Perez Hilton's sister recalls memory she 'can never erase' after discovering bloodied star following disturbing livestream
Warning: This article contains discussion of self-harm which some readers may find distressing.
Perez Hilton’s sister has spoken out about the ‘nightmare’ she found her brother ‘naked and covered in blood’ following his harrowing TikTok livestream.
The 48-year-old celebrity blogger, whose real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., was rushed into hospital on 4 August after members of the public reported seeing him self-harm on the livestream.
Last week, Hilton's family said in a statement that his condition 'remains serious but stable' and confirmed that he remains hospitalised under Florida’s Baker Act.
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“He experienced significant blood loss and sustained additional injuries that will require surgery in the coming days,” the statement 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."
In a new interview, Hilton’s sister Barbara Lavandeira has opened up about the incident, saying it was ‘one of the darkest days’ in her family’s life.
Lavandeira had been at her brother’s house in Miami when she noticed his bedroom door was closed, something she said was ‘unusual’.
“When I knocked, he said he was fine, but I could barely hear him,” she told Page Six.
“After I knocked a few more times and asked him to open the door, he stopped responding. I tried calling his cell phone in case he couldn’t hear me, but he wouldn’t answer. Something just felt wrong.
After entering the bedroom, she realised he was inside the bathroom and after getting no response she unlocked the door.
Inside the bathroom, Lavandeira came face-to-face with her brother in a moment that she said she’ll never be able to erase from her memory.
“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.”
Lavandeira said she ran from the bathroom and grabbed Hilton’s three kids, Mario, 13, Mia, 11, and Mayte, eight, before rushing out of the house and calling the emergency services.
Once the kids were safely removed from the scene, Lavandeira went back inside the house and placed towels on her older brother to stop the bleeding, while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.
She told Page Six he had ‘lost a significant amount of blood’ but was still able to faintly speak.
It has previously been reported that Hilton’s mother has filed for temporary custody of the three kids while he remains in hospital.
Lavandeira went on to say that she had debated speaking out about the incident but wanted to clear up ‘rumours’ and ‘made-up quotes going around’.
She also urged the public to respect her family while they work through this difficult situation.
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.
Claire Reid