Perez Hilton, once the most feared blogger in the world, has been a household name for decades. For those who grew up online in the 2000s and 2010s, his name is synonymous with celebrity gossip and scandal.
Behind the moniker, Perez Hilton is a pseudonym based on socialite Paris Hilton. The Miami-based blogger, podcaster, and media personality is best known for his blog PerezHilton.com, which covers celebrity culture and gossip. He got his start as a journalist, but soon became infamous online for his controversial but popular blog, which began in 2005.
Hilton's success can be attributed to his unique approach to celebrity gossip. Unlike other blogs at the time, PerezHilton.com focused on the great and good of Tinseltown, rather than being a personal diary or journal. "What set my site apart is that prior to PerezHilton.com, most blogs were mainly online journals and diaries, but that never interested me," he told Cliché Magazine in 2010. "I wanted to talk about celebrities because they're far more entertaining."
However, Hilton's provocative and aggressive style of blogging soon earned him and the website enemies, ultimately leading to the site being branded Hollywood's Most-Hated Website. In recent years, Hilton has attempted to pivot away from the caustic style of journalism that defined his early career, acknowledging the viciousness of his early work and the need to change.
Perez Hilton has been open about his health struggles in recent years, including a hospitalisation with sepsis in March 2026 and a recent hospitalisation after appearing to harm himself during a TikTok livestream. His representatives have expressed concern for his health and well-being, as well as that of his family.
Hilton has been embroiled in several major controversies throughout his career, including the use of slurs, bullying, and spreading unverified rumours. He has been accused of copyright infringement, bullying, and outing several gay celebrities. In recent years, he has apologised for his behaviour, stating that he understands the harm caused by his actions.
One of the most notable controversies surrounding Hilton involved the sharing of a link to an upskirt picture of Miley Cyrus, who was 17 at the time. Hilton later argued that Cyrus was wearing underwear in the photo, sharing another image of Cyrus purportedly taken at the same time which showed she was wearing underwear.
Perez Hilton appeared on series 15 of the UK version of Celebrity Big Brother, where he was evicted on day 29. During his time on the show, he butted heads with several of his housemates, receiving warnings for his threatening behaviour and using offensive language.
Despite his pseudonym, Hilton is not a member of the Hilton dynasty. He is an unmarried, single father with three children whom he had via surrogates.
