Who is Perez Hilton?
Perez is a celebrity blogger and media personality. He gained prominence in the mid-2000s for his celebrity gossip blog, PerezHilton.com, and became a sensation thanks to his often-controversial commentary on celebrities and their personal lives.
Why Did Perez Hilton Change his Name?
His media name is an homage to his close friend Paris Hilton. Because of their close bond, people started questioning his reports on Paris Hilton. Butt hey aren’t related as many have believed.
Wiki: Age, Childhood, and Education
Hilton was born Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr. on 23 March 1978, in Miami, Florida USA. Growing up in Little Havana and Westchester, Florida, he attended Belen Jesuit Preparatory School. After matriculating in 1996, Hilton received a scholarship to New York University, where he initially pursued acting.
Before entering the blogging scene, Hilton explored various roles, including working as a media relations assistant for GLAAD and freelancing for gay publications. He also served as a receptionist at the NYC gay events club Urban Outings and briefly managed Instinct, a gay men’s magazine.
Blogging Career
Hilton’s blogging venture began as a hobby, as he expressed a desire to talk about celebrities for their entertainment value. Within six months of his blogging career by 11 March 2005, Hilton’s site, PageSixSixSix.com, gained notoriety as “Hollywood’s Most-Hated Website”, but still claimed a significant surge in popularity by July 2007, with over 8.82 million page views in 24 hours, although some disputed the reliability of these claims.
Pop singer Fergie acknowledged Hilton in her song “Pedestal” (2006), addressing negative remarks made about her online. Hilton also made headlines by prematurely announcing the death of Cuban President Fidel Castro on August 17, 2007, claiming to be the first media outlet to break the news.
Despite controversies, Hilton reflected on his career during an appearance in “The Tyra Banks Show” on 9 September 2009, citing the premature reporting of Castro’s death as his “one regret”. In 2008, Terra.com honored him as the “Hispanic of the Year” for Hispanic Heritage Month.
However, by October 2014, the popularity of PerezHilton.com showed a slight decline, ranking as the 1,234th most trafficked website globally, according to Alexa.
Nevertheless, he kicked off his celebrity gossip journey with an unapologetic approach, eagerly immersing himself in the world of celebrities. He delved into commenting on awards shows, clubs, and private events, sharing photos of himself with stars on his blog under the “Personally Perez” category.
While Hilton had favorites such as Lady Gaga, he also held grudges, notably against figures such as Vanessa Hudgens and Taylor Momsen, prompting public responses, including a Twitter exchange with Miley Cyrus.
Known for promoting emerging musicians on his blog, Hilton played a role in boosting London-based singer Mika’s popularity in North America. He also spoke out against discriminatory behavior in the public eye, advocating for the firing of individuals such as Isaiah Washington for homophobic remarks.
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Other Projects
Perez Hilton has made his mark in the television world with a series of appearances and ventures. In 2001, he was featured in “The Sopranos”. specifically in the third episode of the third season entitled “Fortunate Son”. His character played a role in handing over the proceeds of a Jewel benefit concert at Rutgers University.
In 2004, Hilton took on a weight loss challenge, participating in VH1’s reality show “Flab To Fab” during the “Madonna Style” episode. This marked a turning point for Hilton, shedding 45 pounds in three months and significantly transforming his physique.
On 12 July 2007, Hilton made a big announcement while on the TV show “The View”, about starring in his own reality television show on VH1 entitled “What Perez Sez”, which consisting of six one-hour episodes, premiered on 11 September 2007.
Hilton continued his television journey with appearances in MTV’s “Celebrity Rap Superstar” in 2007, and hosting a Best of MADtv episode on 29 September 2007. His presence extended to music videos, including those of Simple Plan, The Pussycat Dolls, Rihanna, Anahí, and Christian Chávez.
Throughout the years, Hilton became a familiar face in reality shows such as “Victoria Beckham: Coming to America”, “MTV Cribs”, and “Paris Hilton’s My New BFF”.
In scripted shows, Hilton guest-starred as himself in “Privileged”, and his role as a regular contributor in series such as “TRL”, “MuchMusic”, and “Extra” showed his expertise when it comes to celebrity gossip. Hilton co-hosted the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards, and stepped up to collect an award on behalf of Rick Astley at the same event.
Over the years, Hilton expanded his television portfolio, presenting at awards shows, guest-starring in popular programs such as “Victorious”, and creating and presenting a four-part British television series entitled “Perez Hilton Superfan” for ITV2 from December 2011.
Hilton’s involvement in WWE Raw as a special guest referee in 2012, participation in Oprah’s Lifeclass, and a stint in the British reality series “Celebrity Big Brother” in 2015, added to his diverse television career.
In August 2017, Hilton displayed his culinary skills by winning “Worst Cooks in America Season 11: Celebrity Edition 3”.
However, his career faced a setback in December 2020, when he was permanently banned from TikTok, on which he had a considerable following of more than 1.5 million fans. Hilton expressed his sadness through a video, and sought help from TikTok influencer Charli D’Amelio to get him back on the platform.
In December 2021, Hilton guest starred in “Red Table Talk: The Estefans”, joining singer-songwriter Gabbie Hanna in the episode to talk about cancel culture.
Beyond his television ventures, Perez has left his mark on live theater, radio, YouTube, and the podcasting world.
In live theater, Hilton took to the stage as himself in “NEWSical The Musical”, an off-Broadway production that ran for four weeks, starting on 8 September 2012.
