Perez Hilton has made a major decision involving his three children as his family continues navigating the aftermath of his hospitalization.
The 48-year-old celebrity blogger has voluntarily agreed to give his mother, Teresita Lavandeira, temporary legal custody of Mario, 13, Mia, 11, and Mayte, 8.
The new court filing gives Lavandeira significant authority over the children’s care while Hilton remains hospitalized, but another request from his mother reveals just how determined the family is to shield the kids as he faces what his team has described as a long recovery.
Hilton’s mother filed for temporary custody of his three children in Miami on August 7, according to court documents obtained by Page Six.
Importantly, the filing does not appear to represent a custody fight between Hilton and his mother. The blogger signed the documents and “voluntarily consented” to the arrangement.
In the filing, Hilton acknowledged that temporarily placing the children in Lavandeira’s legal custody was in their “best interest.”
The arrangement gives his mother the ability to make important decisions while Hilton concentrates on his recovery, including consenting to necessary medical and dental care and accessing the children’s medical, educational, and vital records.
She can also make educational decisions and handle other matters necessary for Mario, Mia, and Mayte’s care.
However, the arrangement is temporary. Hilton acknowledged in the documents that he can eventually petition the court to return legal custody to him, although he may first have to complete a “reasonable transition plan.”
Hilton’s Mother Wants To Protect The Children From ‘Further Trauma’
Lavandeira is also asking the court to keep the family’s legal proceedings away from public scrutiny.
In a separate filing, she requested that the custody case be sealed because of the extraordinary attention surrounding her son’s hospitalization.
“The children in this case should not be subjected to any further trauma related to the incidents that are the basis for the Petition,” the filing states.
Lavandeira argued that sealing the records would give the family an opportunity to “privately heal and move forward” following what she described as a “very unfortunate incident.”
The request follows earlier efforts by Hilton’s relatives to shield his children from the situation.
Earlier, his family confirmed that the three children were safe and being cared for by immediate relatives while asking photographers and media outlets not to follow or photograph them.
Perez Hilton Remains On A Long Road To Recovery
The custody development comes as Hilton continues receiving treatment following the August 4 crisis at his Miami home.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said it received multiple calls about an individual livestreaming acts of self-harm. Authorities subsequently transported Hilton to a hospital for medical attention, while crisis-response professionals also provided support to his family.
His family later confirmed that he remained hospitalized under Florida’s Baker Act and described his condition as “serious but stable.”
As The Blast previously reported, Hilton’s team revealed that he suffered “significant blood loss” and additional injuries requiring surgery.
His relatives also cautioned that his “treatment and recovery will be a long process,” while communication with him remained extremely limited and primarily restricted to immediate family and those involved in his medical care.
Still, one of the most significant developments came when Hilton was able to communicate with his mother.
According to a longtime family friend, he told her, “I need help,” while recovering in the hospital, as The Blast reported.
Hilton Had Already Moved His Kids Closer To Family
The decision to temporarily entrust his children to Lavandeira also comes just months after Hilton made a major life change partly motivated by family.
Earlier this year, the blogger relocated from Las Vegas to his native Miami with his three children following an alarming medical ordeal.
In March, Hilton spent 21 days hospitalized after developing severe sepsis stemming from a perforated ulcer. His recovery was later complicated by a deep vein thrombosis in his leg.
The near-death experience appeared to change his priorities.
Hilton subsequently explained that being closer to extended family had become more important, prompting the move back to Florida. However, he acknowledged weeks before his latest hospitalization that the transition had been emotionally challenging, describing himself as “overwhelmed” and “in a bit of a spiral.”
Perez Hilton Has Long Made Fatherhood Central To His Life
The temporary custody decision is particularly significant given how prominently fatherhood has featured in Hilton’s public life.
Hilton became a father to Mario in 2013 and later welcomed daughters Mia and Mayte, building his family through surrogacy.
His mother has also been a visible presence throughout that journey. When Hilton announced Mayte’s arrival in 2017, he shared a hospital photograph featuring both his newborn daughter and Lavandeira.
Now, the woman who has been alongside him through major chapters of his family life is assuming a more formal role while he recovers.
For the moment, the court documents make the family’s priorities clear: Hilton is focusing on treatment, his mother is taking responsibility for the children, and relatives are seeking the privacy they believe Mario, Mia, and Mayte need while their father works toward recovery.
