Perez Hilton, whose real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., is a Miami-based blogger, podcaster, and media personality best known for his blog PerezHilton.com, which covers celebrity gossip. He rose to fame in the 2000s with his provocative style, but has also faced numerous controversies and health struggles.
How Perez Hilton Became Famous
After a brief career in journalism, Hilton launched PerezHilton.com in 2005, focusing on celebrity culture and gossip. Unlike other blogs at the time, his was not a diary or journal but centered on celebrities. He told Cliché Magazine in 2010: 'What set my site apart is that prior to PerezHilton.com, most blogs were mainly online journals and diaries, but that never interested me. I wanted to talk about celebrities because they're far more entertaining.'
His aggressive style quickly earned him enemies, and the site was branded 'Hollywood's Most-Hated Website.' In recent years, Hilton has acknowledged the viciousness of his early work and has attempted to change his approach.
Recent Health Struggles
Hilton has been open about his health issues. In March 2026, he was hospitalized with sepsis and later treated for deep vein thrombosis in his right leg. On August 5, 2026, he was hospitalized after appearing to harm himself during a TikTok livestream. Worried fans contacted emergency services, who 'safely recovered' him and transported him to a local hospital.
His representatives, Golden Artists Entertainment Co-CEOs Dante Rusciolelli and Rebekah Kochan, told TMZ: 'We are aware of the concerning content circulating online involving our client, Perez Hilton. At this time, we have not been able to make direct contact with him, despite our ongoing efforts to reach him. Our primary concern is Perez's health and well-being, as well as the well-being of his family. Until we have confirmed information, we will not speculate or comment further.'
Controversies
Hilton has been involved in several major controversies, including using slurs, bullying, and spreading unverified rumors. In November 2006, photo agency X17Online filed a lawsuit against him, seeking more than $7.5 million in damages for copyright infringement. Hilton claimed fair use, and the case was settled out of court in 2009.
He has also been accused of outing gay celebrities, including Lance Bass and Neil Patrick Harris. He told Access Hollywood: 'It upsets me that people think what I'm doing is a bad thing. I don't think it's a bad thing. If you know something to be a fact, why not report it? Why is that still taboo?' GLAAD and other LGBTQ+ organizations have been critical of his behavior.
In 2010, Hilton was accused of sharing a link to an upskirt picture of Miley Cyrus, who was 17 at the time. He argued that Cyrus was wearing underwear, sharing another image to support his claim. In 2007, he falsely claimed that Cuban President Fidel Castro had died.
Hilton has repeatedly apologized for his past cruelty. In his 2020 memoir 'TMI: My Life in Scandal,' he wrote: 'I have a ton of regrets, particularly because I now see that I never needed to be so mean or cruel. One of the many things I regret is that I hurt so many people by giving them nasty nicknames, and above all that I was unkind to the children of celebrities.'
Celebrity Big Brother Stint
Hilton appeared on series 15 of the UK's Celebrity Big Brother. He was evicted on day 29, making him the seventh housemate to be evicted. During his time on the show, he clashed with several housemates, receiving a warning for threatening behavior towards Ken Morley and a final formal warning for offensive language during an argument with Calum Best.
Family Life
Despite his pseudonym, Hilton is not related to the Hilton dynasty. He is an unmarried, single father with three children, all born via surrogates.
