Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr.[1] (born March 23, 1978),[2] known professionally as Perez Hilton, is an American blogger, columnist, and media personality.

[7] He also briefly worked as a media relations assistant for the LGBT rights organization GLAAD, was a freelance writer for gay publications,[which?]

It has been noted that he rarely reports on stories or rumors casting Paris Hilton in a negative or unflattering light,[13] and that, unlike most gossip blogs, he often acknowledges and praises her positive achievements.

[17] London-based singer Mika's 2007 rise to popular success in North America has been partially attributed to Hilton's frequent support.

"[22] 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.

[27] 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.

[28] 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.

His character hands over the proceeds of a Jewel benefit concert at Rutgers University, whose ticket office Christopher Moltisanti and Benny Fazio rob at gunpoint.

In 2004, a then-206 lb (93 kg) Hilton appeared as a contestant on the "Madonna Style" episode of VH1's reality weight loss show, Flab To Fab.

[45] In December 2021, Hilton was a guest star on Red Table Talk: The Estefans alongside singer-songwriter Gabbie Hanna for a discussion about cancel culture.

However, when the lawsuit was settled in November of that year, Hilton ended his boycott and resumed regular blogging about Sony BMG artists.

He was named as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by attorneys for Irish actor Colin Farrell on July 18, 2005, after posting a link to Farrell's sex tape with then-girlfriend Nicole Narain on his site,[57] and on February 20, 2007, a lawsuit filed against him by Universal City Studios Productions LLP for posting a topless image of actress Jennifer Aniston that was allegedly "misappropriated and illegally copied" from unreleased footage from her 2006 motion picture The Break-Up.

[59] On November 30, 2006, the photo agency X17Online filed a lawsuit against Hilton in federal court, seeking over $7.5 million in damages for copyright infringement.

[60] X17's co-owner Robin Navarre told the Los Angeles Times that the sale value of their photographs has been significantly reduced because the photos have appeared on PerezHilton.com before they could be published in magazines to which exclusivity is important.

In the case of the Spears smooch shot, X17 sold a two-page spread to Us Weekly, but the magazine decided to shrink the photo play (which lowered the price by $10,000, to $15,000)...because the images had already been on Hilton's site and others.

[61]Hilton defends his use of this material by claiming it under the fair use exception to the Copyright Act; that is, according to the Los Angeles Times, the photos are altered "to achieve a satiric or humorous end".

[62] On April 23, 2007, a consortium of five celebrity photo agencies filed a joint lawsuit in federal district court in California against Hilton, claiming more than $7 million in damages from 25 instances of alleged copyright infringement.

Author, screenwriter, and former friend Japhy Grant also questioned his motives, writing on Salon.com, "Spreading gossip is just your average pedestrian variety of immorality.

"[8] 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.

[71] 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.

[74] During the questions and answers portion of the contest, Hilton asked the Miss California USA representative, Carrie Prejean, whether she believed every state should legalize same-sex marriage.

"[87] Hilton initially refused to apologize, saying, "I am saddened GLAAD chose to victimize me further by criticizing me for how I non-violently dealt with a very scary situation that, unfortunately, turned violent."

In a statement released on its website, Judy Shepard, chair of the MSF, declined the gift, saying that "because the lawsuit presumably involves the physical attack prompted by Mr. Hilton's admitted use of an anti-gay slur, the Foundation will be unable to accept any funds obtained in such a manner.

[101] In October 2010, Hilton became involved in the It Gets Better Project started by Dan Savage, urging celebrities to support gay teenagers who were being driven to suicide by anti-gay bullying.

[103] On October 13, 2010, Hilton posted a video on YouTube entitled "I'm Going To Be Doing Things Differently", in which he addressed his actions over the previous years, and apologized for bullying celebrities.

"[105] In late 2011, singer/actress Lady Gaga stated on Twitter that after she cancelled her Born This Way Ball Tour in February 2013 because of a hip injury caused by repetitive movements in her show, Hilton responded by sending her a photo of a wheelchair with the word Karma written across it, and another of Madonna pointing a gun.

[106][non-primary source needed][107] On August 18, 2013, a Twitter user reported to Gaga that Hilton had been spotted in the singer's New York City apartment building.

[111] 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.

Hilton described the book as a story "about every kid that's ever had a dream, felt excluded, wanted to belong, and hoped that one day they could do what they loved and make a difference.

"[119] In a September 2011 interview with The Advocate, Hilton admitted that the book was inspired by his own childhood: "I've always considered myself a freak, an outsider, and a bit of an interloper.