Perez Hilton Hospitalized for 21 Days After Flu Turns Into Life-Threatening Sepsis

Fans of Perez Hilton were shocked on March 23 when the blogger posted a video from a hospital bed. Perez revealed that doctors rushed him into care, leaving fans of the bubbly personality confused.

Perez has been running PerezHilton.com for decades and keeps his pop-culture commentary going through YouTube, and co-hosts The Perez Hilton Podcast with Chris Booker. His separate family YouTube channel leans into his dad life. Now, his health has taken center stage, and fans want answers.

In a YouTube video, the celebrity blogger a bout with the flu spiraled into something far more serious. He said he took prescribed medication without food. Perez, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira Jr., said that the mistake led to an ulcer, then a stomach perforation, and eventually sepsis.

Perez said the situation turned critical when he woke up one morning and could not walk. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Las Vegas, where doctors ran X-rays, CT scans, and ultrasounds before laparoscopic surgery found an infection around his internal organs. He later said the sepsis kept working, his body “kept falling apart,” and he developed another infection while still hospitalized.

“The first few days were a lot of pain and constant tests,” he explained. “Because they couldn’t find location of perforation. So, that was scary. There’s this hole inside of me. Where is it?”

Before the hospitalization became public, he had already warned fans in a February livestream that he was dealing with “the worst flu of my life.” He said it felt worse than when he had COVID, per People.

Perez said he is back home, but, he said, “I’m not a hundred percent.” He is still on an IV and taking multiple medications to fight a lingering infection. He described the final stretch of his hospital stay as “hell” and said he just wanted to get home to his children.

At the same time, he has made it clear that he feels lucky to be alive. Perez thanked Southern Hills Hospital in Las Vegas and said he received the “best care there.” He also said the ordeal pushed him to rethink his routine, including sleeping more and being more present at home. One of the biggest changes he promised was to prioritize family dinner with his kids and his mom every night.

That family-first mindset fits the version of Perez people have seen more in recent years. He has lived in Las Vegas since January 2023, and in a 2024 interview with Real Vegas, he said the move felt life-changing. He also said living there with his three children and his mother made him more considerate, mature, and cautious.

“Being in Las Vegas has truly been a game-changer! The REAL sense of community and strong values here are remarkable,” he said. “LA doesn’t hold a candle to what Vegas has to offer. I appreciate that Vegas embraces both red and blue, just like I do. The vintage vibes in Vegas are so my style.”