This article mentions self-harm.
As you probably saw, Perez Hilton was hospitalized on Tuesday after he appeared to self-harm while completely nude during an incredibly distressing TikTok livestream, which sparked widespread concern.
The 48-year-old father-of-three made a series of worrying comments during the stream, with the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office being dispatched to his home in Florida after they received numerous desperate calls from online viewers.
Perez was taken to the hospital for medical care, and in the hours since the incident, disturbing graphic videos that show Perez covered in blood were circulated on social media. At the time, his managers Dante Rusciolelli and Rebekah Kochan, said in a statement to Variety and other outlets: “We are 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. Our primary concern is Perez’s health and well being, as well as the well being of his family. Until we have confirmed information, we will not speculate or comment further. We appreciate everyone’s concern and ask that his privacy be respected during this time.”
On Wednesday, Perez’s family issued a further update via the celebrity blogger’s website, where they confirmed that he is able to “communicate.” The statement read: “Our family wants to once again thank everyone who has reached out with prayers, kind messages, and support for Perez. Your compassionate humanity during this heartbreaking time has meant more than words can express. This has been incredibly difficult and emotional for us, made even harder because very little information has been made available to our family. While we continue to wait for further updates, we remain hopeful.”
“We have also been able to confirm that Perez is able to communicate, which has given our family hope,” the statement went on. “We respectfully ask for your continued prayers, understanding, and grace as Perez continues to recover. We will share additional updates as we receive confirmed information and are able to do so. For now, we’re taking things one step at a time and keeping our focus where it belongs, on Perez and his recovery. Again, thank you, truly, for all your support and compassion. We are so grateful.”
For reference, Perez lives with his mom and his three children, ages 13, 11, and 8, who he raises as a single father after welcoming them via surrogate. His sister was also pictured arriving at his home after the news broke online. Officers previously confirmed that Perez was alone in the house during the livestream.
Perez’s podcast cohost Chris Booker also issued a statement, which read: “I am so profoundly sad for Perez and his family and what they’re all are going through. It’s truly unimaginable. I have spoken only briefly with the family. I read the statement that his team released and want to honor their wishes at this impossible time. Even the family is struggling to get updates due to the confidential security measures in place at the hospital because of how many people are trying to get information. Any updates will come via PerezHilton.com.”
“As for the shows (iHeart Podcast and Patreon), it’s all TBD at the moment as our collective focus is on his health. I certainly hope to continue them with my friend when the time is appropriate,” Chris added. “I will give updates there when the time is right. We’ve done these shows for over a decade now and the support from our listeners has been resounding. He is very loved. I can only hope that he feels it. Heal up friend.”
And as the upsetting story continued to dominate social media on Wednesday, 30-year-old Ireland Baldwin took to her Instagram story to share her complicated feelings about the situation, calling out how Perez had treated her family — as well as countless other celebrities — over the years.
If you’re wondering, Ireland’s parents are Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger, and her cousin is Hailey Bieber. Reacting to the news, Ireland wrote: “Perez Hilton has publicly humiliated my family for years, sexualized me from a young age, commented on my weight and body (as a child), made unforgivable comments about people in my family, drew j!zz coming out of my mom’s and friend’s mouths, and has always been a despicable human being.”
“But his children deserve better and a healthy father and I am so sad for all of them,” she concluded. “I hope he gets the help he needs and heals.”
Ireland is not the only celebrity child to call out Perez’s treatment of them in recent months, with Bruce Willis and Demi Moore’s daughter Tallulah Willis sharing her thoughts on him back in October.
Now 32 years old, Tallulah posted a series of red-carpet photos of herself at a Pulp Fiction 30th-anniversary event and screenshots of her famous dad in the movie Die Hard. Referring to the resemblance between her and Bruce, Tallulah wrote: “!! My Lordy! if I am NOT this man’s child 💛💛 Wow this is making me so full and emotional this early Wednesday morning. The face, the smile, dare I say it the chin (hey @perez remember when you bullied a 13 year old for money?) that made me want to end it all, is now the most precious gift I could be bestowed with.”
Tallulah then shared a now-deleted screenshot of an article that Perez wrote about her back in 2008, when she was just 14 years old. She included the paparazzi photos the article was about, which saw her wearing denim hot pants and hugging her dad. The article read: “Bruce Willis’s youngest spawn, Tallulah, lets her butt all hang out. The pair share a smooch and a hug. He might as well give her a pat on the ass while they’re at it! Bruce and Lulah went shopping in West Hollywood on Sunday. If that were our fugly child, we would have bought her a pair of pants!”
She addressed Perez in the caption, which read: “Shame on you for sexualizing a little 14 year olds body as a thirty fucking year old man. The concept that you got a good nights sleep on sheets LITTERALLY paid for by children’s tears is foul. The hurt and damage you elicited on my being stayed with me for too long, but I did not break. I healed, I rose and I conquered.” Tallulah then wrote: “I’m not@looking for pity, I’m looking for a call to arms to support the mental health of young people and their precious relationships with self image. 💛💛 let’s stop the cycle here. Let’s stop stacking hurt on hurt.”
Tallulah later added an “editors note” to her caption “after the heightened emotional surge moved through,” saying of Perez: “My hope for him is that this can invite some inward reflection on past behavior, and explore what was underneath the pull to tear people down. I wish him and his family well. All we can do is kindness 💛💛” Perez did not publicly comment on the callout at the time, but did comment: “Hello, please check your DMs,” on Tallulah’s post. Tallulah has NOT publicly commented on Perez’s hospitalization.
The livestream incident followed a difficult few months for Perez, which all started when he came down with the flu back in February. The following month, the star revealed that taking flu medication without food led to him developing an ulcer in his stomach, which turned into a perforation and then sepsis. Perez was hospitalized with severe sepsis in Las Vegas; he had to have a thrombectomy to remove a blood clot and spent three weeks being bedridden in the hospital.
In late March, Perez told followers that “God presented himself to me” as he reflected on his time in the hospital, calling it “one of the most special things about this experience.”
In May, Perez candidly revealed the financial impact that his hospital stay had had on him in an Instagram video promoting his new merch, telling viewers: “You don’t want to know how much I had to pay in hospital bills, with insurance! That’s why your boy is now in hustle mode, I had all that I had to take care of and I wasn’t able to work for over a month.”
Comments