Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton is receiving medical care at a Miami hospital after deputies responded to multiple calls about a TikTok livestream showing apparent self-harm, an incident that ended with an involuntary psychiatric hold under Florida law.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office confirmed it received multiple calls Tuesday evening about an individual livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media. Deputies quickly located Hilton's Miami residence, spoke with family members on scene, and confirmed the 47-year-old blogger, born Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., was alone inside the home.
A source close to the situation told Fox News Digital that Hilton had "wounds and cuts all over the place" and "superficial cuts all over the body." The source added: "He's alive."
Rather than force immediate entry, deputies chose to slow the situation down. A Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office spokesperson explained the reasoning in a statement to Fox News Digital:
"In many incidents involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis or actively harming themselves, deputies prioritize de-escalation by creating time, distance, and opportunities for communication. Unless there is an immediate threat to others, slowing the situation and utilizing crisis intervention techniques can reduce the likelihood of a suicide-by-cop encounter and minimize the risk of injury to the individual, deputies, and the public."
Deputies tactically disengaged while continuing to monitor the situation. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue eventually transported Hilton to a local hospital, where he began receiving medical attention. The Sheriff's Office Crisis Response Unit and licensed mental health professionals were also dispatched to the scene to support Hilton's family.
The source close to the situation said Hilton was placed under a Baker Act hold. Florida's Baker Act gives law enforcement officers, judges, and certain mental health professionals the authority to order an involuntary mental health evaluation when specific legal criteria are met. Under the law, an individual can be held at a designated facility for an emergency psychiatric evaluation lasting up to 72 hours.
On Wednesday, Hilton's family and team released a statement on his website confirming he is receiving medical care.
"We can confirm that Perez is receiving medical care, and our family's focus right now is on his well-being. We kindly ask that you respect Perez's privacy, as well as the privacy of his family, during this difficult time."
The statement added that the family would share updates "if and when we are able to." Hilton's representative did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Hilton recently moved to Miami with his mother, who is 73, and his three young children. The city is his hometown.
Tuesday's incident follows a difficult stretch for Hilton. Earlier this year, he spent 21 days in the hospital battling severe sepsis that stemmed from complications related to the flu. He developed an ulcer and stomach perforation after taking medication on an empty stomach and required emergency surgery and weeks of treatment.
After that hospitalization, Hilton shared a candid video in which he described a spiritual experience. He said God had "presented himself to me and then did something. Something I can only call miraculous." He called the experience "life-changing."
In a follow-up video, Hilton tearfully addressed his past conduct as the celebrity gossip blogger who rose to fame in the mid-2000s after launching his website in 2004. He acknowledged the harm his work had caused:
"I made a lot of mistakes in my past. We all have. Nobody's perfect. But my mistakes are very public. The internet is forever. Receipts are forever. I carry with me deep shame and regret. I'm sorry. I will continue to apologize. I have also reached out to make amends. I've apologized publicly and privately to dozens of people."
He went further, describing the cost of years spent chasing attention at others' expense:
"Because I was so selfish, because I didn't care who I hurt. I just cared about the views, the attention, the money, people hated me. Some people enjoyed it, but it felt like most people hated me. And last week, since I've been home, I haven't been getting as much hate, and I've been getting love and prayers."
Hilton also said his faith had given him "a new lease on life and a new opportunity to truly be better and do better."
Whatever led to Tuesday evening's crisis, the facts paint a picture of a man who had been publicly grappling with his past, his health, and his search for something more stable. His family is now asking the public to give him the space to find it.
