Miami‑Dade County released body‑camera video that captures the moments first responders arrived at celebrity blogger Perez Hilton’s home on August 4. The footage shows paramedics setting up a stretcher on the porch while an unidentified woman watches, visibly distressed. A voice off‑camera assures the woman that Hilton is being taken for psychological help.
What led to the emergency response
Deputies from the Miami‑Dade Sheriff’s Office responded after reports that Hilton, a single father of three, was livestreaming self‑harm. According to his sister, she discovered him naked, covered in blood and using a box cutter to cut himself. The livestream, which aired on TikTok before the platform removed it, displayed visible cuts and a knife‑like object, prompting viewers to plead for help and request his phone number to alert authorities.
Immediate medical care
Paramedics placed the blurred figure of Hilton on a stretcher, loaded him into an ambulance, and transported him to a local hospital for a mental‑health evaluation under Florida’s Baker Act. The Baker Act allows for involuntary examination and stabilization of individuals who appear to be a danger to themselves or others.
Family update on recovery
Three months after the incident, Hilton’s family issued a statement confirming that he entered a partial hospitalization program in October. He remains in supportive housing, continues to receive mental‑health care, and is allowed limited family visits. The family emphasized that recovery from a serious mental‑health crisis is a gradual process and that there is no set timeline for returning home.
“This entire experience has been a learning process for our family,” the statement read. “We didn’t fully understand just how much time, care, and support recovery from a serious mental‑health crisis can require. Through conversations with others who have been through similar situations, we’ve come to understand that getting through the initial crisis is only the beginning. There’s no one‑size‑fits‑all timeline, and we’re learning the importance of taking things one step at a time.”
Background on Perez Hilton
Hilton, 48, rose to fame in the early 2000s for his gossip blog that chronicled celebrity missteps. While his style attracted a large online following, it also earned criticism for harsh commentary. In 2010, he publicly apologized for participating in bullying behavior. He recently relocated with his three children from Las Vegas to Miami.
Resources for those in crisis
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental‑health emergency, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or visit 988lifeline.org. Additional resources are available at SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
Original reporting: NBC6 Miami — read the source article.
