Constance Francesca Gabor Hilton (March 10, 1947 – January 5, 2015) was an actress and comedian who was the only child of Hilton Hotels founder

Conrad Hilton Conrad Nicholson Hilton Sr. (December 25, 1887 – January 3, 1979) was an American businessman who founded the Hilton Hotels chain. From 1912 to 1916 Hilton was a Republican representative in the first New Mexico Legislature, but became disil ...

and his second wife, actress and socialite Zsa Zsa Gabor.

Early life and family

Hilton was born in 1947 in New York City, after her parents were granted a divorce in September 1946.Kurtis Lee
"Francesca Hilton, daughter of Zsa Zsa Gabor and Conrad Hilton, dies at 67"
'' The Los Angeles Times'', January 6, 2015.Mike Barnes
"Francesca Hilton, Daughter of Zsa Zsa Gabor, Dies at 67"
'' The Hollywood Reporter'', January 6, 2015 Her father,

, was the founder of the Hilton Hotels chain.Danielle and Andy Mayoras
The Tragedy of Francesca Hilton, Daughter of Zsa Zsa Gabor and Hilton Founder
'' Forbes'', January 13, 2015.Ann Oldenburg
"Francesa Hilton, Zsa Zsa Gabor's daughter, dies"
'' USA Today'', January 6, 2015. Her mother, Zsa Zsa Gabor, was a Hungarian actress and socialite. Gabor's 1991 autobiography ''One Lifetime Is Not Enough'' alleged that her pregnancy was a result of rape by then-husband Conrad Hilton. She was the only child of Zsa Zsa Gabor and therefore the only descendant of the Gabor sisters as well as the only daughter of Conrad Hilton. Her three half-brothers were

Conrad Hilton Jr. Conrad Nicholson Hilton Jr. (July 6, 1926 – February 5, 1969) was an American socialite, hotel heir, and businessman. He was the eldest son of Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton and the first husband of actress Elizabeth Taylor. Life an ...

Barron Hilton William Barron Hilton (October 23, 1927 – September 19, 2019) was an American business magnate, philanthropist and sportsman. The second son and successor of hotelier Conrad Hilton, he was the chairman, president and chief executive officer of ...

, and

Eric Hilton Eric Michael Hilton (July 1, 1933 – December 10, 2016) was an American heir, hotelier, and philanthropist. Early life Eric Hilton was born on July 1, 1933 in Dallas, Texas. He was the third son of Conrad Hilton (the founder of the Hilton World ...

. She attended movie premieres with her mother and competed in equestrian competitions as a child. In 1947, while Hilton was an infant, a burglar entered their home and tied up Zsa Zsa Gabor and their housekeeper, and threatened to kill Francesca. The burglar stole jewelry worth over $750,000. She worked in reservations at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. B ...

during summers as a teenager. At the time of her death, she was engaged to Michael Natsis. According to her publicist,

Edward Lozzi Edward Lozzi is an American publicist, political consultant, former White House Press Advance staffer, and writer. He is the founder of a Beverly Hills-based public relations company. He is an occasional contributor to ''The Huffington Post'' and ...

, she had been writing an autobiography. When Conrad Hilton died in 1979, he left most of his wealth to the

Conrad N. Hilton Foundation The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation is an American non-profit charitable foundation, established in 1944 by hotel entrepreneur Conrad Hilton. It remained relatively small until his death on January 3, 1979, when it was named the principal beneficiary ...

. Francesca Hilton contested the will, which left her only $100,000, but lost the suit. In 2005, her stepfather,

Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt (born Hans Robert Lichtenberg) is a German-American businessman best known as the last husband and widower of Zsa Zsa Gabor. He took on his new name in 1980, after Princess Marie-Auguste of Anhalt adopted him as an ...

, filed lawsuits against her accusing her of fraud in obtaining a loan using her mother's house as collateral, and manipulation over her mother's will; the court threw out the case for lack of evidence after Gabor did not appear or sign a statement. Hilton denied the allegations. In 2012 she successfully sued for an independent conservatorship to be set up for the care of her mother, who had become incapacitated, but the judge appointed Von Anhalt as temporary conservator. Hilton lived in Los Angeles for most of her life. A month before her death in 2015, she was impoverished and living in weekly rental apartments and in her car.

Performing career

She appeared in ''

A Safe Place ''A Safe Place'' is a 1971 American drama film written and directed by Henry Jaglom and starring Tuesday Weld, Orson Welles, and Jack Nicholson. Plot A young woman, named Noah, lives alone in a small apartment New York City. She is a mentally di ...

'' in 1971 and '' The Gravy Train'' in 1974. She worked as a photographer in the 1980s. She also worked for the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. By 2008, she started performing at

The Comedy Store The Comedy Store is an American comedy club opened in April 1972. It is located in West Hollywood, California, at 8433 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip. An associated club is located in La Jolla, San Diego, California. History The Comedy ...

in West Hollywood. Her show centered on her family.Francesca Hilton
'' The Times'', January 22, 2015. She joked that her great-nieces, Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton, were "pole dancers and porn stars".

Death

Hilton died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on January 5, 2015, after suffering a major

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

. She was just over two months short of her 68th birthday."Francesca Hilton, daughter of Zsa Zsa Gabor, dies aged 67"
Reuters, January 6, 2015. Her mother was then 97 and suffering from dementia; her stepfather sought unsuccessfully to take possession of Hilton's body. After it remained in the morgue for several days, an autopsy was performed and her half-brother

took possession of her body. Hilton's funeral was held at St Ambrose Catholic Church, West Hollywood. She was cremated and her ashes interred at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery, close to her aunt,

Eva Gabor Eva Gabor ( ; February 11, 1919 – July 4, 1995) was a Hungarian-American actress, businesswoman, singer, and socialite. She voiced Duchess and Miss Bianca in the animated Disney Classics, ''The Aristocats'' (1970), ''The Rescuers'' (1977), ...

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hilton, Francesca 1947 births 2015 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Los Angeles Actresses from New York City American film actresses American people of Austrian-Jewish descent American people of Hungarian-Jewish descent American people of German descent American people of Norwegian descent American women comedians American women photographers Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery Catholics from California Catholics from New York (state) Conrad Hilton family Gabor family Hilton Worldwide