Perez Hilton's mother has filed for temporary custody of his three children following the celebrity blogger's hospitalisation. Teresita Lavandeira submitted a petition seeking temporary custody of the 48-year-old's three minor children, according to TMZ.
Custody filing and privacy request
In the filing, Teresita also asked for court records to be sealed to protect the children's privacy. She said: 'The children in this case should not be subjected to any further trauma related to the incidents that are the basis of the petition.'
Background of hospitalisation
The development comes days after Hilton's family confirmed he remained in a 'serious but stable' condition in hospital following a livestream from his Miami home. Police attended the property on Tuesday after members of the public raised concerns about the livestream.
His family later said his three children, as well as his sister and niece, had been forced to leave the home to prevent them from 'witnessing any further trauma'. Hilton, whose real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr, is a father to three children – a son and two daughters – who were born via surrogate.
Family statement on recovery
In a statement shared on his website on Saturday, his family said his recovery was expected to be a 'long process'. They said: 'Perez's condition remains serious but stable. He experienced significant blood loss and sustained additional injuries that will require surgery in the coming days. His treatment and recovery will be a long process.'
The family added that Hilton had been able to spend time with his mother and sister, but communication with him remained 'extremely limited and confined to immediate family, medical providers, and others directly involved in his care'. They stressed that Hilton had not spoken to the media or released any public statements since being hospitalised.
In an earlier statement, the family placed particular emphasis on the wellbeing of Hilton's children following what they described as a 'severe mental health crisis'. They said: 'Our highest priority right now is helping the children begin to heal from what they experienced. An important part of that process is allowing them to safely return home and begin rebuilding a sense of security and normalcy.'
Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office previously confirmed officers had responded to reports concerning a man who was livestreaming while apparently harming himself. Hilton first rose to prominence during the 2000s through his celebrity gossip website, becoming one of the most recognisable figures of the era's online entertainment culture. He later expanded into television and has appeared on reality shows including Celebrity Rap Superstar and Celebrity Big Brother.
