Perez Hilton‘s sister, Barbara Lavandeira, is opening up about the disturbing livestream that led to the celebrity blogger’s hospitalization.
Police responded to Hilton’s Miami home after he appeared to be harming himself during a livestream on Tuesday, Aug. 4. He was safely transported to the hospital, with his family providing an update on Saturday, Aug. 8, saying that he “remains hospitalized under Florida’s Baker Act” and that his condition is “serious but stable.”
“He experienced significant blood loss and sustained additional injuries that will require surgery in the coming days,” the family’s statement read. “His treatment and recovery will be a long process.”
In a new interview with Page Six, Lavandeira shared details about the terrifying incident.
“What I can say with certainty is that I didn’t recognize my brother when I looked at him. I saw it in his eyes. They didn’t look the same,” Lavandeira said. “Then, a split second later, he smiled at me. It felt like I was staring at someone else.”
Lavandeira described Aug. 4 as “one of the darkest days my family and I have ever experienced.”
She then explained how a frightening chain of events unfolded after she noticed Hilton had locked himself in his bedroom.
“When I knocked, he said he was fine, but I could barely hear him,” she recalled. “After I knocked a few more times and asked him to open the door, he stopped responding. I tried calling his cell phone in case he couldn’t hear me, but he wouldn’t answer. Something just felt wrong.”
Lavandeira eventually managed to open the door and entered Perez’s bathroom, where she discovered the extent of his alleged self-inflicted injuries.
After realizing the severity of her brother’s condition, Lavandeira took steps to get Hilton’s three children out of the home.
“The first call I made was to the police,” she said. “Then I messaged my best friend, who lives nearby, while I was on with dispatch, and asked her to please come get the kids and take them away from the scene.”
Lavandeira did not disclose additional details about her brother’s injuries out of respect for his privacy. She explained that she is speaking out now as “the only person who witnessed what happened from the beginning to the end” in order to “offer some clarity.”
“I’m talking now for everyone who cares about him and has been sending their best wishes, but also because of all the rumors, false reporting, fake exclusives, and made-up quotes going around,” Lavanderia said. “I can only share what I personally witnessed and experienced, but I want people to hear directly from someone who was actually there.”
Hilton’s mom, Teresita Lavandeira, recently filed for temporary custody of his three children.
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide or struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available 24 hours a day through the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
