Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, 48, has been hospitalized after reportedly engaging in self-harm during a livestream broadcast on TikTok. Officials in the Miami-Dade County Sheriff's office said deputies responded to his Florida home after receiving reports of a person who was livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media.
According to Healthline, the video was streamed on TikTok before the platform removed it. While the video was live, viewers pleaded with Hilton and asked for his phone number so they could alert authorities.
A TikTok official later told FOX Business that the livestream was flagged within minutes, but a moderator error delayed its removal. TikTok said it immediately alerted law enforcement and added that the livestream violated the platform's Community Guidelines.
In a statement, Hilton's family confirmed he is currently receiving medical care. "Our family cannot express enough our continued gratitude for the overwhelming outpouring of love, support, and prayers we have received during this incredibly difficult time," the family said.
Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, gained notoriety in the early 2000s by publicizing and sometimes belittling celebrities who made public gaffes. In 2010, he said he would stop making fun of people on his website to discourage teenage bullying. He is a single father with three children, all under the age of 14 and born via surrogacy.
In a YouTube video posted on June 28, Hilton talked about how he was feeling overwhelmed and in a bit of a spiral after moving his family to Miami three years ago.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.