Perez Hilton's Sepsis Hospitalization Revealed Amid Celebrity Backlash
Celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton has publicly disclosed the medical crisis that left him hospitalized for three weeks, revealing he developed sepsis after taking flu medication without food. The 48-year-old media personality shared extensive details about his 21-day hospital stay, during which he underwent laparoscopic surgery and developed serious complications including fluid in his lungs and heart problems.
Kristen Johnston's Scathing Criticism
Hilton's recovery announcement has been overshadowed by criticism from actress Kristen Johnston, best known for her role in the 1990s sitcom 3rd Rock From The Sun. Johnston wrote in a since-deleted Threads post that Hilton needs to "make amends" to women he allegedly hurt through his bruising gossip blogging during the 2000s.
The 58-year-old actress detailed her own experience with opiate addiction recovery, during which she was "extremely underweight for about a year, nauseous & barely able to eat." Johnston accused Hilton of writing "the meanest s*** about me & my weight" and "making fun of how I looked," claiming his posts "led to a vicious social media pile-on by his followers."
Hilton's Medical Ordeal Detailed
In a YouTube video, Hilton explained that his "stupidity" led to the medical emergency. After having the flu for a week and taking medication without food, he developed an ulcer that perforated and led to sepsis. "People die of Sepsis," Hilton emphasized, describing intense stomach pain that left him unable to walk and requiring ambulance transport to Southern Hills Hospital in Las Vegas.
The blogger detailed multiple medical procedures including:
- Laparoscopic surgery after five days of hospitalization
- Treatment for fluid in his lungs
- Management of a resulting heart problem
- Additional hospital-acquired infections
- Use of a feeding tube followed by eating difficulties
Hilton showed significant weight loss and required a pick line inserted into his arm with lines leading to his heart. He described the experience as "the worst and best thing that's ever happened to me," citing a newfound religious awakening that has led him to plan enrolling his children in Catholic school.
Celebrity Reactions and Support
Johnston's criticism received support from other celebrities who have been targets of gossip blogging. DJ Samantha Ronson, who famously dated Lindsay Lohan during intense media scrutiny, bluntly commented "F*** him forever" according to Us Weekly. Comedian Elayne Boosler joked that "Poor Jesus gets stuck with all these a******s."
Dumb And Dumber actress Lauren Holly offered support to Johnston, writing "How brutal. I'm sorry you went through any of that. You are so strong." Johnston acknowledged Hilton's recovery with "Good for him & I hope he gets healthy," but emphasized she would "never forget how casually & relentlessly he'd attack women & young girls in the 2000s."
Hilton's Changed Perspective
The blogger, who launched his celebrity gossip site in 2004 originally as PageSixSixSix.com, has previously expressed regret about his coverage of Britney Spears' 2007 breakdown. He admitted in 2021 that he "regrets a lot or most of what I said about Britney" and acknowledged having "grown over the years."
Following his hospitalization, Hilton vowed to make significant lifestyle changes including:
- Getting at least eight hours of sleep nightly instead of four to five
- Having dinner with his three children every night
- Reducing his intense work schedule
- Focusing more on family than celebrity gossip
Hilton thanked his sister who flew from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to help care for him, as well as his mother who visited him in the hospital. He described watching television coverage of various celebrity news while hospitalized, including Britney Spears' arrest and Chuck Norris' death.
The media personality, who shares three children via surrogate, emphasized that while he's home, he's "not 100 percent" recovered. He ended his video message with "I am back and I send you all love," marking a potentially transformed approach to both his health and his career following the near-fatal medical crisis.
