Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing or texting “988.”
Perez Hilton, the 48-year-old celebrity blogger whose legal name is Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., was hospitalized on Aug. 4 following a series of emergency calls regarding an incident at his Miami residence. The situation, which involved a disturbing TikTok livestream where Hilton exhibited signs of self-harm, has left his family grappling with the aftermath of what his sister, 42-year-old Barbara Lavandeira, describes as one of the darkest days they have ever endured.
In an interview published Aug. 13, Barbara Lavandeira provided a chilling account of the events leading up to the crisis. She noted that Mario had been acting uncharacteristically, keeping his bedroom door locked throughout the afternoon. “That afternoon, Mario was in his bedroom with the door closed and locked, which wasn’t like him. His door was almost always open,” she recalled. When she knocked, his response was faint and evasive, eventually ceasing altogether, which prompted her to intervene.
Upon entering the bedroom and subsequently the bathroom, Lavandeira discovered a scene she described as a nightmare. She found her brother in a state of severe distress, physically injured and holding a box cutter. This account aligns with details from an unverified video that circulated online, showing an individual appearing to be Hilton in a similar state of crisis. Recognizing the immediate danger, Lavandeira prioritized the safety of Hilton’s three children—Mario, 13, Mia, 11, and Mayte, 8—who were present in the home.
“I left the room, grabbed the car keys, and yelled for the kids to run to the car,” she explained. After ensuring the children were safely removed from the immediate vicinity by a nearby friend, she contacted 911. Reflecting on the encounter, she remarked, “What I can say with certainty is that I didn’t recognize 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.”
Following the incident, the family confirmed that Hilton was placed under Florida’s Baker Act, allowing for an involuntary mental health evaluation. In a public statement, the family emphasized that his recovery will be a long process and urged the public to disregard inaccurate media reports, noting that only statements released via PerezHilton.com are authorized. They also confirmed that the children, along with a niece and sister, were inside the home just moments before the livestream began.
Legal developments have since emerged regarding the care of the children. On Aug. 7, Hilton’s mother, Teresita Lavandeira, filed a petition for temporary custody, a move first reported by Page Six on Aug. 12. Miami family court records confirm that Teresita requested the case be sealed, a request the court subsequently granted.
Natalie F. Guerra-Valdes, the attorney representing Teresita, issued a statement to emphasizing the family’s priorities. “My main concern and objective, as well as the family’s, is to protect the children and make sure they are safe,” Guerra-Valdes stated. She added that the family is focused on providing the children with a sense of normalcy as they begin their journey of healing following the traumatic events.
As of the latest reports, a representative for Hilton has not provided a comment to. The family continues to navigate the complexities of the situation while maintaining their focus on the well-being of the children and the ongoing medical care required for Hilton’s recovery.
4 after police responded to multiple calls about the incident in his Miami home.
“When I knocked, he said he was fine, but I could barely hear him.
“He still didn’t answer, so I unlocked it,” she said.
After I knocked a few more times and asked him to open the door, he stopped responding.
I tried calling his cellphone in case he couldn’t hear me, but he wouldn’t answer.
“Mario was standing in front of the shower, naked, cut up, covered in blood, with a box cutter in his hand.”
Thankfully, our mom wasn’t home at the time, and I was able to get everyone out quickly,” she said.
She opted out of sharing “many of the specific details” because “they’re too painful, graphic and overwhelming.”
8 update, the Hilton family revealed that the celebrity blogger was being held under Florida’s Baker Act, a state law that allows an individual to be involuntarily taken to a facility to undergo mental health examinations, according to the Florida Department of Children and Families.
7, according to Miami family court records obtained by.
Contributing: Liza Esquibias, Anthony Thompson and Taijuan Moorman
