If you grew up online in the 2000s and 2010s, then chances are you know who Perez Hilton is.
Once feared across Hollywood and beyond for his caustic and catty takes on the latest celebrity tittle-tattle, Hilton was arguably the most polarising gossip-monger on the planet at one point.
But who is the man behind the moniker (Perez Hilton is a pseudonym he based on socialite Paris Hilton)?
How did a man who was once the managing editor of the magazine Instinct reject the label of journalist and embrace spreading gossip on his blog?
To answer the question, ‘Who is Perez Hilton?’, we’ll cover the highs and lows of the man who (for better or worse) redefined celebrity journalism.
Who is Perez Hilton?
Perez Hilton (real name Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr.) is a Miami-based blogger, podcaster, and media personality best known for his blog PerezHilton.com, which covers celebrity gossip.
How did Perez Hilton become famous?
Following a brief career in journalism, Hilton became infamous online for his controversial but popular blog PerezHilton.com, which began in 2005 and covers celebrity culture and gossip.
Hilton himself has noted that part of his success comes down to the fact that, unlike other blogs at the time, his wasn’t a diary or journal and instead focused on the great and good of Tinseltown.
‘What set my site apart is that prior to PerezHilton.com, most blogs were mainly online journals and diaries, but that never interested me,’ he told Cliché Magazine in 2010. ‘I wanted to talk about celebrities because they’re far more entertaining.’
However, soon after launching the blog, Hilton’s provocative and aggressive style of blogging began to earn him and the website enemies, ultimately leading to the site being branded Hollywood’s Most-Hated Website.
In recent years, Hilton has attempted to pivot away from the caustic style of journalism that defined his early career, acknowledging the viciousness of his early work and the need to change.
Perez Hilton’s recent health struggles
Hilton has been open about his health struggles in recent years. In March 2026, he was hospitalised with sepsis and later had to be treated for deep vein thrombosis in his right leg.
On August 5, 2026, Perez was hospitalised after appearing to harm himself during a TikTok livestream. Worried fans watching at home then contacted emergency services, who ‘safely recovered’ and transported Hilton to a local hospital, where he is receiving medical attention.
‘We are aware of the concerning content circulating online involving our client, Perez Hilton,’ Hilton’s representatives, Golden Artists Entertainment Co-CEOs Dante Rusciolelli and Rebekah Kochan, told TMZ.
‘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.’
Perez Hilton controversies
During his career, Hilton has been embroiled in several major controversies, including the use of slurs, bullying, and spreading unverified rumours.
The most notable of these include repeated claims of copyright infringement by paparazzi whose photos he’s alleged to have used without permission.
In November 2006, the photo agency X17Online filed a lawsuit against him in federal court, seeking more than $7.5million in damages. Hilton defended his use of the photos by claiming it’s fair use, as he regularly alters them with humorous captions. In 2009, the case was settled out of court.
Hilton is also alleged to have outed several gay celebrities over the years, including former NSYNC member Lance Bass and Neil Patrick Harris.
‘It upsets me that people think what I’m doing is a bad thing,’ Hilton told Access Hollywood when asked about his behaviour. ‘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?’
A number of LGBTQ+ allies and organisations, including Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), have been highly critical of Hilton’s behaviour.
In 2010, meanwhile, Hilton was accused of sharing a link on Twitter to an upskirt picture of Miley Cyrus, who was 17 at the time. As Cyrus was a minor at the time, there were questions as to whether Hilton could be charged with spreading child pornography.
Perez later argued that Cyrus was wearing underwear in the photo, sharing another image of Cyrus purportedly taken at the same time which showed she was wearing underwear.
Arguably one of the more bizarre controversies he was involved in was when, in 2007, he falsely claimed that the Cuban President Fidel Castro had died.
Hilton has repeatedly apologised for the cruelty and bullying that defined his early career in the 2000s.
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.’
What happened to Perez Hilton on Celebrity Big Brother?
Perez Hilton appeared on series 15 of the UK version of Celebrity Big Brother. The blogger was evicted on day 29, making him the seventh housemate to be evicted from the house.
During his time on the show, Perez butted heads with several of his housemates.
Notably, he was given a warning for his threatening behaviour towards Ken Morley and later received a final formal warning for using offensive and threatening language during an argument with Calum Best.
Who is Perez Hilton’s family?
Despite his pseudonym, Hilton is not a member of the Hilton dynasty. He is an unmarried, single father with three children whom he had via surrogates.