Perez Hilton is recovering in hospital after the Perez Hilton TikTok livestream raised alarm among viewers who reported seeing him appear to self-harm online. Emergency crews were called to his Miami home on Tuesday after concerned members of the public flagged what police described as a man livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office said the individual was safely recovered and taken to a local hospital, where he is receiving medical attention. Authorities also said their crisis response unit and licensed mental health professionals were at the scene supporting the family. Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, was home alone during the livestream, police confirmed, and his TikTok account was suspended soon after.
In a statement sent to outlets including the LA Times, Newsweek and Rolling Stone, the sheriff's office did not name Hilton but said deputies had responded to reports of a man harming himself. After speaking with family members at the scene, officers chose what they described as a tactical disengagement while they kept monitoring the situation. Police said that approach is often used in mental health crises to create time, distance and room for communication.
The agency said de-escalation can reduce the chance of a so-called suicide-by-cop encounter and lower the risk of injury to the person, deputies and the public. The term refers to situations in which someone attempts to provoke police into using deadly force. In a later update, the sheriff's office said the man had been transported to hospital and that mental health professionals were still providing support and resources to the family.
Hilton's managers, Dante Rusciolelli and Rebekah Kochan, said in a statement to outlets including Variety that they were aware of the concerning content circulating online involving their client. They said they had not been able to make direct contact with him despite continued efforts and stressed that their main concern was Hilton's health, his well-being and that of his family. They also asked for privacy and said they would not speculate further until they had confirmed information.
