Hollywood is facing criticism for its silence over the hospitalization of celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, following a distressing livestream on August 4.
Hilton, 48, has been receiving medical care in Los Angeles since broadcasting a TikTok video in which he committed acts of self harm with a knife. However, the entertainment industry has offered little public support for the blogger, a stark contrast to the avalanche of love and compassion that followed the recent death of actress Hayden Panettiere at the age of 36.
Rob Shuter, a former celebrity publicist who worked in the industry during the height of Hilton's power, has called out what he describes as hypocrisy among the Hollywood elite. Shuter noted that while the industry regularly lectures the public on being kind to those battling depression, fighting disease, or struggling with addiction, those sympathies appear selective.
Contrasting reactions
Panettiere's death triggered immediate tributes from across the entertainment world. Viola Davis, the EGOT actress and former co-star of Panettiere, called her "an amazing talent."
Derek Hough, who worked with Panettiere on the television series Nashville, remembered the late actress as sweet and kind. Bethany Joy Lenz also shared a personal tribute to Panettiere, writing: "I'm crushed. I knew the wild little blonde. Was she nine? Ten? I was eighteen."
Actress Blake Lively wrote in her own homage to Panettiere: "Be. Kind. You never know what others are going through."
The industry has also recently mourned the loss of actors James Van Der Beek, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Eric Dane. Their deaths were attributed to illness, addiction, or other sinister causes.
But Hilton's crisis has been met with a noticeable lack of similar public sympathy. Hilton is described as a broken person with three children and a devastated family following the livestream, which featured blood and a "lifeless stare."
A history of controversy
Hilton's career was built on controversial coverage of celebrities. During his peak influence, a single post on PerezHilton.com could turn a publicity campaign into a five alarm fire and send a star into panic. He regularly mocked the misfortune of stars, outed individuals, and published damaging material.
Following the death of actor Heath Ledger in 2008, Hilton faced intense backlash for selling T-shirts featuring Ledger's image alongside the caption, "Why couldn't it be Britney?"
Shuter recalled Hilton relentlessly attacking his former client, Ashlee Simpson, after she was accused of lip syncing during an appearance on Saturday Night Live in 2004. Shuter said he repeatedly called Hilton to ask him to move on from the story, but the blogger laughed and doubled down on his coverage.
While Hilton has apologized in recent years as his star power faded, the resentment among many celebrities appears to have lingered. The few public figures who have expressed sympathy for his current mental health incident have faced immediate backlash.
Actor Jared Padalecki initially posted a message of support, writing: "I hope you are trying as best as you can to be kind to yourself right now. Please surround yourself with the love and support that all humans deserve."
Padalecki deleted the post shortly after, writing: "I didn't know. It's been brought to my attention. I'm sorry."
Calls for compassion
The silence from celebrities whose careers benefited from Hilton's coverage has drawn particular scrutiny. Early in their careers, artists such as Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and Rihanna saw their careers explode with Hilton's help.
Hilton also wrote constantly about Stefani Germanotta as she was becoming Lady Gaga, fueling obsessive attention over her rise.
An A-list publicist questioned the industry's values, asking: "If Hollywood really believes its own lectures about kindness, empathy and compassion, why does that philosophy seem to disappear when the person suffering is someone Hollywood doesn't like?"
A casting director who is friends with Hilton echoed the sentiment, asking whether compassion should survive a falling out if someone previously helped amplify a career.
A friend of the Hilton family told the Daily Mail that those who previously claimed to be his friend have remained silent. "All the ones he wanted to reach out, all the celebrities who he has mended fences with, all the ones who said he's their friend - none of them are doing anything," the friend said.
One top Hollywood agent noted the industry's tendency to idealize those who have passed away. "Look at what happens when someone beloved dies," the agent said. "Suddenly everyone remembers the good times. Old friends become best friends. Former colleagues become family. People who haven't spoken in years post photographs and paragraphs about how much someone meant to them."
A director who had met both Panettiere and Hilton suggested that acknowledging complexity is necessary. "Hayden was complicated. Perez is complicated. Almost everyone is. You can mourn Hayden without pretending her life was perfect," the director said. "You can acknowledge Perez's terrible behavior without pretending he deserves to be ignored."
Shuter, who authored the best-selling novel It Started With A Whisper, currently publishes his insider reporting on his own Substack.