First day of rehearsals for Full House The Musical, @FullHousical!!! http://t.co/cQq7lSseP5 pic.twitter.com/sYRvPvTN4d
— Perez Hilton (@PerezHilton) July 11, 2015
Continuing his foray into live theater, Hilton played the role of Danny Tanner/Bob Saget in “Full House! The Musical”, another off-Broadway production. This musical, a satire on the popular sitcom “Full House”, ran at Theater 80 in New York City from 10 September through 29 November 2015.
When it comes to his work on the radio, Hilton premiered his nationally syndicated show, “Radio Perez”, on 5 May 2008, in which Perez share’d news from his blog.
Additionally, Hilton made appearances on “The Howard Stern Show” on Sirius XM Satellite Radio.
Diving into the world of podcasts, Hilton teamed up with radio personality Chris Booker in July 2015 to launch “The Perez Hilton Podcast with Chris Booker”. Described as a meeting of the minds, the podcast features the dynamic duo chiming in and clashing over the week’s hottest topics. Their collaboration led to live shows, such as that held on 27 April 2019, at The Space in Las Vegas, speaking with the live audience, answering their questions and sharing their own insights with the crowd.
YouTube Popularity
Perez Hilton has also become a YouTube star with his main channel Perez Hilton amassing more than 700,000 subscribers, and his videos gaining more than 230 million views. One notable video, with 10 million views since being uploaded in 2015, features Nicole Scherzinger’s exclusive performance of Sam Smith’s cover of “I’m Not The Only One” during a Perez Hilton event.
In another acoustic performance that’s gained 10 million views since uploaded in 2012, Ed Sheeran serenades with “Kiss Me” exclusively for Perez Hilton.
A decade-old acoustic performance of Dido’s “White Flag” on Perez Hilton’s channel has garnered 8.6 million views.
In a different genre, Perez Hilton’s video entitled “Learn A Great New Dance For (And With) Your Kids!” has accumulated 6.5 million views over 11 years.
His second channel, Perez Hilton and Famil,y has around 70,000 subscribers and just over 27 million views. His most notable videos include one featuring Celine Dion covering Adele’s “Hello” which has accumulated 3.3 million views over eight years.
In a reaction video entitled “Perez Hilton Reacts To Kim Kardashian Exposing Taylor Swift!“, Hilton shares his thoughts on the controversy, which gathered 321,000 views since it was uploaded in 2016.
For a family-oriented video, Hilton’s reaction to Disney Pixar’s “Soul” trailer, including his children’s responses and his son displaying piano skills, has garnered 178,000 views in four years.
In a more personal video entitled “This Is Why I’ve Been So Sad“, Perez opens up about his emotions, accumulating 173,000 views since uploaded in 2017.
Controversies and Legal Troubles
Perez Hilton has been involved in various legal issues and controversies throughout his career.
Civil Litigation
- In 2007, Zomba Label Group filed a copyright infringement suit against Hilton for posting Britney Spears’ recordings on PerezHilton.com, which led to a settlement in 2008.
- Hilton faced a defamation suit from DJ Samantha Ronson, settled in 2008, after which he was awarded $85,000.
- Lawsuits involving the use of video footage resulted from posts about Colin Farrell, Jennifer Aniston, and X17Online, with settlements reached in some instances.
Outing Celebrities
- Hilton, openly gay, is known for outing closeted gay celebrities, causing controversy and criticism within the LGBTQ+ community.
Miss USA 2009 Controversy
- Hilton’s role as a judge in the Miss USA 2009 pageant led to a dispute with contestant Carrie Prejean over same-sex marriage, causing subsequent derogatory comments and condemnation.
Post-MMVA 2009 Incident
- Hilton claimed assault by The Black Eyed Peas’ operation manager, Polo Molina, during the 2009 MuchMusic Video Awards, which sparked legal action and public backlash.
Michael Jackson’s Death:
- Hilton faced backlash for posting skeptical comments about Michael Jackson’s cardiac arrest in 2009. However, he would later apologize for his comments.
Miley Cyrus Upskirt Picture
- In 2010, Hilton posted a link to an upskirt picture of Miley Cyrus, facing criticism, but denying accusations of child pornography.
Anti-Bullying Campaign
- Hilton joined the It Gets Better Project in 2010, apologizing for past bullying behavior, and pledging to change the tone of his website.
Lady Gaga
- A Twitter feud ensued in 2011 between Hilton and Lady Gaga over Gaga’s hip injury, with accusations of stalking and provocative images exchanged.
Ariana Grande
- In 2014, Hilton criticized Ariana Grande, which then led to negative comments from Grande’s fans, with threats against Hilton’s son, and accusations of drug use by Hilton, all denied by Grande.
Net Worth
According to authoritative sources, Perez Hilton’s net worth is estimated at $20 million, as of early 2024.
Personal Life, Marriage, Wife, Children
When it comes to his personal life, Perez Hilton has been rather candid about it. He came out as gay and is very open about it on his blog. He has a son and three daughters, all born through a surrogate mother. He received criticism for his parenting style, as he stated that if his son asked to go to dance lessons, he would not sign him up because dance classes might make his child gay.
Appearance and Body Measurements
Perez Hilton has light brown hair and blue eyes. He stands at a height of 6ft (1.83m), while he weighs approximately 170lbs (78kgs). His vital statistics are unknown in the media, but he has a slim figure.
