012. “Don’t have a girlfriend — she decided she was too good,” the former Secret Circle star tweeted at the time, and later publicly apologized to the Pretty Little Liars star for the tweet.
His Love for Paris Is Permanent
The socialite-turned-DJ, 36, and the actor first went public with their romance in February 2017, with a series of adorable Instagram photos. But it wasn’t long before she revealed that he had gotten her name tattooed on his arm just months after they started dating.
“Such a lucky girl!” she wrote on Instagram in July 2017. “My love surprised me & got my name tattooed in #Disney font. And said cause I’m his most magical place on Earth & he finally found his fairytale princess. 👸🏼🤴🏼 #BoyfriendGoals 🙌🏼 #ParisForever ❤”
