Urgent.News

What's breaking now, across thousands of outlets.

Health & Medicine

Perez Hilton in serious but stable condition following self-harm incident

The celebrity blogger’s family has asked members of both the media and the public to stop visiting his home, as he prepares to undergo surgery.

Perez Hilton in serious but stable condition following self-harm incident

Perez Hilton, the US blogger behind the celebrity gossip blog, is currently in a serious yet stable condition following a hospital admission. The incident occurred after emergency services were alerted to a situation during a TikTok livestream of self-harm acts in his Miami home on Tuesday. While the Miami sheriff's office didn't disclose his identity, they confirmed the man was alone in the house at the time.

Hilton, 48, experienced significant blood loss during the incident, and his treatment and recovery are expected to be a lengthy process. His family confirmed he is being held in the hospital under Florida's Baker Act, a law focused on providing services for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, is a father of three and is anticipated to undergo surgery in the coming days.

TikTok's automated moderation systems flagged the livestream within minutes, alerting the company's US moderation team for review. However, a moderator error caused a delay in removing the content. Despite this, TikTok alerted law enforcement, promptly closed subsequent streams within 90 seconds, and subsequently banned the account.

The pseudonym 'Perez Hilton' is a nod to Paris Hilton, who was at the peak of her fame when Hilton launched his blog in 2005. The website quickly gained popularity, attracting 8 million hits daily during a time when the internet was still in its infancy. Over the years, Hilton faced criticism for his vicious commentary on celebrities such as Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga.

In recent years, he has expressed regret for his mean or cruel behavior and has made appearances on reality TV shows like Celebrity Rap Superstar and Celebrity Big Brother.

Written by urgent.news from BBC News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

This story

This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.

Read the original at smh.com.au →

More in Health & Medicine

More from Sunday 9 August →