Perez Hilton’s sister, Barbara “Barbie” Lavandeira, arrived at the gossip blogger’s home in Miami just hours after he was hospitalized following a concerning livestream.
Barbara kept a low profile in a pair of sunglasses as she drove herself to the residence, as seen in pics obtained by Page Six on Wednesday.
According to an eyewitness, she seemed to be asking cops stationed outside how she could get into the home, which Hilton moved into with his family earlier this summer.
Authorities also showed up to the property and taped it off, per our source, which is “standard procedure” to assist the family and deal with media presence. We’re told there is no active criminal investigation.
Hilton (real name: Mario Lavandeira Jr.) has a close relationship with his sister and a loving bond with his family.
“His main focus is being a good father to his three children and also being a good brother to his sister, Barbie, and looking after his mom,” a source told Page Six earlier Wednesday. “He absolutely adores his family. He does everything for them. His whole life revolves around them. He’s a family man.”
The media personality also gushed over his sister to fans back in March, while detailing a previous hospitalization due to an ulcer and sepsis.
“I have to thank my sister for everything,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion. “My sister is my angel. I honestly believe if it weren’t for my sister, I’d probably be dead.”
Hilton noted at the time that Barbara always “goes above and beyond” to help him in times of need.
“She flew out here twice, and was here most of the time, even though she has a young daughter and her and her husband live in Los Angeles,” he continued. “If it weren’t for my sister, I don’t know if I could’ve gotten through this. This experience has definitely brought me closer to my sister. And I’m so thankful for that, I love her so much.”
The father of three — who welcomed kids Mario, 13, Mia, 11, and Mayte, 8, via surrogacy — was hospitalized late Tuesday after a TikTok livestream depicted Hilton seemingly harming himself.
The Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office told Page Six that units were dispatched to investigate after they received “multiple calls” reporting “an individual livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media.”
The Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that the “individual has been safely recovered and transported by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to a local hospital, where he is receiving medical attention” and that “The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Crisis Response Unit and Licensed Mental Health Professionals are also on scene providing support and resources to the individual’s family.”
Hilton — who also lives at the residence with his mother, Teresita Lavandeira — was said to have been “alone” inside the home at the time of the incident. 911 dispatch audio from the incident revealed that multiple units had responded to the site of a “suicide attempt.”
Per surveillance footage obtained by Page Six, police cars surrounded the blogger’s Miami home as a voice could be heard repeatedly saying, “Mario, it’s the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, please step out of the house.”
Reps for Hilton later told Page Six that their “focus remains on Perez’s health, recovery and the privacy of both him and his family during this incredibly difficult time.”
“We are grateful for the outpouring of concern and support from fans, friends and members of the media,” they added. “We respectfully ask that everyone continue to honor his privacy while he receives the care he needs.”
Hilton’s family echoed that sentiment, writing in their own statement, “We can confirm that Perez is receiving medical care, and our family’s focus right now is on his well-being.”
As Page Six previously reported, Hilton was facing several difficulties leading up to the concerning livestream, including two hospitalizations in the spring and sepsis, which a source told us “honestly almost killed him.”
Additionally, he had recently moved from Las Vegas to Miami and didn’t feel “settled yet,” per a source, while also being hit “hard” with “pretty extreme” medical bills stemming from his hospitalizations.
“Mario has always worked extremely hard, he’s one of the hardest working people I know and so suddenly being faced with these mounting financial pressures was a lot for him,” the insider told us, labeling Hilton the “breadwinner” of his family.
“He just wants to provide a good life for everybody. I know that for that reason, the past few months have been really hard for him.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
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