A Judge Issues a Ruling on Perez Hilton’s Custody Case
Perez Hilton is recovering from a scary mental health crisis in a Miami-area hospital. While the celebrity blogger is still being held under the Baker Act, a judge has officially ruled on a custody case that was opened after the incident. Perez’s three children will stay with his mother for the foreseeable future. Here is everything you need to know.
A judge issues a ruling on Perez Hilton’s custody case
On Tuesday, August 18, Judge Laura Cruz granted Teresita Lavandeira, Hilton’s mother, the authority to do “all things necessary for the care” of her three grandchildren. While the order places the children in the temporary custody of their grandmother, Hilton, whose legal name is Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., remains the children’s only legal parent.
According to legal paperwork obtained by TMZ, Teresita now holds authority over the children’s medical care, school enrollment, and other decisions necessary for their day-to-day care. She can consent to nonemergency surgery and psychiatric treatment while Hilton receives further treatment.
While his mom will deal with the kids’ day-to-day needs, Hilton will still have rights to his kids, including visitation. Judge Laura Cruz has granted the blogger supervised visitation with his children. The visits must be under the supervision of a family member the court agrees to. Alternatively, the visits can take place under the supervision of a licensed therapist. That arrangement will remain in place until the court orders otherwise. Hilton and his mother also retain the right to come up with an alternative arrangement. Before the visitations can begin, Hilton needs to be cleared by a psychiatrist.
The children in question are 13-year-old Mario, 11-year-old Mia, and 8-year-old Mayte. Hilton welcomed all three children via surrogacy as a single parent. Lavandeira has been deeply embedded in the children’s lives since their birth, so the custody agreement seems like a natural fit. When Lavandeira filed, she said she was seeking to restore stability to the children’s lives. Hilton reportedly agreed to the arrangement. Hilton’s children and his sister were reportedly in the home when the crisis took place.
What Happened to the celebrity blogger?
On August 4, Perez Hilton was removed from his Miami home by police after numerous reports came in that he was actively harming himself with a knife. The incident unfolded while Hilton was on a TikTok livestream. He was taken from the home to a hospital without incident. The platform later banned his account for violating its terms of service.
Page Six has reported that Hilton had been struggling in the months leading up to the incident, following a difficult stretch after his family relocated to Miami. Hilton had a series of physical health struggles earlier in 2026, including a battle with sepsis, and later, a blood clot. Hilton chronicled his health battle on his social media accounts. Fans had grown concerned about the blogger in the weeks leading up to his hospitalization. They noted what seemed to be erratic and concerning behavior.
It is unclear if Hilton will be allowed to return to TikTok at some point. For now, his account remains banned. His website is now being updated again after a pause in production following the incident.
