Tony-winning producer Tom D’Angora has launched a GoFundMe campaign to support Perez Hilton’s three children and mother while the gossip blogger remains in residential mental health treatment.
D’Angora, 47, who has been friends with Hilton for 14 years, set the fundraiser’s goal at $25,000. The campaign page specifies that every dollar raised will benefit Hilton’s mother, Teresita Lavandeira, and his children — Mario, 13, Mia, 11, and Mayte, 8 — with none of the money going to Hilton himself.
“All funds raised will benefit Perez’s mother and children only and help cover the additional costs of caring for three kids full-time,” D’Angora wrote on the GoFundMe page. He added that Lavandeira “has put much of her own life on hold to make sure the kids can continue going to school, participating in their normal activities, and having as much consistency as possible during an incredibly difficult time.”
Hilton’s family issued a statement Monday through his website confirming the 47-year-old had entered a residential program after more than a month hospitalized for physical injuries. “After weeks in the hospital receiving treatment for his physical injuries, Perez entered a residential treatment program where he can focus fully on his mental health and recovery,” they wrote.
The family emphasized that his stay could extend well beyond the initial weeks. “This was an important next step, but there’s still a long road ahead. Perez is expected to remain in residential treatment for several more weeks, potentially longer, depending on what his treatment team believes is best for his recovery.”
Their statement made clear the children’s welfare remains paramount. “Our priority right now is to support Mario, Mia, and Mayte, and give them as much stability, routine, and ‘normalcy’ while their dad continues his recovery.”
The custody arrangement for the children shifted shortly after the incident. On Aug. 12, Teresita filed for temporary custody, which Hilton voluntarily consented to, reports said. He was later granted supervised visitations.
The physical toll of the Aug. 4 incident was severe. His family disclosed he suffered “significant blood loss” and injuries requiring surgery. His brother-in-law additionally revealed that Hilton broke several bones throughout that night.
Hilton, whose legal name is Mario Lavandeira Jr., live-streamed the self-harm incident from his home. Present in the residence at the time were his children, his sister Barbara Lavandeira, and his niece, all of whom fled as the situation escalated. Emergency responders rushed him to the hospital following the broadcast.
The fundraiser arrives as the family navigates both immediate childcare demands and uncertainty about Hilton’s full recovery timeline. D’Angora’s campaign underscores the practical pressures facing Lavandeira as she steps into primary caregiving for three school-age children while her son undergoes intensive treatment.
Hilton rose to prominence in the mid-2000s as one of the internet’s first celebrity gossip bloggers, building a brand on snarky commentary and paparazzi photography that made him a fixture at Hollywood events and a frequent television guest. His personal struggles have periodically surfaced publicly, including past substance use issues and professional conflicts, though the Aug. 4 incident represented the most serious crisis in his public life.
The family has not specified a projected completion date for his residential treatment program.