Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., professionally known as Perez Hilton (born March 23, 1978), is an American blogger, columnist, and media figure.
His blog is well-known for its celebrity-related gossip postings and tabloid images to which he has added his own comments or “doodles.” His site has generated controversy due to its tone, the prior practice of outing supposed closeted celebrities, and involvement in the escalating media coverage of celebrities.
Early Years of Perez Hilton
Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr. was born in Miami, Florida on March 23, 1978. Mario, who was raised by Cuban parents, attended an all-boys Catholic school and grew up in Little Havana and Westchester.
After his 1996 graduation, Mario was awarded a scholarship at New York University. Lavandeira initially intended to become an actor.
Early Profession of Perez Hilton
After graduating from New York University in 2000, Hilton sought to get into the acting industry but ultimately gravitated toward blogging. He was a freelance writer and editor for various magazines, including the LGBT rights organization GLAAD and the gay men’s magazine Instinct.
His personal blog of Lavandeira started off as a hobby. He once claimed that while many people were blogging about themselves throughout the middle of the 2000s, he preferred to write about celebrities since their lives were more interesting.
His blog was initially titled PageSixSixSix.com, and The Insider labeled it “Hollywood’s most disliked website” after six months. There is, of course, no such thing as bad PR, and the site became so popular within days that its servers were swamped.
Perez Hilton
At this time, the blog’s name had been changed to PerezHilton.com. Paris Hilton, one of Lavandeira’s favorite celebrities, inspired the site’s new name. Lavandeira also took the pen name “Perez Hilton” and referred to himself as “the Latin version of Paris Hilton.”
PerezHilton.com’s influence has grown into a force to be reckoned with throughout time. Those on Lavandeira’s “good side” have numerous advantages. The writer asserts that he is on excellent terms with several celebrities, including Paris Hilton. When featured on the site, these celebrities typically receive great feedback and broad acclaim.
Lavandeira has also demonstrated the capacity to assist celebrities in advancing their careers. Mika, a favorite singer of Lavandeira’s, rose to new heights of stardom in North America after she was featured favorably on PerezHilton.com.
On the opposite side of the equation, the careers of celebrities who become Lavandeira’s personal adversaries might suffer severely.
Lavandeira has a knack for digging out dirt on people, particularly regarding sexual orientation and exposing images. This somewhat malicious and prejudiced approach to entertainment journalism has resulted in PerezHilton.com receiving criticism from a number of prominent persons.
Although PerezHilton.com was not the first wildly successful, he devoted his entire life to it, spending 17-hour days publishing 30 gossip pieces within 24 hours. After working at this frenetic pace for several weeks, the website began to take off.
By 2007, the website had become one of the top 10 digital entertainment news sources on the Internet, attracting 2.6 million unique users per month. In 2014, despite dropping in popularity, PerezHilton.com maintained a respectable position as the 1,234th most visited website worldwide.
What is the other Controversy about Perez Hilton?
Over the years, PerezHilton.com has generated tremendous controversy. In 2007, he mistakenly announced the death of Cuban President Fidel Castro, stating that US officials would shortly declare Castro’s dying.
Castro gave a speech and mocked reports of his death after Lavandeira claimed credit for being the first big news organization to break the story and the announcement never materialized.
Additionally, PerezHilton.com has been condemned for pressuring numerous celebrities to come out of the closet. By revealing compromising photographs and information, Hilton leaves no doubt in the minds of the public that these celebrities are homosexual, forcing them to confirm their sexual orientation to the world.
In the past, the website has effectively “encouraged” celebrities such as Neil Patrick Harris and Lance Bass to come out.
Diverse members of the gay community have condemned Lavandeira’s techniques, which they deem brutal and demeaning. In his justification, Lavandeira asserts that by increasing the visibility of gay celebrities, he significantly improved LGBTQ rights. Regardless, his methods frequently drive individuals to reveal their orientation in an uncontrollable manner.
Perez Hilton Earnings
In 2007, it was revealed that PerezHilton.com generated astounding amounts of advertising money. Perez Hilton charged $9,000 per week for a single ad and $45,000 per week for his most comprehensive advertising package.
Today, the site is far smaller than it was in its heyday, but it is still apparently quite profitable. Perez reportedly received an offer of $50 million to sell his website at its zenith of popularity. He refused.
Legal Issues of Perez Hilton
Over the years, PerezHilton.com has also been embroiled in a number of legal disputes. Several unreleased Britney Spears songs were posted on PerezHilton.com in 2007, prompting Sony to file suit against Lavandeira and his website.
Also in 2007, Samantha Ronson charged Lavandeira with defamation when one of her tweets said that she had planted a bag of cocaine on Lindsay Lohan. Lavandeira was ultimately ousted and granted $85,000.
Lavandeira was also sued after posting a link to a Colin Farrell sex film and a topless photo of Jennifer Aniston on his website. One photo agency attempted to sue Lavandeira for $7.5 million on the grounds that he had posted their copywritten material. In response, Lavandeira said that copyright law permitted him to post images so long as they were edited to “achieve a satirical or hilarious purpose.”
Unfortunately for Lavandeira, the matter finally impacted his bottom line, and his web hosting company removed PerezHilton.com after receiving liability threats. Hilton sought an alternative host and settled out of court for an unknown amount.
Net Worth of Perez Hilton
American celebrity blogger and actor Perez Hilton have a net worth of $20 million according to celebritynetworth.com. Perez Hilton has achieved significant success in the entertainment news field, despite the fact that he is a rather controversial personality.
He is well known for his celebrity news and gossip-focused site, PerezHilton.com. Perez Hilton is an established actor and writer outside of his blog.
Family Living of Perez Hilton
Three of Perez Hilton’s children were born via surrogate moms.
Read Also:-
Sumner Stroh Net Worth: What is Her Current Relationship Status?
Mike Farrell Net Worth 2022: What’s the Interesting Thing About His Personal Life?
Khaby Lame Net Worth 2022: TikTok Fame!
Real Estate of Perez Hilton
In 2009, Lavandeira paid exactly $2 million for a West Hollywood mansion with a Mediterranean design. The 4,300-square-foot home has four bedrooms, a driveway with a gate, and a small yard with a pool and Jacuzzi.
Lavandeira opted to sell the property in 2016 for $2.9 million and move to a larger home within a few miles, paying $2.9 million for his new, improved home. This mansion was constructed in the 1920s and includes modified Spanish architecture.