Perez Hilton, the celebrity blogger, was hospitalized after he appeared to harm himself on camera during a TikTok livestream on Tuesday, the authorities said.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday morning that Mr. Hilton had been transported from his home in Miami to a hospital, where he was receiving medical attention after “livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media.”
Video clips and screenshots from the livestream circulated widely online, appearing to show Mr. Hilton, 48, in distress and injuring himself on camera.
A representative for Mr. Hilton, Dante Rusciolelli, said in an email on Wednesday that he had no additional information on Mr. Hilton’s condition. “Our focus remains on Perez’s health, recovery, and the privacy of both him and his family during this incredibly difficult time,” he said.
On Tuesday evening, sheriff’s deputies went to Mr. Hilton’s house after receiving multiple calls about a disturbing livestream, the sheriff’s office said in a statement Wednesday morning. When officers arrived to his house, they spoke with family members there and confirmed that Mr. Hilton was alone inside.
The sheriff’s office said deputies had monitored the situation rather than engaging directly, seeking to “prioritize de-escalation by creating time, distance, and opportunities for communication,” an approach that it said minimizes harm.
The office later said that mental health professionals were providing support to Mr. Hilton’s family.
He was hospitalized under Florida’s Baker Act, which allows the authorities to commit someone involuntarily for up to 72 hours if that person poses a threat of harm to themselves or others, a sheriff’s office spokesman confirmed.
Mr. Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, rose to fame in the mid-2000s with his popular celebrity gossip website, PerezHilton.com. He was banned from TikTok in 2020 for violating its community guidelines. At the time, Mr. Hilton told The New York Times that he had been “very depressed” and the social media platform “gave me something to really look forward to every day.”
In March, Mr. Hilton said on social media that he had been hospitalized for three weeks with an ulcer and sepsis. Mr. Hilton said that during the experience “God presented himself to me.” In April, Mr. Hilton announced his return to TikTok on social media, thanking both the platform and Jesus.
TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday morning. Mr. Hilton’s account appeared to have been taken down on Wednesday.
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.
James McManagan and David Ovalle contributed reporting.
