Perez Hilton has been granted supervised visitation with his three children under a new court order.
The 48-year-old gossip blogger, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira Jr., will be allowed to see his kids only when supervised by a therapist or a family member agreed upon by both sides, according to court documents obtained Thursday. A judge also officially granted Hilton’s mother, Teresita Lavandeira, temporary custody of Mario, 13, Mia, 11, and Mayte, 8. The arrangement will remain in place until the court orders otherwise or until Hilton and his mother agree to a different setup.
Hilton has consented to the current caregiving arrangement, and the order notes that he remains “their only legal parent.” Teresita will now oversee the children’s school matters, including enrollment, as well as medical care and other decisions related to their needs. Hilton will need psychiatric clearance as part of the agreement. The judge determined that confidentiality is in the best interests of the children, and the custody case has been sealed to ensure privacy and protection.
Teresita filed for temporary custody on Aug. 7, just days after Hilton went live on TikTok on Aug. 4 with an apparent self-harm video amid a mental health crisis. The Lavandeira matriarch moved quickly to secure legal authority over the children’s day-to-day welfare as her son faced a prolonged hospitalization.
Hilton’s sister, Barbara Lavandeira, said in an interview published last week that the internet personality remains hospitalized and “continues to receive medical treatment for his injuries.”
“His physical and mental recovery is going to take a lot of time, but we remain hopeful,” she told us.
She added that he has no access to a cellphone, social media or the internet, with everyone’s focus on helping him recover physically and making sure he receives the mental and emotional care and support he needs. Barbara also explained that she doesn’t know when the celebrity blogger will return home, and that he had battled “severe depression” — even checking himself into a hospital — before the incident.
Prior to the highly publicized mental health incident, Hilton had a pair of hospitalizations stemming from a sepsis infection, and later faced mounting medical bills and other pressures — including a move from Las Vegas to Miami with his mother and children. A friend said earlier this month that Hilton “absolutely adores his family” and “does everything for them.”
“He’s a family man,” the friend said. “His whole life revolves around them.”
In the viral moment that preceded these legal changes, Hilton broadcast himself on TikTok on the evening of Aug. 4 in a disturbing livestream that prompted viewers to call police. According to a Florida incident report obtained by People earlier this month, a fire rescue team responded to his Miami home, entering the residence and beginning “treatment on scene for multiple lacerations and an overdose” before transporting him to a local medical facility. Barbara had notified law enforcement after she discovered her brother in the act of self-harm while “covered in blood.” She and Hilton’s children had fled the home in her vehicle, though he was said to have rushed after them and was “banging on” the window as they attempted to leave. By the time first responders and authorities arrived, Hilton had returned to the residence and locked himself inside. Family members arrived later and got him into the living room to receive treatment.
The family later released a statement saying that “when it became clear that Perez was experiencing a severe mental health crisis and harming himself, they immediately fled to protect the children from witnessing any further trauma.” Their statement called helping the children heal “our highest priority right now.” Hilton was placed under Florida’s Baker Act, which allows authorities to temporarily hold an individual for evaluation if they believe the person could pose a danger to themselves or others. TikTok banned his account following the livestream.
Hilton’s representatives at Golden Artists Entertainment did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the new custody arrangement Thursday.