History of Perez Hilton in Timeline
Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., better known as Perez Hilton, is an American blogger, columnist, and media personality. He gained prominence through his celebrity gossip blog, notable for its tabloid photos enhanced with his own captions and doodles. Hilton's blog has been a source of controversy due to its critical tone, past practice of outing allegedly closeted celebrities, and its influence on the rise of celebrity coverage across various media platforms.
March 23, 1978: Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr. Born
On March 23, 1978, Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., who is known professionally as Perez Hilton, was born. He is an American blogger, columnist, and media personality.
1996: Graduation and Scholarship
In 1996, Perez Hilton graduated from Belen Jesuit Preparatory School and received a scholarship to New York University.
2000: Graduation from NYU
In 2000, Perez Hilton graduated from New York University. Following graduation he attempted an acting career before starting his blog.
2001: Appearance on The Sopranos
In 2001, Perez Hilton appeared in the third episode of the third season of The Sopranos, "Fortunate Son," handing over proceeds from a Jewel benefit concert.
2004: Contestant on Flab To Fab
In 2004, Perez Hilton appeared as a contestant on VH1's reality weight loss show, Flab To Fab, during the "Madonna Style" episode.
March 11, 2005: "Hollywood's Most-Hated Website"
On March 11, 2005, within six months of Perez Hilton starting his blogging career, PageSixSixSix.com was named "Hollywood's Most-Hated Website" by The Insider, which led to a surge in its popularity that temporarily crippled the server.
July 18, 2005: Colin Farrell Lawsuit
On July 18, 2005, Perez Hilton was named as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by Colin Farrell for posting a link to Farrell's sex tape with Nicole Narain on his site.
July 26, 2006: Criticism after Lance Bass comes out as gay
On July 26, 2006, former NSYNC member Lance Bass came out as gay, and Hilton received criticism for having been partially responsible in the outing.
November 2, 2006: Neil Patrick Harris Reveals He is Gay
On November 2, 2006, actor Neil Patrick Harris, another celebrity often questioned by Hilton for remaining closeted, revealed that he is gay.
November 30, 2006: X17Online files lawsuit against Hilton
On November 30, 2006, photo agency X17Online filed a lawsuit against Perez Hilton in federal court, seeking over $7.5 million in damages for copyright infringement. X17's co-owner claimed the sale value of their photographs had been significantly reduced due to their appearance on PerezHilton.com.
2006: Referenced in Fergie's Song
In 2006, Fergie confirmed that her song "Pedestal" refers to Perez Hilton, criticizing him for making negative remarks about her on the internet.
February 20, 2007: Lawsuit for Posting Topless Image of Jennifer Aniston
On February 20, 2007, Universal City Studios Productions LLP filed a lawsuit against Perez Hilton for posting a topless image of Jennifer Aniston, allegedly taken from unreleased footage from her 2006 movie The Break-Up.
March 9, 2007: Judge Rules Hilton Can Continue Operating Website
On March 9, 2007, a judge ruled that Hilton could continue operating his website while the lawsuit regarding copyright infringement remained before the courts.
April 23, 2007: Photo agencies file joint lawsuit against Hilton
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.
April 26, 2007: Hilton Served with Lawsuit in Australia
On April 26, 2007, upon arriving in Sydney, Australia, to attend the MTV Australia Video Music Awards, Hilton was served with a lawsuit by celebrity photo agency PhotoNews claiming C$4,200 in damages for his alleged unauthorized use of a single copyrighted paparazzi photograph of John Mayer and Jessica Simpson.
June 2007: Hilton's Web Hosting Service Dropped Site
In June 2007, Hilton's web hosting service dropped his site upon threats of liability in the copyright infringement cases. His new host is Blogads.
June 26, 2007: Hilton Calls for X17 Photographers to Contact Him
On June 26, 2007, Hilton posted an open call on his blog to all of X17's photographers, both past and present, to contact him if they have not been adequately compensated for working overtime or pictures submitted in the past.
