Notorious celebrity blogger Perez Hilton has been hospitalized after police were called to his Miami home following a disturbing livestream.
Hilton, 48, appeared to be self-harming during a TikTok live video. The graphic video has been taken down, despite being shared online, and the social media platform has suspended Hilton’s account.
The Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office said it responded to the blogger’s home after receiving “multiple calls” about a person livestreaming acts of self-harm.
The sheriff’s office told the Daily Beast in a statement on Tuesday that Hilton “has been safely recovered and transported by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to a local hospital, where he is receiving medical attention.”
The statement added that a Crisis Response Unit and licensed mental health professionals were “also on scene providing support and resources to the individual’s family.“
Authorities confirmed that Hilton, who has three children, was home alone at the time of the livestream. After speaking with family members at the scene, deputies decided to “tactically disengage.”
“In many incidents involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis or actively harming themselves, deputies prioritize de-escalation by creating time, distance, and opportunities for communication,” the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office said in an initial statement.
The sheriff’s office added, “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 minimize the risk of injury to the individual, deputies, and the public.”
The blogger’s real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., and he calls himself “the OG Influencer” on his social media accounts. His website started gaining traction in 2005, becoming infamous for slamming celebrities and drawing doodles, tears, semen, and vulgar captions on pictures of pop stars and actors.
In addition to his social media presence, the blogger has appeared on reality TV shows including Celebrity Big Brother and Worst Cooks in America. He is a single father to three children welcomed via surrogacy.
The Daily Beast has contacted reps for Hilton for comment.
Earlier this year, Hilton posted a video on Instagram stating that he had been hospitalized for three weeks after initially battling the flu.
He stated that he then developed an ulcer, then a perforation, and then Sepsis, where the body has a severe reaction to an infection.
“The Sepsis just kept working and my body kept falling apart,” Hilton explained in the video in March. “Then one night Rapid Response came ’cause my heart got out of control.”
Shortly after, Hilton was hospitalized again for deep vein thrombosis in his leg and had surgery to remove a blood clot from his leg. He told his followers that God had saved his life.
“[God] did something that I can only describe as a miracle. I had been calling out to God for years, opening my heart and inviting Him and now I no longer need to have faith, I no longer need to hope to believe; I know that God is real and that God loves me,” Hilton said in a social media video in April.
If you or a loved one is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.
