In an unexpected turn that touches the heart, TJ Jackson, the nephew of the legendary Michael Jackson, has expressed compassionate concern for Perez Hilton, despite a history marred by tension between the notorious blogger and the illustrious Jackson family.
“There’s quite a buzz surrounding this video from Perez Hilton. Although I haven’t personally watched it, the reports are dismaying,” tweeted the 48-year-old TJ on Wednesday, August 5. “I’ll acknowledge that Perez hasn’t shown kindness to various celebrities, including my own relatives. Despite that, I never wish to see anyone suffering in such despair. I’m keeping him in my thoughts, hoping for his recovery and well-being.”
These words from the youngest son of Tito Jackson followed a harrowing incident streamed live on TikTok on Tuesday, August 4. During the broadcast, Hilton alarmed viewers by seemingly engaging in acts of self-harm. Authorities in Miami-Dade confirmed to Us that they received calls about the stream and subsequently dispatched officers to Hilton’s Florida residence amid fears of a possible suicide attempt.
Fortunately, Hilton was admitted to the hospital, and his family provided an update on Wednesday indicating that Hilton could communicate while in care, which they viewed as an encouraging sign of his potential recovery.
Perez Hilton’s TikTok presence was abruptly halted after this unsettling event, as reported by Us. A spokesperson for TikTok shared that the platform’s automated systems quickly detected Hilton’s distressing livestream, alerting human moderators to take appropriate action.
The celebrity blogger has a long history of tension with the Jackson family dating back to Michael’s death at age 50 in June 2009. When news broke that Michael suffered a medical emergency, Hilton speculated that the King of Pop was pulling a publicity stunt to get out of performing his 50 planned This Is It concerts in London.
“Get your money back,” he advised This Is It ticket holders at the time.
Hilton received a wave of backlash when Michael died and he later publicly apologized, saying in a statement that he was “genuinely feeling sorry that [Michael] died and sorry for his kids.”
In the wake of Hilton’s hospitalization, TJ expressed hope that the alarming situation would serve as a wake-up call for the blogger.
“And hopefully one day he will find his way and inspire others who make a living negative talking/slandering others to choose a different route and be better themselves, to lean into LOVE more. That’s the way to really live life to the fullest,” he tweeted.
When a fan suggested that “the underlying cause is the lack of love,” TJ agreed, replying, “Very true.”
There have been strong reactions to Hilton’s disturbing livestream and subsequent hospitalization from many of those he mocked on his website over the years.
Perez Hilton Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Alec Baldwin‘s daughter Ireland Baldwin described Hilton as “a despicable human being” for allegedly disparaging her famous family in the past, even as she offered support for his recovery.
“Perez Hilton has publicaly [sic] humiliated my family for years, sexualized me from a young age, commented on my weight and body [as a child], made unforgivable comments about people in my family, drew j!zz coming out of my mom’s and friend’s mouths, and has always been a despicable human being,” Ireland, 30, wrote via her Instagram Story on Wednesday.
She went on, “But his children deserve better and a healthy father and I am so sad for all of them. I hope he gets the help he needs and heals.”
Former America’s Next Top Model winner Adrianne Curry said in a vlog on Thursday, August 6, that she forgave Hilton for “bullying” her during his “peak years” of fame.
“I also want him to see me saying that his life has value and that I wish him peace, and I don’t want anything bad to happen to him,” Curry, 44, told her Instagram followers. “I think sometimes that’s what it takes. Not your friends rallying round you, but people who should hate you saying, ‘Hey, your life has value, don’t do this.’ At least that’s what it used to be like for me because I’ve been in some dark places.”
Hilton’s family released a new statement on Thursday, in which they acknowledged that “the events of the past several days have been nearly unbearable for our family.” They confirmed that “Perez’s [three] children, niece, and sister were inside the home” moments before his livestream started, though they “immediately fled to protect the children from witnessing any further trauma.”
“Our highest priority right now is helping the children begin to heal from what they experienced,” his family said. “An important part of that process is allowing them to safely return home and begin rebuilding a sense of security and normalcy.”
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