Perez Hilton’s mother, Teresita Lavandeira, has been granted temporary custody of the blogger’s three children.
Us can confirm that Judge Laura Cruz granted Teresita the power to do “all things necessary for the care” of Mario, 13, Mia, 11, and Mayte, 8, on Tuesday, August 18 in Miami-Dade County. The judge’s ruling specifies that Hilton (real name Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr.) is still the children’s legal parent but that Teresita is taking custody on a temporary basis.
Under the temporary arrangement, any “visitation with [Perez and his children] shall be supervised either with an agreed upon family member or a therapist until further order of the Court or agreement of the parties, so long as [Perez] has obtained psychiatric clearance.”
“[Teresita] shall have authority to consent to all necessary and reasonable medical and dental care for the children, including nonemergency surgery and psychiatric care,” Judge Cruz specified.
The children’s grandmother has also received permission to “enroll the children in school and grant or withhold consent for the children to be tested or placed in special school programs.”
On August 12, Us reported that Teresita filed court papers to gain temporary custody of her grandchildren. In that initial filing, Teresita specified that Hilton, 48, “voluntarily consented” to the change in custody.
Hilton went live on TikTok on August 4 to allegedly stream himself performing dangerous acts of self-harm. (TikTok later banned his account for violating its terms of service while acknowledging human error allowed the stream to go on for several minutes.)
Later that day, a Miami-Dade police spokesperson told Us that law enforcement officials received calls “regarding an individual who was live-streaming acts of self-harm on social media” and were then sent to Hilton’s Florida home for what they suspected was a “possible suicide” attempt.
Hilton’s family disclosed in an August 6 statement that his sister, Barbara Lavandeira, and all three children “were inside the home” mere moments before the troubling livestream began. Barbara, 42, immediately “fled” with the children to “protect [them] from witnessing any further trauma,” Hilton’s family said.
Perez Hilton and his mom Teresita in 2008. Noel Vasquez/Getty Images
The celebrity blogger was eventually hospitalized and had to undergo surgery due to the serious injuries he sustained during the stream. Reports suggest Hilton was also treated for an overdose while he was hospitalized.
While his family has said that Hilton can communicate, Barbara recently told Page Six that her brother has a “long road ahead of him” to recover “both physically and mentally.”
“[Perez] 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,” Barbara told the outlet in an interview published on August 13. “He has no access to a cell phone, social media or the internet. Everyone’s focus is on helping him recover physically and making sure he receives the mental and emotional care and support he needs.”
On Sunday, August 16, Barbara clarified that Hilton “remains hospitalized and is receiving the medical care he needs” in an inpatient medical and mental health facility.
“Whether you have followed Perez from the beginning or only recently started reading, we hope you will continue visiting, reading, and sharing the site. We deeply appreciate your support while Perez focuses on his health and recovery,” her statement read. “For now, Perez’s health remains the priority as his team keeps the site active and moving forward.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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