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A TikTok live video of celebrity blogger Perez Hilton allegedly harming himself in his Miami home sparked a flurry of calls to local police, who decided to disengage with Hilton while they monitored the situation.
The Miami-Dade County Sheriff's Office told Newsweek that the office received "multiple calls" about an individual livestreaming acts of self-harm. Deputies were dispatched to Hilton's house and spoke with family members who were on scene. Deputies confirmed Hilton was alone inside and decided to "tactically disengage" while they monitored the situation.
"In many incidents involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis or actively harming themselves, deputies prioritize de-escalation by creating time, distance, and opportunities for communication. Unless there is an immediate threat to others, slowing the situation and utilizing crisis intervention techniques can reduce the likelihood of a suicide-by-cop encounter and minimize the risk of injury to the individual, deputies, and the public," the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office told Newsweek.
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According to dispatch audio obtained by People, Miami authorities received reports of a "possible suicide" at Perez Hilton's address around 6:51 p.m. local time. At 7:59 p.m., the audio from dispatch depicted a response to a “streamer known as Perez Hilton.”
Around 10:41 p.m., dispatch audio referred to a reported "suicide attempt" at Hilton's residence, prompting officers to request assistance from fire rescue personnel. The property was subsequently described as an "active police scene," and authorities later entered the home, the outlet reports. Units were then "en route" to the hospital around 11:30 p.m.
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Dante Rusciolelli, a co-CEO of Golden Artists Entertainment, the talent agency that represents Hilton, told Newsweek on Wednesday that their focus is Perez's "health, recovery and the privacy of both him and his family during this incredibly difficult time."
"We are grateful for the outpouring of concern and support from fans, friends, and members of the media. We respectfully ask that everyone continue to honor his privacy while he receives the care he needs," Rusciolelli said.
Hilton's family released a health update on Hilton's website saying that Hilton is "receiving medical care" and that the family's focus is on his "well-being."
"Many of you have reached out with concern for Perez, and we are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming outpouring of love, support, and prayers," the family said in a statement. "We kindly ask that you respect Perez’s privacy, as well as the privacy of his family, during this difficult time."
The video, which Newsweek will not share, showed Hilton cutting himself and covered in what appeared to be blood. The video has been taken down and TikTok has suspended Hilton's account.
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A TikTok US spokesperson told Newsweek that the company's automated moderation system flagged the livestream within minutes and sent it to the human moderation team to review. TikTok contacted the police about the video and took the video down within about 15 minutes of it being up. The social media company also closed other livestreams within 90 seconds and banned the account.
It is unclear who was home at the time the video was filmed but Hilton has three children. His oldest child, a son, was born in 2013 and his daughters were born in 2015 and 2017.
Hilton was hospitalized in March for an ulcer he got after taking flu medication without food and developed severe sepsis that left him hospitalized for weeks. Then he was hospitalized again for deep vein thrombosis in his leg and had to have a blood clot removed. Hilton told his followers in another post that he was going to be reading the Bible for the first time and credited God for saving his life.
"[God] did something that I can only describe as a miracle. I had been calling out to God for years, opening my heart and inviting Him and now I no longer need to have faith, I no longer need to hope to believe; I know that God is real and that God loves me," Hilton said in a social media video.
Hilton, whose real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., rose to fame in the mid-2000s by turning his blog, PerezHilton.com, into one of the internet's biggest celebrity gossip destinations. Launched in 2004, the site attracted millions of readers with its mix of breaking entertainment news, sharp commentary and often controversial articles.
At a time when social media was still in its infancy, Hilton's unfiltered approach helped reshape celebrity coverage, making him one of the most influential and polarizing voices in entertainment journalism and a regular presence on television and the red carpet.
After his hospital stay, Hilton posted a lengthy video to social media apologizing for his behavior. In the video, he said he carried with him "deep shame and regret" over some of the things he had done in the past and said he would continue to apologize and reach out to make amends to people.
"I made a lot of mistakes in my past. We all have. Nobody's perfect," Hilton said. "But my mistakes are very public... I have apologized publicly and privately to dozens of people."
Hilton said in the past he did not care about whom he hurt and only cared about "the views, the attention, the money." Hilton also said he does celebrity journalism to support his kids, his mother and also his sister who works for him.
"I know there still are people out there who want to see me suffer and want to see me pay for the mistakes and the bad decisions and the hurt that I caused in the past," he said. "'Karma.' And they're entitled to that opinion. It is valid. I earned those thoughts, but I forgive myself."
Family Releases Statement: ‘Able To Communicate’
Hilton’s family said in a statement released on Wednesday that he was “able to communicate,” describing the situation as an “incredibly difficult and emotional” time.
“Our family wants to once again thank everyone who has reached out with prayers, kind messages, and support for Perez. Your compassionate humanity during this heartbreaking time has meant more than words can express,” the statement read.
“This has been incredibly difficult and emotional for us, made even harder because very little information has been made available to our family. While we continue to wait for further updates, we remain hopeful.
“We have also been able to confirm that Perez is able to communicate, which has given our family hope.
“We respectfully ask for your continued prayers, understanding, and grace as Perez continues to recover. We will share additional updates as we receive confirmed information and are able to do so. For now, we’re taking things one step at a time and keeping our focus where it belongs, on Perez and his recovery.
“Again, thank you, truly, for all your support and compassion. We are so grateful.”
Livestream Incident Prompts Online Criticism
The livestreaming of the alleged incident has prompted criticism online. Though it was taken down quickly, some commenters have argued that it was not removed quickly enough.
The journalist Scott Stedman wrote on X: "F*** TikTok, f*** Twitter, f*** all these tech platforms that showed the Perez Hilton self-harming live stream,” while the social media user @_0HOUR1 wrote in a post viewed over 170,000 times, “TikTok should be fined how many kids saw Perez Hilton doing that sh*t for 10 minutes."
Others urged caution as the video circulated online. The social media user @hannahkristine wrote on X: "pls be careful there is a very disturbing video of p*rez hilton going around on twitter rn." The actor Kevin Sorbo wrote: "I do not recommend anybody look up the Perez Hilton video, especially if they're squeamish."
Social media platforms including TikTok have strict content policy guidelines that mean videos including harmful behavior are often detected and taken down.
TikTok states in its community guidelines: "we want TikTok to be a place where you can discuss emotionally complex topics in a supportive way without increasing the risk of harm. We don't allow showing, promoting, or sharing plans for suicide or self-harm."
Newsweek has contacted TikTok for comment outside of standard business hours via email.
What Perez Hilton Has Said About His Mental Health
Over the years, Hilton has spoken openly about his mental health.
In August 2014, he spoke about struggling with mental health in a YouTube video entitled "Talking About Depression," in which he said: "I guess the lesson to be learned is, it's good to let things out."
In June 2019, Hilton wrote in a blog post: "I am in a dark place right now, but it's not pitch black. I am not suffering from anxiety, thankfully. However, depression is rearing its ugly head."
"I don't even want to say depression, or I have it, or I'm suffering from it, cuz I hope, I think, I'm strong enough to fight that. And I'm aware that a potential problem is developing," he said at the time.
Meanwhile in 2024, he wrote: "I am sad that I am not happy... I recently shared a video about having anxiety, but it's more than that. I'm not angry at myself, but I feel like I've been blind.
"You can go from anxiety to depression, real quick. And I have been depressed, like really depressed, for a while now."
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
Update 8/5/26, 11:48 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 8/6/26, 5:33 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Edward T. Cummins, Anna Commander.
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