Katie Price has expressed her fears for Perez Hilton following his hospitalisation for self-harming during a TikTok livestream.
The US celebrity blogger sparked widespread concern on Tuesday, with viewers alerting emergency services, who then attended his Miami home and used crisis intervention techniques.
Hilton, real name Mario Lavandeira, was transported to hospital for medical evaluation, after which his family thanked the public for their ‘overwhelming outpouring of love, support, and prayers’ as they focus on his recovery.
In the aftermath, several celebrities and public figures have spoken out on the distressing incident, with Price vowing to ‘reach out’ to him, having been friends with the media personality for years.
Price and Hilton, both 48, first met in Los Angeles in 2008 during filming for her reality show, Katie and Peter: The Next Chapter, with then-husband Peter Andre.
They then shared the Celebrity Big Brother house in 2015, with Price going on to win the series and Hilton (whose provocative antics sparked controversy with other housemates) evicted on day 29.
Speaking about her long-time friend’s mental health crisis, Price told The Sun: ‘I am really concerned for Perez and his mental health. It’s so sad to see him like this.
‘I’m shocked by what has happened. I’ve always liked Perez.’
‘I’ve spoken to him so much over the years, including about surrogacy,’ added the mum-of-five; Hilton has three children born via surrogacy.
She added: ‘I will reach out to him and his family.’
Price went on to liken her public persona to Hilton’s, with the columnist famously embroiled in numerous lawsuits over the years for his use of sensitive celebrity content.
‘I’m a celebrity like him – controversial,’ stated the former glamour model. ‘He’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but then again, neither am I.’
Price has made no secret of her own struggles throughout her career, including severe depression, two breakdowns in 2018 and 2021, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and a suicide attempt.
Over the years, she’s stayed in private mental health hospital The Priory and had therapy to help her understand her conditions and navigate triggers.
Ahead of her recent Sky documentary airing, the I’m A Celebrity star admitted: ‘When I had my breakdown, I don’t think people really knew how bad it was and how it affected people in my life.’
Meanwhile, Hilton, who rose to prominence in the 2000s with his gossip website, spoke highly of Price after becoming friends.
Writing on his site after their first encounter, he said: ‘They were good fun. We had a lovely time chatting with Jordan and Peter.
‘Their self-deprecating humour is definitely appealing. In fact, Jordan is totally cool if we continue to slag her off. And you know we will! We chatted about tons of juicy stuff.’
The latest on his medical state is that he’s ‘able to communicate’, with his family issuing an update via his blog amid the ‘incredibly difficult’ time.
‘This has been incredibly difficult and emotional for us, made even harder because very little information has been made available to our family,’ they added.
‘While we continue to wait for further updates, we remain hopeful.’
Their message concluded: ‘We respectfully ask for your continued prayers, understanding, and grace as Perez continues to recover.
‘We will share additional updates as we receive confirmed information and are able to do so.
‘For now, we’re taking things one step at a time and keeping our focus where it belongs, on Perez and his recovery.’
Social media platform TikTok issued its own statement after being condemned for allowing Hilton’s graphic stream to remain live for 15 minutes.
The company told Deadline that a ‘moderator error’ caused a delay in taking down the video.
Hilton’s account has now been suspended.
Need support?
For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
PAPYRUS offers specialised suicide prevention support for young people. Their HOPELINE247 is open every day of the year, 24 hours a day. You can call 0800 068 4141, text 88247 or email: pat@papyrus-uk.org.