Perez Hilton’s friends share new details of condition as recovery could take 'months or years'
Warning: This article contains discussion of self-harm which some readers may find distressing.
Perez Hilton's friends have shared new details about his condition and possible release after he was detained and hospitalised following an incident on a livestream.
The celebrity blogger was taken into the care of emergency services who had been called to his home in Miami after members of the public reported seeing him self-harm on the online stream.
The 48-year-old, whose real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., was rushed into hospital on 4 August. His family and friends have since spoken out about what happened and have provided regular updates on his recovery.
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His family said last week that he was in a 'serious but stable' condition and that he had been detained under Florida’s Baker Act. He was taken to hospital for treatment and over concerns for his mental health.
“He experienced significant blood loss and sustained additional injuries that will require surgery in the coming days,” the statement from his loved ones read.
“His treatment and recovery will be a long process. We are grateful that Perez was able to spend time with his mother and sister yesterday."
Meanwhile, his sister, Barbara Lavandeira, opened up about the incident, saying it was ‘one of the darkest days’ in her family’s life. She had been at her brother’s house in Miami when she noticed his bedroom door was closed and said it was ‘unusual’.
After realising he was in the bathroom, she told Page Six: “Mario was standing in front of the shower, naked, cut up, covered in blood, with a box cutter in his hand,” she said.
“What I can say with certainty is that I didn’t recognise my brother when I looked at him. 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.”
After the interview, and in an update on the blogger's official website, his sister explained why she opened up about the incident.
She said: "The past several days have been incredibly difficult. I rarely give interviews, but I felt it was important to speak on the record about what happened, share what I personally witnessed, and address some of the misinformation circulating."
Friends say recovery could take 'months or years'
In a new update, friends of the celebrity blogger have said they have no idea how long his road to recovery will be, referencing possible 'months or years'.
"Perez knows that something happened and he knows that things aren't good right now," a friend told the Daily Mail.
"He's not able to fully process what happened. This is not going to be something where in five days, I'm like, 'he's fine,' This is months, maybe years," the friend said.
Once medically discharged, reports suggest that Hilton will then be transferred to a secure mental health facility where specialists will evaluate his condition. He could there be released if no longer deemed a danger to himself or others, or remain detained.
Perez Hilton's team have been approached for comment by LADbible.
Who is Perez Hilton?
Perez Hilton, real name Mario Lavandeira, is a celebrity gossip columnist, whose pen name is a pun on socialite Paris Hilton.
The 48-year-old launched his website PerezHilton.com in 2004, originally using free WiFi in coffee shops because he couldn’t afford to install an internet connection in his home.
But he became infamous in the Noughties for his controversial coverage of the era’s biggest stars.
He had high-profile friendships with the likes of Lady Gaga, Amanda Bynes and Lindsay Lohan, but other celebs such as Mila Kunis called out what she described as his ‘mean’ coverage.
Hilton appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2015. He also fronted ITV show Perez Hilton Superfan in 2011, with appearances from Katy Perry, Kelly Rowland and Enrique Iglesias.
Writing in his 2020 memoir TMI: My Life in Scandal, Hilton said: “I have a ton of regrets, particularly because I now see that I never needed to be so mean or cruel.
“One of the many things I regret is that I hurt so many people by giving them nasty nicknames, and above all that I was unkind to the children of celebrities. I have apologised publicly and privately to dozens of people."
In March 2026, Hilton was hospitalised with sepsis for three weeks from a perforated ulcer and was forced to undergo emergency surgery.
He said that following the experience, he would ‘start taking the kids to church every week’.
Hilton is a single father to three children: Mario, 13, Mia, 11, and Mayte, 8.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123 or contact Harmless by visiting their website https://harmless.org.uk.
Topics: Celebrity News, Celebrity, US News
James Holt