Perez Hilton hospitalized after reported livestream self-harm incident

Perez Hilton was taken to a Miami-area hospital Tuesday after authorities received reports that a man was livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media, officials said.

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a residence after reports of someone “who was livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media.” The office did not identify the person in its statements, but the response came after inquiries about Hilton, the celebrity blogger and podcaster whose real name is Mario Lavandeira.

In a later update, the sheriff’s office said the person had been “safely recovered” and transported by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to a local hospital, where he was receiving medical attention. The BBC reported that Hilton is recovering in hospital.

Deputies spoke with family members at the scene, who confirmed the person had been alone inside the residence, the sheriff’s office said. The agency also said its crisis response unit and licensed mental health professionals were on scene “providing support and resources to the individual’s family.”

The video was streamed on TikTok before the platform removed it, NBC News reported. Viewers could be heard pleading with Hilton and asking for his phone number so they could alert authorities. The BBC reported that Hilton’s TikTok account was suspended soon after.

The sheriff’s office said deputies decided to “tactically disengage while continuing to monitor the situation” after speaking with family members.

“In many incidents involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis or actively harming themselves, deputies prioritise de-escalation by creating time, distance and opportunities for communication,” the office said in a statement quoted by the BBC. “Unless there is an immediate threat to others, slowing the situation and utilizing crisis intervention techniques can reduce the likelihood of a suicide-by-cop encounter and minimise the risk of injury to the individual, deputies and the public.”

Video from Hilton’s neighborhood taken by NBC South Florida showed multiple sheriff’s patrol vehicles stopped and a street blocked off with yellow tape.

Hilton’s managers, Dante Rusciolelli and Rebekah Kochan, co-CEOs of Golden Artists Entertainment, said Tuesday night that they were “aware of the concerning content circulating online involving our client, Perez Hilton.”

“At this time, we have not been able to make direct contact with him, despite our ongoing efforts to reach him,” they said. “Our primary concern is Perez’s health and well-being, as well as the well-being of his family.” They added that they would not speculate or comment further until they had confirmed information and asked that Hilton’s privacy be respected.

Hilton, 48, became widely known in the early 2000s through his celebrity gossip website, where he published sharp and sometimes controversial commentary about public figures. His stage name was a play on Paris Hilton, one of the celebrities frequently covered at the time.

In later years, Hilton apologized for harsh comments from his early career and said he wanted to change his online brand. “I have a ton of regrets, particularly because I now see that I never needed to be so mean or cruel,” he wrote in his 2020 memoir, according to the BBC. In 2010, he told Ellen DeGeneres that he would stop bullying people on his website, saying, “I really want to be part of the solution and not part of the problem.”

Hilton has three children born via surrogacy. In a June 17 Instagram video, he said his family was moving back to Miami after 3½ years in Las Vegas and spoke about a recent hospital stay. “Manifesting health, good health — that’s what’s most important,” he said in a follow-up video with his children.

Hilton continues to cover entertainment news through his blog, social media and “The Perez Hilton Podcast with Chris Booker.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 or go to 988lifeline.org to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.