Perez Hilton, the 48-year-old celebrity blogger and social media personality, was hospitalized Tuesday evening after a TikTok livestream showed him appearing to harm himself at his Miami home. Miami-Dade Sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of a person livestreaming acts of self-harm and took Hilton to a hospital for medical attention.
Hilton’s family issued a statement Thursday on his blog confirming that his three children, niece, and sister were inside the home minutes before the livestream began. The family said they fled to protect the children from witnessing further trauma after it became clear Hilton was harming himself. They urged the public to stay away from the area surrounding the family’s home.
Hilton is now receiving medical care and able to communicate, according to the family’s statement. A spokesperson for the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office confirmed deputies responded to reports of a person livestreaming self-harm Tuesday night and that the individual was safely recovered and taken to a hospital.
Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, has three children under the age of 14 born via surrogacy. His family emphasized their priority is helping the children begin to heal from the experience and allowing them to safely return home.
The incident occurred hours after Hilton appeared to be working normally. A longtime friend of Hilton told Daily Mail that he was discussing future projects and chasing pop culture scoops earlier in the day before the livestream took a distressing turn. The friend described Hilton as acting normally and being excited about upcoming work.
Hilton was hospitalized at least twice in the months leading up to this week’s incident for an ulcer, sepsis, and deep vein thrombosis. In recent months, he has also publicly discussed finding religion.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office did not name Hilton in its statement but confirmed the person involved was safely recovered and taken to a hospital. The agency described the response as involving 'de-escalation measures' after receiving multiple calls from viewers reporting the livestream.
Hilton rose to fame in the early 2000s as a celebrity blogger, known for reporting on celebrities’ personal lives and entertainment news. His family’s statement did not provide further details about his current condition or the circumstances leading to the livestream.