00:00Perez Hilton's family is speaking publicly for the first time since the celebrity blogger
00:04livestreamed his suicide attempt on TikTok on August 4th. In an exclusive interview with
00:09Page Six, Hilton's younger sister, Barbara Lavendera, is sharing a first-hand account
00:14of the crisis, the warning signs she saw in the weeks leading up to it, and the difficult
00:19recovery he now faces. Lavendera says her family has remained silent as they focus on
00:24Hilton's medical treatment and the well-being of his three children. She decided to speak
00:29out in part because of what she described as rumors, false reports, and made-up quotes
00:34surrounding the situation. She says August 4th will forever be one of the darkest days
00:38her family has experienced. That afternoon, Lavendera says Hilton, whose real name is Mario,
00:44was in his bedroom with the door closed and locked, something she says was unusual for
00:48him. When he stopped responding to her, she became concerned and eventually unlocked the
00:53door to his bathroom. She says what she saw was horrifying. Hilton was standing in front
00:58of the shower, naked, covered in blood, and holding a box cutter. Lavendera says, I didn't
01:03recognize my brother when she looked at him. She says she could see something different in
01:08his eyes before he smiled at her, making the moment feel as though she were looking at someone
01:12else. She says she is leaving out many of the specific details because they are too painful
01:17and graphic. Lavendera then says she grabbed the car keys and told Hilton's three children
01:22to get into the car. She called police and arranged for someone to pick up the children
01:26and take them away from the scene. She eventually returned to the house while waiting for an ambulance
01:31and says she placed towels over Hilton to help stop the bleeding. She says he had already lost
01:36a significant amount of blood, but was still able to speak in a very faint voice. Hilton was
01:41then taken to the hospital, while Lavendera stayed behind to speak with the crisis team. According to
01:46his sister, Hilton remains hospitalized and continues to receive treatment for his injuries. She says his
01:52physical and mental recovery will take time, but the family remains hopeful. He currently
01:56has no access to a cell phone, social media, or the internet, with the family focused on
02:02his physical recovery and making sure he receives the mental and emotional support he needs.
02:07Lavendera also opened up about the difficult months leading up to the incident. She says
02:11Hilton had already endured a serious health crisis in March, when he was hospitalized for nearly
02:15a month while living in Las Vegas. His body became septic. He coded and nearly died several
02:21times. He underwent abdominal surgery, had fluid drained from around his lungs, and later discovered
02:27he had a large blood clot in his leg. After leaving the hospital, Lavendera says Hilton struggled
02:32with depression, anxiety, stress, and overwhelming thoughts. He began seeing a therapist and psychiatrist,
02:39and the family says they were taking the warning signs seriously.
02:42Hilton moved from Las Vegas to Miami with his mother and three children in June, hoping to be closer
02:47to the family and have a fresh start. But Lavendera says he soon began questioning whether the move
02:53had been a mistake and became overwhelmed by financial and personal concerns. About two weeks
02:58before the August 4th incident, Hilton told his mother and sister that he had recently felt empty,
03:03hopeless, and like he was a burden on everyone. He also told them that on the night when he couldn't
03:08sleep, he had taken the remaining painkillers from his March surgery because he wanted to sleep.
03:13Lavendera says she took him to a hospital that same day, where he voluntarily underwent several
03:18days of evaluation and treatment before being discharged. She says he appeared to be doing
03:23better afterward. He spent time with his family, attended therapy, and began looking into coping
03:28mechanisms and grounding techniques. On August 4th, he completed an intake call for an intensive
03:34outpatient program and was expected to begin group therapy the following week. Later that afternoon,
03:40the family's lives changed forever. Lavendera says she does not know exactly what caused Hilton's
03:45crisis and does not want to speculate. She says there could have been multiple factors,
03:49including severe depression, the effects of his previous hospitalization and sepsis,
03:53lack of sleep, possible medication reactions, and the combination of medications he had taken that
03:59day. She emphasizes that her brother was not well and needed help, and that he still needs help.
04:05As for Hilton's children, Lavendera says their priority is keeping them safe, supported,
04:09and surrounded by people who love them. Their grandmother is currently caring for them,
04:14while the family works toward a temporary legal arrangement so she can make necessary decisions
04:18for the children while Hilton receives treatment. Lavendera also pushed back against what she says
04:23are false reports that the children have been taken away from Hilton permanently. And while she
04:28acknowledged that Hilton has faced criticism for his past behavior, she asked people not to direct
04:32that anger toward his children or mother. She says the man she knows today is very different from
04:37the person the public may remember from 20 years ago, adding that becoming a father changed him
04:42profoundly. For now, the family does not know when Hilton will be able to return home. Lavendera says
04:48they are following his doctor's guidance and do not want to rush any part of his recovery.
04:52She also says the family is grateful for the messages, prayers, and genuine concern they have
04:56received. But she says that when Hilton is ready to speak publicly, that message should come directly
05:01from him.
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