July 13, 2007: Reality TV Show Announcement
On July 13, 2007, Perez Hilton announced on The View that he would star in his own reality television show on VH1, titled What Perez Sez.
July 30, 2007: Record Page Views
On July 30, 2007, Perez Hilton claimed that PerezHilton.com had over 8.82 million page views in a 24-hour period.
August 17, 2007: False Report of Fidel Castro's Death
On August 17, 2007, Perez Hilton reported the death of Fidel Castro, claiming exclusive sources. This report was later proven false.
August 30, 2007: Celebrity Rap Superstar Debut
On August 30, 2007, Perez Hilton appeared as a contestant on MTV's Celebrity Rap Superstar.
September 11, 2007: What Perez Sez Premiere
On September 11, 2007, the first part of Perez Hilton's reality television show, What Perez Sez, aired on VH1. The series consisted of six one-hour episodes.
September 21, 2007: Fidel Castro Appears on Television
On September 21, 2007, Fidel Castro appeared in an interview on Cuban television, "looking frail but sounding lucid", and mocking rumors of his death, which Perez Hilton had reported in August.
September 29, 2007: Hosts MADtv Episode
On September 29, 2007, Perez Hilton hosted a Best of MADtv episode, featuring pop culture parody sketches.
October 11, 2007: Zomba Label Group Lawsuit
On October 11, 2007, Zomba Label Group filed a suit against Perez Hilton for copyright infringement, alleging that he illegally posted Britney Spears' recordings on PerezHilton.com.
2007: Supporting Mika
In 2007, Perez Hilton frequently promoted London-based singer Mika's music on his blog under the category "Listen to This", contributing to Mika's rise to success in North America.
2007: Criticism of Celebrities
In early 2007, Perez Hilton publicly called for Isaiah Washington's firing from Grey's Anatomy for making homophobic remarks. In 2007, he was criticized for ignoring racist and homophobic remarks allegedly made by Paris Hilton.
January 23, 2008: Defamation Lawsuit Awarded to Ronson
On January 23, 2008, Perez Hilton was ordered to pay $85,000 to DJ Samantha Ronson in a defamation lawsuit, filed after Hilton repeated gossip about Ronson planting cocaine in Lindsay Lohan's car.
March 2008: Boycott of Sony BMG Artists
In March 2008, Perez Hilton announced on his blog that he would no longer blog about artists signed to Sony BMG (which owned Zomba at the time) due to the ongoing lawsuit.
May 5, 2008: Radio Perez Premiere
On May 5, 2008, Perez Hilton premiered his nationally syndicated radio show, Radio Perez, featuring updates from his blog.
September 15, 2008: "Hispanic of the Year"
On September 15, 2008, Terra.com named Perez Hilton the "Hispanic of the Year" in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.
2008: Release of "The Clap"
In 2008, Hilton released a song called "The Clap", about gonorrhea, composed and produced by Lucian Piane. The song's music video is from the movie Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild! (2008).
2008: MTV Europe Music Awards
In 2008, Perez Hilton co-hosted the MTV Europe Music Awards. He accepted the best act ever award on behalf of Rick Astley after Astley did not attend the ceremony.
April 19, 2009: Hilton Serves as Judge for Miss USA 2009 Pageant
On April 19, 2009, Hilton served as a judge for the Miss USA 2009 pageant in Las Vegas.
June 2009: Hilton alleges assault by Black Eyed Peas' manager
In June 2009, Hilton alleged in a video blog that he was assaulted by The Black Eyed Peas' operation manager, Polo Molina, following the 2009 MuchMusic Video Awards after party. Hilton reported that he was struck in the eye by Molina.
June 25, 2009: Hilton apologizes for anti-gay slur
On June 25, 2009, Hilton apologized for using an anti-gay slur against will.i.am during the assault incident. He pledged to donate any money won in the lawsuit against Molina to the Matthew Shepard Foundation, but the foundation declined the gift.
