Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton’s children were home when he suffered an apparent mental breakdown while live streaming at his Miami house, family members said Thursday.
The 48-year-old father of three was hospitalized Tuesday following an episode that triggered concerns of self-harm while he was live streaming. His family expressed concerns for Hilton’s loved ones in a statement posted to the PerezHilton.com website.
“Just minutes before the public livestream incident, Perez’s children, niece, and sister were inside the home,” the announcement reads. “When it became clear that Perez was experiencing a severe mental health crisis and harming himself, they immediately fled to protect the children from witnessing any further trauma.”
A Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s deputy asks the media to step back as he visits the home where Perez Hilton was found after he appeared to harm himself during a TikTok livestream on Aug. 5, 2026, in Westchester, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
TMZ reported that Hilton suffered injuries that may have been inflicted with a knife. He was bleeding when first responders arrived.
His family said “helping the children begin to heal from what they experienced” is paramount at this point. That process is said to include a safe return to their home, where they can work toward re-establishing a sense of normalcy.
“For the children’s safety, privacy, and well-being, we respectfully ask members of the media, paparazzi, content creators, and the public to leave the area surrounding the family’s home and not return,” they stated.
In an aerial view, the home where Perez Hilton was found after he appeared to harm himself during a TikTok livestream on Aug. 5, 2026, in Westchester, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Hilton, a Florida native who attended New York University, was born Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr. He began blogging about celebrities in 2004, which led to himself achieving name recognition. ABC News reported in 2007 that his website garnered 4.5 million hits daily. NBC News in Miami reported that PerezHilton.com once averaged 8 million daily clicks.
Hilton told fans in April that he’d experienced a health scare in April resulting from a blood clot in his leg. He also said he was hospitalized for 21 days in March due to an ulcer.
Hilton’s family described his current medical situation as an “unimaginably difficult time.”