Paris Whitney Hilton is a 37-year-old model, actress, American television personality and businesswoman. She is also a member of Hilton Hotel family, specifically the great-great granddaughter of the founder, Conrad Hilton.
In 2001, she was the American “It Girl” and became internationally famous with the leaking of her sex tape with then-boyfriend Rick Salomon (a famous poker player) in 2003.
Chris Zylka is a 33-year-old American model and movie and television actor. His true name is Christopher Michel Settlemire. He uses his mother’s maiden name for professional purposes. In 2011, Buddy TV ranked him 90th on its list of its Sexiest TV Men Alive.
In 2017, Paris and Chris began dating and in January of 2018, they became engaged to be married. To seal-the-deal, Chris gave Paris a multi-carat solitary diamond ring. According to TMV: “[The ring is] valued at $2 MILLION. Based on what we [TMZ] know, he got a massive discount. The jeweler and Paris have a close relationship, and publicity for jewelers is as valuable as cold, hard cash.”
On November 19, 2018, Paris cryptically announced her split from Chris by quoting from Paris’s favorite starlet Marilyn Monroe: "I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go. Things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right. You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself. And sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."
According to California law, since Paris was the one to call off the wedding, and she was the receiver of the ring from Chris, then she must return the ring to Chris.
The law was written in 1939 and states, “Where either party to a contemplated marriage in this State makes a gift of money or property to the other on the basis or assumption that the marriage will take place, in the event that the donee refuses to enter into the marriage as contemplated or that it is given up by mutual consent, the donor may recover such gift or such part of its value as may, under all of the circumstances of the case, be found by a court or jury to be just.” (California Civil Code Section 1590) (Italics added). What this means is that if the donee (the one receiving the ring) ends the engagement, the ring returns to the donor (the one offering the ring). The same result applies if both the donor and the donee together decide to end the engagement. In this instance, Chris is considered the donor, and Paris is considered the donee.
(Also, please note, what the law implies, however, is that if the donor ends the relationship, the donee can keep the ring. The implication was followed by the courts beginning in 1950, and is still good law today.)
TMZ speculates that Chris will demand the return of the ring because “…he's positioned for a huge windfall if he gets it back and sells it.”