Perez Hilton is one of Hollywood's most notable troublemakers. He gained notoriety for his non-stop coverage of the latest celebrity gossips through his blog writings, books, and podcasts. He's no stranger to controversies, notably for calling Michael Jackson's sudden death in 2009 as a "publicity stunt," and Britney Spears as an incompetent mother amidst her publicly documented breakdown circa 2008.
However, there are still a plethora of things unknown about his personal and family life. Is his actual name is Perez Hilton? Is he related to Paris Hilton, by any chance? Does he have children?
10 Perez Hilton Isn't His Real Name
Although he always goes by the name "Perez Hilton" professionally, he was born Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr. Born in Florida, he spent some time in Little Havana and Westchester, Florida, during his childhood before attending an all-boys Catholic Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in Miami. However, it wasn't until 2004 that he decided to embrace that moniker.
9 He Came From A Humble Beginning Of Cuban Parents
Young Hilton came from a family of Cuban parents, Teresita and Mario Lavandeira, in a predominantly Spanish neighborhood in Florida. Soon after graduating the high school, he enrolled at New York University through a scholarship and made his parents proud.
"I come from a very poor family — I went to my all-boys school and NYU on full scholarships — so I’ve gotten to where I am with luck but mainly a lot of hard work," he recalled, reminiscing the time when he used to put in 16 hours of work a day.
8 He's Not Related To Paris Hilton At All
The short answer is no, he's not related to Paris Hilton at all, even though he did take her name as her moniker inspiration. However, he's been often criticized for providing biased coverage for Paris due to their close relationship, including the time when the star was found guilty of endangering motorists and drunk driving in 2006.
7 He Has One Son & Two Daughters Via Surrogate
On a personal level, Perez Hilton has three children. The first one, Mario Armando Lavandeira III, was born in February 2013. He later welcomed his second child and first daughter, Mia, in May 2015 and his second daughter, Mayte Amor, in October 2017. All of them were born via surrogate, meaning that he had to find surrogate mothers to help him deliver the babies.
6 He's Openly Gay & It Wasn't Easy For Him To Have Kids
He's been openly gay since he was a child, and at the time, it wasn't easy for him to have kids until he had his second, Mia. For his firstborn, he needed to have a court-appointed observer to oversee the whole process.
"I do hope as the years go on that we can reach more understanding about surrogacy," he writes on HuffPost. "And, hopefully, make it legal across the country! Not just for us but for our straight allies who are having difficulties too!"
5 He Maintains A Good Relationship With His Egg Donor
In fact, he still maintains a good relationship with his egg donor. Still writing on HuffPost, the celeb blogger spoke highly of his egg donor, even though he believes that "money was a motive for her."
4 Besides His Work, He'd Spend Time As A Stay-At-Home Parent
That said, he's been raising his kids alone. If he's not at the office, he would be a stay-at-home single father for his three children. While money is never a problem for him, raising three kids who were born through surrogate alone can be a challenging task for him.
"I explain to my kids that their family is different than others. My mom lives with us and not many families are able to have that opportunity. That difference makes us special and awesome, to me and us," he writes.
3 He Tries To Keep His Children Away From His Work
It is almost impossible for celeb news portals and tabloids to keep their hands away from celebrity's children. In 2015, Ashton Kutcher and Kristen Bell pleaded #NoKidsPolicy and demanded publications to respect the privacy of children from famous parents. That said, it comes as a surprise that Perez Hilton, who gained publicity from outing closeted celebrities, announced that he has been adopting a no-kids policy on his website, as an attempt to let the kids live their lives peacefully.
2 His Son Was Involved In His Feud Against Ariana Grande
However, there are always loopholes to it. Back in 2014, Perez and singer Ariana Grande went back-and-forth after the blogger notoriously made some not-so-nice comments about the singer's hair. Things escalated pretty quickly as the singer's fandom involved Perez's small child and made empty death threats against him. It also spawned to the point of alleged cocaine rumors, but the two have settled everything once and for all.
1 He Took His Childhood Struggles to a Book
Perez's rise to fame has been quite a ride. From a child of Cuban parents who often got bullied for being gay to Hollywood's most-wanted man, he always has a story to tell. That said, he poured his heart out on his debut children's book, Pink on the Inside and dedicated it to marginalized people who often find it difficult to blend in with society. Story-wise, it centers around a kid who lives the candy-colored locks that make him unique.