August 2009: X17 Lawsuit Against Hilton Settled Out of Court
In August 2009, X17's lawsuit against Hilton was settled out of court, with the terms of the agreement remaining undisclosed.
September 9, 2009: Regret Over False Castro Report
On September 9, 2009, Perez Hilton appeared on The Tyra Banks Show and cited his premature reporting of Fidel Castro's death as his "one regret."
October 6, 2009: Release of "Red Carpet Suicide: A Survival Guide on Keeping Up With the Hiltons"
On October 6, 2009, Celebra Books released Hilton's first book, Red Carpet Suicide: A Survival Guide on Keeping Up With the Hiltons.
December 1, 2009: Release of "Perez Hilton's True Bloggywood Stories: The Glamorous Life of Beating, Cheating, and Overdosing"
On December 1, 2009, Celebra Books released Hilton's second book, Perez Hilton's True Bloggywood Stories: The Glamorous Life of Beating, Cheating, and Overdosing, which the NY Daily News characterized as a "tell-all book".
December 2, 2009: Guest on The View
On December 2, 2009, Perez Hilton was a guest on the TV show The View.
March 2010: Backlash for claiming Michael Jackson's illness was a publicity stunt
Backlash for claiming Michael Jackson's illness was a publicity stunt, which originally occurred on June 25, 2009 shortly after Michael Jackson had gone into cardiac arrest, but resulted in a Twitter argument with Pete Wentz in March 2010.
June 13, 2010: Hilton posts upskirt picture of Miley Cyrus
On June 13, 2010, Hilton posted to Twitter a message linking to an upskirt picture of then-17-year-old Miley Cyrus, that appeared to show Cyrus without underwear, raising questions about child pornography charges. The site that he had linked to had removed the picture in question.
July 2010: Started Blogging as a Hobby
In an interview in July 2010 with Cliché Magazine, Perez Hilton explained that he only started blogging as a hobby. He wanted to talk about celebrities because they're far more entertaining.
October 13, 2010: Hilton Apologizes for Bullying Celebrities
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. Hilton vowed to change the occasionally malicious tone of his website, even if it meant losing readers and revenue. Hilton also announced the launch of three new websites: CoCoPerez.com, FitPerez.com, and TeddyHilton.com.
October 2010: Involved in It Gets Better Project
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. This prompted Khloé Kardashian to describe Hilton as her "personal bully".
2010: Victorious Guest Star
In 2010, Perez Hilton guest starred as himself in the Victorious episode "Wi-Fi in the Sky".
September 1, 2011: Publication of "The Boy with Pink Hair"
On September 1, 2011, Celebra Young Readers published Hilton's first children's book entitled The Boy with Pink Hair. 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."
September 2011: Interview with The Advocate
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. I never really fit in with any groups, so I just did my own thing."
December 2011: Perez Hilton Superfan Premiere
In December 2011, Perez Hilton created and presented a four-part British television series, Perez Hilton Superfan, for ITV2.
2011: Lady Gaga states Hilton sent offensive photos on Twitter
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, Hilton responded by sending her a photo of a wheelchair with the word Karma written across it, and another of Madonna pointing a gun.
January 16, 2012: Special Guest Referee on WWE Raw
On January 16, 2012, Perez Hilton was a special guest referee for a Divas tag team match on WWE Raw.
April 2012: Oprah's Lifeclass Appearance
In April 2012, Perez Hilton appeared on Oprah's Lifeclass live at Radio City Music Hall, discussing his "spiritual awakening" and change in his celebrity-bashing approach.
September 8, 2012: NEWSical The Musical Debut
On September 8, 2012, Perez Hilton starred as himself in NEWSical The Musical, an off-Broadway musical which had a four-week run.
February 2013: Lady Gaga states Hilton sent offensive photos on Twitter
In February 2013, Lady Gaga cancelled her Born This Way Ball Tour because of a hip injury. Lady Gaga stated that Hilton responded by sending her a photo of a wheelchair with the word Karma written across it, and another of Madonna pointing a gun.
