5 hours ago
18
Perez Hilton is “able to communicate”, according to a new statement released by his family, one day after the celebrity blogger appeared to self-harm during a disturbing TikTok livestream that prompted his hospitalization.
In a message posted to Hilton’s blog on Wednesday evening, his family thanked supporters for the outpouring of concern.
“Our family wants to once again thank everyone who has reached out with prayers, kind messages, and support for Perez,” the statement reads. “Your compassionate humanity during this profoundly heartbreaking time has meant more than words can express.”
The family said the ordeal has been “incredibly difficult and emotional”, but added that they “remain hopeful” about Hilton’s condition.
Hours before that update, Hilton’s team and family confirmed in a separate statement that he is “receiving medical care” and his “family’s focus right now is on his well-being”, while also thanking fans for their support.
Hilton was taken to a hospital late Tuesday after a TikTok live stream led many viewers to contact authorities, the Miami-Dade county sheriff’s office confirmed to multiple media outlets.
During the live stream, Hilton appeared to be covered in blood and was shown to be self-harming as viewers flooded the comments urging him to stop.
Emergency responders were seen outside Hilton’s Miami, Florida, home on Tuesday night after members of the public reported witnessing the incident on the live stream. Minutes later, Hilton’s TikTok account was suspended.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Miami-Dade sheriff’s office did not identify Hilton by name but confirmed deputies responded after receiving reports of a man “livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media”.
The sheriff’s office told CNN that authorities “spoke with family members on scene, and confirmed he was alone inside” before de-escalating the situation.
Although TikTok removed the livestream, screen recordings quickly spread across platforms including X and Instagram. The circulation of the footage prompted users to encourage others to disable video autoplay and mute mentions of Hilton, while also drawing criticism of TikTok for allowing the graphic live stream.
Born Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr, the blogger adopted the name Perez Hilton as a play on the hotel heiress Paris Hilton. He has long described himself as the “original influencer”, launching his celebrity gossip blog in 2004 and becoming one of the most recognizable figures during the rise of blogs and online tabloids in the early internet era.
