TikTok permanently banned Perez Hilton’s account after the celebrity gossip blogger appeared to harm himself during a livestream Tuesday night, the platform confirmed, an incident that also led to his hospitalization.
A TikTok spokesperson told reporters the platform’s automated systems flagged the stream within minutes of it going live, and that a moderator error delayed its removal.
“Our automated moderation systems flagged the live stream within minutes,” the spokesperson said, adding that Mr. Hilton’s account was banned outright for violating TikTok’s community guidelines once the platform reviewed the footage. TikTok also disputed widely circulated claims that the stream ran for roughly 30 minutes, saying it was live for about half that time before subsequent attempts to restart it were shut down within 90 seconds each.
The company said it proactively alerted law enforcement to the situation. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a home in the Westchester neighborhood after receiving multiple calls about a person livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media. Mr. Hilton, whose legal name is Mario Lavandeira, was found alone inside and transported to a hospital, with deputies’ crisis intervention unit “providing support and resources to the individual’s family.”
A statement posted to Mr. Hilton’s website Wednesday said “Perez is receiving medical care, and our family’s focus is on his well-being,” and asked the public to respect the family’s privacy. Dante Rusciolelli and Rebekah Kochan of Golden Artists Entertainment, who represent Mr. Hilton, said in a statement that “We are aware of the concerning content circulating online involving our client, Perez Hilton,” adding they had been unable to reach him directly.
Mr. Hilton, 48, built his career in the 2000s with his namesake celebrity gossip blog, known for its unfiltered and often controversial commentary on Hollywood figures.
If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available by calling or texting 988.
This article was constructed with the assistance of artificial intelligence and published by a member of The Washington Times' AI News Desk team. The contents of this report are based solely on The Washington Times' original reporting, wire services, and/or other sources cited within the report. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Steve Fink, Director of Artificial Intelligence, at sfink@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.