Perez Hilton’s family has said the celebrity blogger is now ‘able to communicate’ while still recovering in hospital from an alarming self-harm incident.
‘This has been incredibly difficult and emotional for us, made even harder because very little information has been made available to our family. While we continue to wait for further updates, we remain hopeful,’ his family said.
‘We have also been able to confirm that Perez can communicate, which has given our family hope.’
Perez, 48, has been in hospital after a TikTok livestream appeared to allegedly show him harming himself.
The incident prompted concerned viewers to alert the emergency services to his house.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office told CNN they ‘received multiple calls regarding an individual who was livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media’.
They said: ‘Deputies quickly located the individual’s residence, where they spoke with family members on scene, and confirmed he was alone inside.
‘In many incidents involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis or actively harming themselves, deputies prioritise de-escalation by creating time, distance and opportunities for communication.
‘Unless there is an immediate threat to others, slowing the situation and utilising crisis intervention techniques can reduce the likelihood of injury to the individual, deputies and the public.’
The sheriff added that its crisis response unit and licensed mental health professionals were dispatched to the scene and they have provided support for Hilton’s family.
Samaritans are here to listen, day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit samaritans.org for more information.
They also added that Hilton was ‘safely recovered’ and transported to a local hospital, where he is receiving medical attention. His current condition has not been confirmed.
After the livestream ended, graphic clips that appeared to allegedly show Hilton covered in blood began to circulate on social media.
This comes just months after Hilton suffered a string of serious health problems.
In March, he revealed he had been hospitalised with severe sepsis while in Las Vegas.
Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira Jr, rose to fame in the 2000s with his celebrity gossip website PerezHilton.com and has remained a well-known online personality for more than two decades.
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