Perez Hilton Wiki
Perez Hilton is an American blogger, columnist and media personality. His blog, PerezHilton.com is known for posts covering gossip items about celebrities.
He is also known for posting tabloid photographs over which he has added his own captions or “doodles”. His blog has garnered controversy for its attitude, its former outing of alleged closeted celebrities and its role in the increasing coverage of celebrities in all forms of media.
Perez Hilton Biography
Blogging Success
In Cliché Magazine interview (June/July 2010), Hilton said that he only started blogging as a hobby. “The fact that set my site apart is that prior to PerezHilton.com, most blogs were mainly online journals and diaries, but that never interested me. Therefore he wanted to talk about celebrities because they’re far more entertaining.”
On March 11, 2005, within the first six months of Hilton’s blogging career, PageSixSixSix.com was named “Hollywood’s Most-Hated Website” by The Insider, catalyzing an initial surge in its popularity which temporarily crippled its server. Hilton claimed that on July 30, 2007, a seemingly “ordinary day”, PerezHilton.com had over 8.82 million page views in a 24-hour period. Other sources dispute the reliability of Hilton’s traffic claims.
Pop singer Fergie has confirmed that she is referring to Hilton in her song Pedestal (2006), in which she criticizes an unidentified person for making negative remarks about her on the Internet.
On August 17, 2007, citing exclusive sources, Hilton announced the death of Cuban President Fidel Castro and claimed that he was the first media outlet in the world to break the news. Although Hilton claimed that U.S. officials would be making an announcement within hours, no announcement was made, and no major media outlets verified Castro’s death.
The Associated Press later determined that rumors were sparked by a meeting of Miami officials who were to discuss the city’s plans when Castro dies. Rumors were further fueled by a road closure in the Florida Keys that was due to a police standoff. Castro appeared in an interview on Cuban television on September 21, 2007, “looking frail but sounding lucid”, and mocking rumors of his death.
On September 9, 2009, Perez appeared on The Tyra Banks Show and cited his premature reporting of Castro’s death as his “one regret.”
On September 15, 2008, Terra.com named Hilton the “Hispanic of the Year” in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.
In an article dated October 2014, the popularity of the site was trending slightly down, as PerezHilton.com was ranked by Alexa as the 1,234th most trafficked website globally.
Perez Hilton Outing Celebrities
On his blog, Hilton is open about his homosexuality and about his desire to out those who he claims are closeted gay celebrities. When former ‘N Sync member Lance Bass came out as gay on July 26, 2006, Hilton received criticism for having been partially responsible in the outing. He says that it upsets him that people think what he’s doing is a bad thing, as he was talking to Access Hollywood.
“I don’t think it’s a bad thing. If you know something to be a fact, why not report it? Why is that still taboo?” On November 2, 2006, another celebrity often questioned by Hilton for remaining closeted, actor Neil Patrick Harris, revealed that he is gay.
Those with gay membership community have criticized Hilton’s outing include editor of The Advocate Corey Scholibo, AfterElton.com editor Michael Jensen and Damon Romine, spokesperson for GLAAD. Kim Ficera of AfterEllen.com, wrote,
“I have to question the character of a man who attacks others on such deeply personal levels, without provocation and for self-benefit, monetary or otherwise…If he’s emotionally incapable of exhibiting even the tiniest bit of compassion for closeted people, if he can’t be sensitive to the fact that coming out is a very personal decision and that the process can be difficult for some—especially celebrities—I feel sorry for him. Adds that if his juvenile behavior is his shtick, I think it makes him a much more pathetic figure and one the gay and lesbian community should not support…If we support behavior like Hilton’s, we applaud shallowness, arrogance, rage and invasion of privacy, and risk becoming what we despise.”
And also fellow gossip bloggers have also objected to his approach. Trent Vanegas, who runs Pink Is the New Blog, told Salon.com, “I do not outright call people gay. I do not feel it is my place, or anyone else’s place, to make people come out of the closet. Being shockingly hurtful just to get attention is not my style.” David Hauslaib of gossip blog Jossip.com stated,
“The rationale that he’s doing this for the good of that gay community is tantamount to saying that there is a gay agenda. Is this a positive for the gay community? I’d say, ‘No.'” Author, screenwriter, and former friend Japhy Grant has also questioned his motives, writing on Salon.com, “Spreading gossip is just your average pedestrian variety of immorality. Claiming that you’re doing it to further civil rights is an outright sham.”
When questioned on Midweek Politics about whether reporting on celebrities’ sexual orientation incites homophobia by making it news, Hilton indicated that he did not believe so. He said that coming out in Hollywood is not necessarily a bad thing, citing Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O’Donnell as examples: “I know there is some controversy about outing people, but I also believe the only way we are gonna have change is with visibility.
And if I have to drag some people screaming out of the closet, then I will. I think that lots of celebrities have an archaic fear that being gay will hurt their career but look at Rosie. Look at Ellen.” Some prominent gay rights advocates disagree. GLAAD spokesperson Damon Romine told Salon.com, “Media speculation about a celebrity’s orientation is not something we support.
This kind of gossip can lead some people to the decision to come out, as we have seen recently, or it may drive others further into the closet. People are going to become more guarded and secretive and not less, because they do not want to create any opportunities [for anyone to out them].” Actor Bruce Vilanch said, “What purpose does it serve? These [people like Perez] are professional homosexuals. They are gay people for a living. They have to respect the rights of homosexuals who are not professional.”
In an article entitled Just How Dangerous is Perez Hilton?, AfterElton.com suggested that Hilton’s actions put people’s careers at risk, because anti-gay bias is still a prominent part of American culture. He continued, “Both as a gay man and a journalist, I question whether the gay community should approve of Hilton’s actions. Being associated with someone who publishes photos of panty-less starlets and scribbles dirty notes […] makes us look infantile and ridiculous.”
Perez Hilton Age
Perez was born on March 23, 1978. He is 45 years old.
Perez Hilton Net Worth
The American celebrity blogger and actor has a net worth of $30 million.
Perez Hilton Wife
He moved to Manhattan in 2013, stating, “I love New York and that is where me and my growing family want to call home right now”. Hilton was referring to his first child, Mario Armando Lavandeira III, born on February 17, 2013, conceived with a donor egg and carried by a surrogate mother. His daughter, Mia Alma Lavandeira, was born on May 9, 2015, via surrogate. On October 4, 2017, he welcomed a second daughter, Mayte Amor, also via surrogate.
In April 2018, Perez attracted some criticism of his parenting when he stated he hopes his son Mario is heterosexual because “it would be easier” than being homosexual. He claimed he would not sign up his son for dance classes, if requested, because “dance class might make [his] kid gay”.