The late 1990s and the 2000s decade, or Y2K, was an era for pop culture, and having actually lived through it, I guess you could say that it was futuristic and transformative because the fashion, tech, and music industries exploded to massive heights. Social networking was in its early years, and everyone knew at least one thing about celebrities in the constant tabloid rotation.
Speaking of which, these women reigned the Y2K years, which crowned them the 'Y2K It Girls,' whether you are/were a fan or not, they were (and still are) the faces of pop culture and the media circus. However, without the 'It Girls,' we wouldn't have the world we know today. They invented the viral moments before it was a thing and influenced the public with new drops. Let me tell you, it was an insane time for entertainment, but I loved it.
As Y2K is making its way back to the mainstream, as all time periods do, allow us to introduce some of the Y2K It Girls who boldly defined the generation, and became household names.
The Y2K It Girls who ruled the era
Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian started as Paris Hilton's closet organizer, being seen with her at star-studded events and making a few appearances on her friend's hit Fox Network show, The Simple Life. In 2007, Kim and her family became stars of their own reality show, Keeping Up With The Kardashians on E!, which ran for twenty seasons and propelled the Kardashian-Jenners into media moguls. The series documented the family's lives, highlighting weddings, becoming mothers, and the escalating drama. For the audience, KUWTK offered glimpses of the glamorous and luxurious lifestyle and blended family dynamics.
The show was rebranded as The Kardashians and streams on Hulu, with season 6 on the horizon.
And yes, Kim and Paris are still good friends, with the SKIMS founder attending Paris's concert on Friday night.
Kim continues to curate headlines with her family, fashion, and businesses, with new focuses on prison reform and her acting career.
Paris Hilton
The cameras and the paparazzi couldn't get enough of the hotel heiress and her late chihuahua child, Tinkerbell. Paris additionally shared the spotlight with her younger sister, Nicki, as the two were always together. While Paris was known for the Hilton name, she really took off when she starred alongside her best friend, Nicole Richie, in Fox's reality show, The Simple Life. Its narrative places two wealthy Beverly Hills socialites and relocates them in Farmland, USA. Paris and Nicole had to get jobs and learn the basics of farm life,
The series was an instant hit and ran for five seasons, with seasons 4 and 5 being aired on E! With Y2K experiencing a resurrection, The Simple Life is set to return on the streamer service, Peacock sometime this year.
Paris is busy juggling a music career, has her own cookware line on Amazon, is raising awareness for school abuse, and is raising her two children, Phoenix and London, whom she shares with her husband, Carter Reum.
Nicole Richie
Nicole is the daughter of music legend Lionel Richie and rose to acknowledgment when The Simple Life premiered. Similar to Paris, her life was heavily documented in the press, and she lapsed into drugs and alcohol. Fortunately, Nicole found sobriety and was treated for her illnesses.
In 2010, Nicole married Joel Madden, the singer and founder of the punk-rock group, Good Charlotte and they have two children, a daughter, Harlow and a son, Sparrow.
Britney Spears
No one is more Y2K iconic than Britney Spears. Nearly everyone followed her every whim, as she's a pop princess and sold out world tours during her prime. However, her father placed a conservatorship in 2008, lasting thirteen years, and stripped her of her financial freedom and well-being. Her mental health was publicized and ridiculed, and her fanbase was concerned for her.
Britney was freed of her conservatorship in 2021, and she could do what she desired, as the legal hold had prevented her from doing so. In 2023, she released her tell-all memoir documenting her fame, conservatorship, personal battles, and trying to find happiness.
In 2002, Britney starred in the coming-of-age drama, Crossroads. Though it was initially panned by critics, Crossroads earned a permanent spot in the pop culture archive. The movie zoomed in on the popular fashions of the era, and are now grabbing the attention of the new generation.
The chart-topper had two boys from her second marriage to Kevin Federline. Following her divorce, she married her backup dancer, Sam Asghari, but after a little more than a year, the couple called it quits.
While Britney's no longer touring (as of now), one could find her on her Instagram profile.
Lindsay Lohan
The youngest Y2K It Girl group member, Lindsay Lohan, began as a Disney Darling, with her dual-starring role in 1998's The Parent Trap. She then appeared alongside Tyra Banks in the 2000 TV movie Life-Size and as a rebellious teen in 2003's remake of Freaky Friday. A sequel is currently in production.
But she claimed her fame in Mean Girls, a 2004 comedy about surviving high school. The movie was a smash hit and a symbol of 2000's culture. Lohan starred in Confessions Of A Teenage Drama Queen. It didn't meet the success of Mean Girls, but it underlined the fantasies of a mind-developing teenage girl and what she represented to the majority.
Like the rest of the women on this list, Lohan had some experiences in the public eye, which hindered her career. Despite this, she was able to return to making movies and have a comeback.
Lohan is now a mother and wife to Bader Shammas.