Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton was taken to a hospital for medical treatment in Miami, Florida, after livestreaming himself self-harming on TikTok on Tuesday night. Viewers reportedly pleaded for him to stop during the broadcast.
Following the incident, local authorities responded to Hilton's home. Social media users have since criticised TikTok, questioning how long the livestream remained active on the platform.
A TikTok US spokesperson stated that the broadcast was approximately half the length of the more than 30 minutes claimed by some users. The spokesperson added that TikTok's automated moderation systems flagged the livestream within minutes, referring it to the US moderation team for review. Hilton's account was ultimately banned, and several subsequent livestreams were removed within 90 seconds.
The company confirmed it alerted local law enforcement and that the livestream violated its community guidelines, which prohibit content depicting or promoting suicide or self-harm. Despite TikTok's removal, screen recordings of the footage have circulated on other platforms, prompting users to advise turning off video autoplays and muting mentions of Hilton.
On Wednesday afternoon, Hilton's team and family released a statement confirming he is receiving medical care. They expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support and requested privacy during this time.