Perez Hilton’s sister, Barbara Lavandeira, has opened up about the distressing moment she discovered his suicide attempt. She described August 4 as one of the most harrowing days her family has faced.
Recalling that day, Lavandeira mentioned how unusual it was for her brother to have his bedroom door shut and locked. “Mario was almost always an open-door kind of guy,” she said. “When I finally managed to get inside, my worst fears came true.”
What she saw was shocking: “Mario was in front of the shower, naked, covered in blood, and holding a box cutter.”
Before entering his room, she had been concerned. “When I knocked, he said he was fine, but his voice was barely audible,” she recalled. Attempts to contact Hilton via his phone went unanswered, deepening her worry. “After knocking again and asking him to let me in, he went silent. Something felt really off.”
Eventually, she decided to unlock the door. She found him inside the bathroom, and despite her continued knocking and pleas, he didn’t respond, prompting her to enter anyway.
What she witnessed was haunting. “I truly didn’t recognize my brother at that moment. His eyes—they were different,” she reflected, adding that he later smiled, but it felt entirely out of character.
Lavandeira quickly acted by getting Hilton’s three children—Mario, 13, Mia, 11, and Mayte, 8—out of the house. “I dashed to grab the car keys and told the kids to get in quickly. Thankfully, our mother was away, which allowed me to move fast,” she said.
After getting the children to safety, she called 911 and reached out to a friend for help. While she noted that many details are too painful to share, it’s clear that the events were overwhelming.
Shortly after he livestreamed the grim incident, Lavandeira returned to provide first aid while waiting for help. “I placed towels over Mario to staunch the bleeding,” she explained. He had lost a significant amount of blood but was somehow still capable of speaking, albeit very faintly.
Lavandeira felt compelled to share their story with the public to convey what truly happened “from someone who witnessed it.” Meanwhile, Hilton’s mother has requested temporary custody of his children while he seeks treatment. Reports indicate that he has suffered serious injuries that will require surgery.
