Perez Hilton received inpatient psychiatric treatment for severe depression in the weeks preceding his recent mental health crisis, according to new revelations from his sister.
Barbara Lavandeira disclosed in an interview published Thursday, August 13, that the 48-year-old blogger had voluntarily admitted himself to a hospital facility after confiding troubling thoughts to his family. She described how Hilton opened up about experiencing profound emotional distress.
"He told us that a few days earlier, he had felt empty, hopeless and like he was a burden on everyone," Barbara Lavandeira told Page Six. "He then admitted that one night when he couldn't sleep, he had taken the remaining painkillers from his surgery in March. He said he just wanted to sleep."
Barbara Lavandeira recognized the courage required for her brother to share such vulnerable information with his family. She urged him to seek professional psychiatric intervention, and Hilton agreed to the recommendation. She transported him to the hospital immediately following their conversation.
"He went voluntarily," she told Page Six. "After several days of evaluation and treatment, the facility determined that he could be discharged."
Following his release from the psychiatric facility, Hilton appeared to be making progress in his recovery. Barbara Lavandeira observed noticeable improvements in both his demeanor and physical appearance.
"He looked better, too. We spent time together as a family, and he started looking up coping mechanisms and grounding techniques he had learned during his short stay [in the hospital]," she told Page Six. She noted that Hilton also resumed his regular therapy appointments.
On the same day as his livestream incident, Hilton had participated in an intake assessment for an intensive outpatient treatment program. He was scheduled to start group therapy sessions the week following the incident, according to his sister.
Barbara Lavandeira identified multiple potential contributing factors to her brother's mental health emergency.
"There could have been so many things involved, including severe depression, the lingering effects of his hospitalization and sepsis, not sleeping, possible medication reactions and the combination of prescription and over-the-counter medications he took that day," she told Page Six.
Earlier this month, Hilton broadcast a livestream on TikTok during which he allegedly engaged in acts of self-harm. The Miami-Dade police department confirmed to Us Weekly that officers received reports about an individual livestreaming self-harm and were dispatched to Hilton's Florida residence for a possible suicide attempt.
The broadcast continued for 10 minutes before the platform removed it. A TikTok spokesperson stated that a moderation error caused the delayed removal and confirmed that Hilton's account was permanently banned for violating the application's terms of service.
Hilton has remained hospitalized since the incident. An August 8 statement from his family indicated the blogger "experienced significant blood loss and sustained additional injuries" requiring surgical intervention.
On Wednesday, August 12, Hilton's mother, Teresita Lavandeira, filed for temporary custody of his children: Mario, age 13, Mia, age 11, and Mayte, age 8. Court documents obtained by Us Weekly show that Hilton voluntarily consented to the custody arrangement during his hospitalization.
Those experiencing a mental health crisis or suicidal thoughts can access immediate support by calling or texting 988, or by visiting 988lifeline.org for online chat services.