Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Perez Hilton has a “long road” to recovery after livestreaming self-harm on TikTok last week, his sister says. Hilton’s sister, Barbara Lavandeira, gave an interview to “Page Six” on Thursday in which she shared updates about the celebrity blogger’s condition and details of what happened the night Hilton was hospitalized.
“I’m talking now for everyone who cares about him and has been sending their best wishes, but also because of all the rumors, false reporting, fake exclusives and made-up quotes going around,” Lavandeira said. “I want people to hear directly from someone who was actually there.”
Lavandeira, who was at her brother’s home in the Miami area on August 4, told “Page Six” that he was in his bedroom with the door locked, which was unusual for him. Through the door, Hilton told his sister that he was fine, but he eventually stopped responding when she asked him to open the door. She eventually unlocked the door and realized he was in the bathroom with the door locked. She unlocked the bathroom door as well, revealing Hilton in the midst of self-harm.
“What I can say with certainty is that I didn’t recognize my brother when I looked at him,” Lavandeira said. “I saw it in his eyes. They didn’t look the same. Then a split second later, he smiled at me. It felt like I was staring at someone else.” She declined to share any more details about her brother’s injuries, calling them “too painful, graphic, and overwhelming.”
Lavandeira told the outlet that her first instinct upon seeing her brother was to remove his three children from the home. After putting the children in the car, she called the police and arranged for her friend to pick up the kids and take them somewhere safe. Afterward, she was able to return to Hilton’s home and tend to her brother’s injuries while waiting for an ambulance. On Wednesday, Hilton reportedly signed over temporary custody of his children to his mother, Teresita Lavandeira.
“His physical and mental recovery is going to take a lot of time, but we remain hopeful,” Barbara Lavandeira said. “Everyone’s focus is on helping him recover physically and making sure he receives the mental and emotional care and support he needs.” Hilton is still in the hospital with no set timeline for his return home.
“I know some people don’t like my brother. Some people even hate him,” she said. “Mario has publicly acknowledged the harm he caused earlier in his career. In 2010, he went on network television and admitted that the outings, doodles and other things he did were wrong, and he has apologized repeatedly. I’m not asking anyone to forget or excuse any of that. I also understand that some people will always believe he hasn’t done enough, despite his efforts.”
“I’m simply asking people to recognize that he has changed tremendously over the past 20 years and has genuinely tried to become a better person,” Lavandeira continued. “I don’t believe someone should be reduced forever to the worst things they did in their past, especially when they’ve admitted the harm and genuinely tried to grow.”
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