Perez Hilton faces long recovery after self-harm livestream
Perez Hilton, the US celebrity blogger, is in a "serious but stable" condition in hospital after self-harming during a TikTok livestream at his Miami home. His family said he had lost a significant amount of blood and faces a long road to recovery, with surgery expected in the coming days.
Emergency services were called on Tuesday after viewers of the livestream alerted authorities; the 48-year-old, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, was alone at the time. He is being held under Florida's Baker Act, which provides care for people in mental health crises. TikTok said its moderation systems flagged the stream within minutes but a moderator error delayed removal; the platform alerted police, shut down subsequent streams within 90 seconds and banned the account. Hilton, a father of three, rose to fame with his gossip website launched in 2005, which drew 8 million hits a day but was criticised for its harsh commentary on celebrities.
- Perez Hilton hospitalised after self-harming on TikTok livestream
- Family says he faces long recovery; surgery expected soon
- TikTok admits moderator error delayed removing the stream
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Perez Hilton is a well-known American celebrity blogger, real name Mario Lavandeira, who built a huge following in the 2000s with a gossip website known for its blunt, often cutting commentary on stars. He remains a prominent figure in celebrity media and has continued posting regularly on social platforms including TikTok, where he has a large audience.
He is now in hospital after harming himself during a live broadcast from his home in Miami, having lost a significant amount of blood. TikTok, the video-sharing app he was streaming on, has its own systems for spotting harmful content, and has said there was a delay in removing this particular stream due to human error, even though it acted quickly to stop further broadcasts and alerted police.
The case has drawn attention both because of Hilton's fame and because it raises questions about how quickly social media platforms can and should intervene when livestreamed content shows someone in danger. He is currently being cared for under a Florida law that allows people experiencing a mental health crisis to be held for evaluation and treatment.