Who Is Perez Hilton? 6 Things to Know About the Celebrity Blogger — Including His Health Setbacks

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton made his mark on Hollywood culture through his provocative namesake gossip platform.

Launched in 2004, PerezHilton.com quickly earned widespread attention and earned the moniker "Hollywood's Most Hated Website." According to its About page, the site has become "one of the leading go-to sites for celebrity news, garnering over 300 million hits a month."

"I kind of love what the name is all about," he said. "It's satirizing. It's celebrating. And it's a clash of these two worlds, which is what I am. I'm g--, I'm Latino and I've infiltrated this pop culture vernacular world craziness… I try not to become friends with celebrities. Sometimes it just happens."

More than two decades after beginning his controversial career as a celebrity blogger, here's everything to know about Hilton's life, family and professional journey.

Hilton, whose real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., was born at Hialeah Hospital in Florida on March 23, 1978. He was raised by his Cuban parents in the neighborhoods of Little Havana and Westchester, later attending Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in Miami.

"I was picked on more for being fat than I was for being clearly g--, but in the closet," he told CBS4's Shannon Hori before a book signing in Miami Beach in 2011. "You know I went to this all boys school in Miami, no way I could ever have been out."

The South Florida native soon come to New York University Tisch School of the Arts on a full scholarship.

"The first year was my favorite memory just because it was all so new and there were so many firsts," he shared in an interview with Washington Square News, NYU's student-run newspaper. "Living with people, being on my own, not having to have a car, being so independent and coming out — it was all magical."

The drama major moved to Los Angeles, Calif., after graduating from NYU in 2000. He wrote a children's book, starred in several music videos and officially launched his website.

Hilton also made guest appearances in TV shows, including Glee and Hot in Cleveland.

"Over the course of the last few months, I feel like I've almost come full circle because I've been doing a lot of acting which I didn't think about or actively pursue, but just happened," he shared.

Hilton's blistering, no-holds-barred writing style on his eponymous blog established him as a prominent figure in the media landscape.

"I was really one of the first to use the Internet to talk about celebrities, because when I first started in 2004, there was no TMZ or magazines using their websites to break celebrity news," he said. "People and Us just used their websites to get people to sign up for subscriptions to the magazines. I would never take credit for all of that, but I did help take part in changing to the way people consume media."

Per Hilton, PerezHilton.com stood out because he decided to use an informal, opinion-driven style in his stories.

He explained to Washington Square News, "It was just unlike anything before. The tone was fresh and different, I was doing something new and doing it in a new way. I was very subjective, it was all about my opinion. The big difference and the consequences came from talking to my readers like I talk to my friends."

However, his involvement in media controversies and the publication of inaccurate gossip reportedly led him to regret the harm he caused others.

"I have tons of regrets," he admitted. "I don't want to name specific people or instances because I don't want to open wounds for those people. Where I am today is wiser, but I would rather be less wise and not have hurt certain people."

In a 2021 interview with Sky News, Hilton expressed regret over his harsh treatment of Britney Spears. He previously featured T-shirts bearing the text, "Why couldn't it be Britney?" on his website following actor Heath Ledger's death in 2008.

Hilton's relentless celebrity takedowns and allegations, however, soon landed him in legal troubles.

In 2007, Zomba Label Group sued him for allegedly posting unreleased songs of Spears, while DJ Samantha Ronson filed a defamation lawsuit over claims connected to Lindsay Lohan. That same year, Universal City Studios Productions accused him of copyright infringement after he published a t-------- image of Jennifer Aniston from unreleased footage from The Break-Up.

Hilton also made headlines in 2009 after alleging in a video blog that Black Eyed Peas manager Polo Molina had assaulted him at a MuchMusic Video Awards after-party. Additionally, he faced widespread criticism for dismissing reports about Michael Jackson's medical emergency as a publicity stunt, then deleting his post after the King of Pop's death was confirmed.

Hilton announced the birth of his first son, Mario Armando Lavandeira III, in a post on his website in February 2013.

"I am ready to announce that earlier this month I was blessed with the birth of my first child, a beautiful and healthy baby boy — with lots of hair on his tiny head,"

His younger children, Mia Alma and Mayte Amor, were born in 2015 and 2017, respectively.

In a Huffington Post essay published in 2017, the media personality said his kids are his "genetically" after welcoming them with the help of gestational carriers.

"Each was born thanks to the generosity of a different surrogate, using eggs from the same anonymous donor," he wrote. "While I don't rule out adoption in the future, for me it was important to have kids with my DNA. My dad passed away when I was 15 and having my children is a way of him living on through them ― literally."

Hilton has been hospitalized three times in 2026.

He first spent 21 days in the hospital in March after developing an ulcer, a gastrointestinal perforation and sepsis. Shortly after being discharged, he was readmitted due to deep vein thrombosis that required him to undergo an emergency thrombectomy.

Then, on August 4, he was transported to a Miami hospital after a TikTok livestream appeared to show him engaging in self-harm. Deputies with the Miami-Dade County Sheriff's Office later confirmed that Hilton — who was not initially identified publicly — had been "safely recovered and transported by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to a local hospital, where he is receiving medical attention."

They also met with Hilton's family outside the residence and learned his children were not at home at the time.

"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," a spokesperson for MDCSO said in a statement. "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."

After he was transported to a medical facility, Hilton's family and team released a statement on his website confirming he was receiving medical care.

"Many of you have reached out with concern for Perez, and we are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming outpouring of love, support, and prayers," they said. "We can confirm that Perez is receiving medical care, and our family's focus right now is on his well-being."

They continued, "We kindly ask that you respect Perez's privacy, as well as the privacy of his family, during this difficult time. If and when we are able to share any updates, we will do so with everyone as soon as we can. Thank you for your compassion, understanding, and continued support."