Perez Hilton was in serious condition Saturday at a Florida hospital after he livestreamed what appeared to be self-harm from his Miami-area home Tuesday night, his family said in a statement.
The blogger, known for celebrity news and criticism, has been stabilized, but his injuries will require surgery, the family said on Hilton’s website.
“He experienced significant blood loss and sustained additional injuries that will require surgery in the coming days,” it said. “His treatment and recovery will be a long process.”
The video appeared to show Hilton, 48, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, covered in blood with visible cuts and holding what appeared to be a knife.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said it responded to a home on reports of a person “livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media.” They “safely recovered” a person, who was then hospitalized, the office said in an earlier statement that didn’t name Hilton.
TikTok took down the livestream after automated moderation systems flagged it, a company spokesperson said. However, a moderator error caused a delay in the stream being removed, a spokesperson confirmed.
The family said in Saturday’s statement that Hilton is hospitalized under the Baker Act. The Florida law allows family members, doctors, law enforcement or other professionals to seek emergency mental health services and temporarily hold a person over concerns for their mental health or propensity for self-harm.
“His communication has been extremely limited and confined to immediate family, medical providers, and others directly involved in his care,” the family statement said. “He has not communicated with the media or issued any public statements.”
The family said it “remains focused on Perez’s treatment and recovery.”
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 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
