On Tuesday, social media feeds were flooded with users shocked after allegedly witnessing celebrity blogger Perez Hilton livestreaming acts of self-harm on TikTok. The video on the social media platform appears to have since been taken down.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Rolling Stone that it received multiple calls regarding an individual who was livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media and that deputies located the individual’s residence, who was alone inside. The Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Hilton was involved in the incident and said that the individual was “safely recovered” and transported to a local hospital, where he is receiving medical attention.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Crisis Response Unit and licensed mental-health professionals are on scene providing support and resources to the individual’s family, per a statement.
“In many incidents involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis or actively harming themselves, deputies prioritize de-escalation by creating time, distance, and opportunities for communication,” read a previous statement from the Sheriff’s Office. “Unless there is an immediate threat to others, slowing the situation and utilizing crisis intervention techniques can reduce the likelihood of a suicide-by-cop encounter and minimize the risk of injury to the individual, deputies, and the public.”
A rep for Perez and TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hilton, born Mario Lavandeira, gained fame after launching his highly popular gossip website in the early Aughts and garnered notoriety for his unapologetic and often controversial take on celebrities’ lives. Several celebrities and their PR teams have denounced Perez for his vicious public insults, from Khloe Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, and Lady Gaga, a former friend of Perez.
In recent years and as online culture changed, Hilton toned down his public attacks and appeared to embrace fatherhood and adopt a kinder public persona, even integrating more family-friendly content on his site. In an interview with The New York Times in 2012, Hilton seemed regretful over his past behavior and the emotional damage he had inflicted on others. “What’s important for me is not being liked, but it is that people think I am no longer toxic to the world,” he said. “I’m aware of the fact there are going to be a lot of people with lingering resentment and a lot of skeptics,” he continued. “And that’s OK, because I am not pretending to be perfect.”
This article was updated on Aug. 5 at 1:04 a.m. ET to include an update from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