February 17, 2013: Birth of First Child, Mario Armando Lavandeira III
On February 17, 2013, Hilton's first child, Mario Armando Lavandeira III, was born, conceived with a donor egg and carried by a surrogate mother.
August 18, 2013: Hilton Denies Stalking Lady Gaga
On August 18, 2013, Hilton published a statement on his website in which he denied stalking Lady Gaga. He stated that he was looking for a place to live in New York after the birth of his son, and that he was shown the apartment without knowing Lady Gaga lived in the building.
February 2014: Accusations of Cocaine Use and Fan Threats
In February 2014, after Hilton criticized Ariana Grande's hairstyles, Grande's fans posted negative comments to Hilton's social media, including threats against his young son. Hilton then tweeted Grande, her brother Frankie and her employer Nickelodeon with accusations that Grande had been seen using cocaine at a party. Grande denied the allegations.
October 2014: Site Traffic Trending Down
In October 2014, PerezHilton.com was ranked by Alexa as the 1,234th most trafficked website globally, indicating a slight downward trend in popularity.
January 2015: Celebrity Big Brother Housemate
In January 2015, Perez Hilton participated as a housemate on the fifteenth season of the British reality series, Celebrity Big Brother.
February 4, 2015: Eviction from Celebrity Big Brother
On February 4, 2015, Perez Hilton was the seventh celebrity to be evicted from Celebrity Big Brother.
May 9, 2015: Birth of Daughter, Mia Alma Lavandeira
On May 9, 2015, Hilton's daughter, Mia Alma Lavandeira, was born via surrogate.
July 2015: The Perez Hilton Podcast with Chris Booker
In July 2015, Perez Hilton and radio personality Chris Booker started a weekly podcast called The Perez Hilton Podcast with Chris Booker.
September 10, 2015: Full House! The Musical Premiere
On September 10, 2015, Perez Hilton starred as Danny Tanner/Bob Saget in Full House! The Musical, an off-Broadway musical at Theater 80 in New York City.
November 29, 2015: End of Full House! The Musical Run
On November 29, 2015, Full House! The Musical, in which Perez Hilton starred, completed its run at Theater 80 in New York City.
August 2017: Worst Cooks in America Winner
In August 2017, Perez Hilton competed on Worst Cooks in America Season 11: Celebrity Edition 3, winning the competition and being crowned "Best of the Worst".
October 4, 2017: Birth of Second Daughter, Mayte Amor
On October 4, 2017, Hilton welcomed a second daughter, Mayte Amor, also via surrogate.
April 2018: Criticism for parenting comments
In April 2018, Hilton attracted criticism of his parenting when he stated he hopes his son Mario is heterosexual because "it would be easier" than being homosexual. He claimed he would not sign up his son for dance classes, if requested, because "dance class might make [his] kid gay".
2018: "The original celebrity social media influencer"
In 2018, Perez Hilton was dubbed "the original celebrity social media influencer" by BroadwayWorld.
October 6, 2020: Release of TMI: My Life in Scandal
On October 6, 2020, Chicago Review Press published Hilton's memoir titled TMI: My Life in Scandal. In the book, Hilton unveils "the story of how Mario Lavandeira became Perez Hilton, the world's first and biggest celebrity blogger, while also becoming the most hated man in Hollywood."
December 2020: Permanent Ban from TikTok
In December 2020, Perez Hilton was permanently banned from TikTok, where he had amassed 1.6 million followers.
December 2021: Red Table Talk Guest Star
In December 2021, Perez Hilton appeared as a guest star on Red Table Talk: The Estefans alongside Gabbie Hanna for a discussion about cancel culture.
2025: Matt Bomer reflects on Perez Hilton outing him
In 2025, actor Matt Bomer reflected on the beginnings of his acting career and being outed by Perez Hilton, during an episode of Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s Dinner's On Me podcast.
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