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This article is about the celebrity gossip blogger. For the American socialite, see Paris Hilton.
| Perez Hilton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr. March 23 1978 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Residence | Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation | Gossip columnist, blogger, actor, television personality |
Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr. (born March 23, 1978) is an American blogger, and television personality. His blog is Perezhilton.com (formerly PageSixSixSix.com), which he writes under the pseudonym Perez Hilton. On his website Lavandeira posts gossip items about musicians, actors and celebrities. His posts are delivered with an irreverent and sometimes cruel slant. He often posts tabloid photographs over which he has added his own captions or "doodles." His blog has garnered both positive and negative attention for its brash attitude, its active "outing" of closeted homosexual celebrities and for its role in the increasing coverage of celebrities in all forms of media.
Lavandeira was born in Miami, Florida to Cuban parents of Galician ancestry. He divides his time between residences in Los Angeles, California, where he has lived since 2002 and Manhattan.
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Before beginning his blogging career, Lavandeira attempted a career as an actorMario Lavandeira. IMDb. Retrieved on 2007-07-19., briefly worked as a media relations assistant for gay rights organization GLAAD, was a freelance writer for gay publications, worked as a receptionist for NYC gay events club Urban Outings, and was briefly the managing editor of Instinct, a gay men\'s magazine.Japhy Grant (2006-12-15). Perez Hilton\'s gay witch hunt - August 30, 2006. Salon.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-13. He says he started blogging "because it seemed easy."Boardman, Mickey. "Beautiful People 2006: Perez Hilton", Papermag, 2006-04-06. Retrieved on 2007-02-06. Abcarian, Robin. "His open-closet policy", Los Angeles Times, 2006-11-20. Retrieved on 2007-02-06.
Lavandeira\'s angle on celebrity gossip includes an unapologetic desire to mingle with and be a part of celebrity culture. He often describes celebrity awards shows, clubs, and private events he has attended, and posts photographs of himself with the celebrities he writes about under the "Personally Perez" category of his blog.Lavandeira, Mario. Personally Perez. Perezhilton.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-17.For example, Lavandeira, Mario (2006-12-19). Christmas Came Early, Part 3. Perezhilton.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-16. Some have suggested, however, that Lavandeira\'s proximity to the celebrities about whom he writes has led to biased coverage on his blog. He purports to have befriended Paris Hilton, the source of his nickname and frequent subject of his posts. It has been noted, for example, that Lavandeira rarely reports on stories or rumors casting Hilton in a negative or unflattering light,Biased Perez Hilton Defends Paris, Drunk Driving. The Hollywood Gossip (2006-09-08). Retrieved on 2007-02-06. and that, unlike most gossip blogs, he often acknowledges and praises her positive achievements.Lavandeira, Mario (2006-12-30). Doing It For The Kids. Perezhilton.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-06. Lavandeira has been known to speak out publicly against the discriminatory behavior of celebrities and other public figures. For instance, Lavandeira called for the firing of Isaiah Washington from ABC television series Grey\'s Anatomy for making homophobic remarks and called for his readers to do the same.Lavandeira, Mario (2007-01-17). He Should Just Be Killed Off. Perezhilton.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-12. However, in early 2007, Lavandeira was criticized by the blog The Hollywood Gossip for ignoring racist and homophobic remarks made by Paris Hilton."Paris slammed over new video", Yahoo! News, 2007-02-01. Retrieved on 2007-02-06.
Lavandeira often promotes his favorite up-and-coming musicians by posting streams of their songs under the "Listen To This" category of his blog.Lavandeira, Mario. Listen To This. Perezhilton.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-31. London-based singer Mika\'s 2007 rise to popular success in North America has been partially attributed to Lavandeira\'s frequent support."The Star-Spangled Blogger: Rise and rise of a showbiz superbitch", The Independent, 2007-03-31. Retrieved on 2007-03-31. Lavandeira, Mario (2006-10-31). Listen To This: Shining Brighter Than A Star. Perezhilton.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-31. Lavandeira and Mika also claim to be friends.Lavandeira, Mario (2007-03-17). Every Once In A While. .... Perezhilton.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-31.Mika gushes about Perez Hilton. YouTube / Much Music (2007-03-21). Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
On March 11, 2005, within the first six months of Lavandeira\'s blogging career, PageSixSixSix.com was named "Hollywood\'s Most-Hated Website" by "The Insider", catalyzing an initial surge in its popularity which temporarily crippled its server.The designation itself is mentioned in, among others, Gray, Tyler (2006-09-28). Pop goes Perez: How a pudgy Miami poseur became gossip\'s new queen. Radar Online. Retrieved on 2007-02-16.Several blogs that reported the event at the time include: PageSixSixSix.com Is Too Hot .... Brotha2Brotha (2005-03-11). Retrieved on 2007-02-16.VMI cadets get naked again. Towleroad (2005-03-11). Retrieved on 2007-02-16. Lavandeira claimed that on July 30, 2007, a seemingly "ordinary day," Perezhilton.com had over 8.82 million page views in a 24 hour period.Lavandeira, Mario (2007-07-31). Uh-May-Zing. Perezhilton.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-31. Other sources dispute the reliability of Lavandeira\'s traffic claims.Shafrir, Doree (2007-07-10). The Truth About Perez Hilton\'s Traffic. Gawker.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-31.
Pop singer Fergie has confirmed that she is referring to Lavandeira in her 2006 song "Pedestal," in which she criticizes an unidentified person for making negative remarks about her on the internet.Fergie performing at the Fillmore in Denver, CO on July 22, 2007 (Relevant portion of the video at 3:35). YouTube (2007-07-22). Retrieved on 2007-07-31.
On August 17, 2007, citing exclusive sources, Lavandeira announced the death of Cuban President Fidel Castro, claiming that he was the first media outlet in the world to do so.Maria Lavandeira. "Is Castro Dead", PerezHilton.com, 2007-08-17. Retrieved on 2007-08-17. Although Lavadeira claimed that U.S. officials would be making an announcement within hours, no announcement was made, and no major media outlets verified Castro\'s death.Mario Lavandeira. "A Little While Longer", PerezHilton.com, 2007-08-24. Retrieved on 2007-08-26. The Associated Press later determined that rumors were sparked by a meeting of Miami officials who were to discuss the city\'s plans when Castro passes away. Rumors were further fueled by a road closure in the Florida Keys that was due to a police standoff.Laura Wides-Munoz. "Rumors on Castro\'s Health Swirl in Miami", Associated Press, 2007-08-24. Retrieved on 2007-08-24. Castro appeared in an interview on Cuban television on September 21, 2007, "looking frail but sounding lucid," and mocking rumors of his death."Castro mocks rumors of his death in TV interview", Agence France-Presse, 2007-09-22. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
A suit against Lavendeira for copyright infringement was filed by Zomba Label Group on October 11, 2007, stating that Lavendeira illegally posted recordings by Britney Spears on PerezHilton.com. The illegal postings include at least 10 completed songs and unfinished recordings leaked over a period of three months. The suit asks for real and punitive damages in an unspecified amount as well as legal costs. Spears is not a party to the suit.Reuters. "Label sues Perez Hilton for posting Brit’s songs", MSN.com, 2007-10-11. Retrieved on 2007-10-11.
On October 11, 2007, a judge cleared the way for Lavendeira to be deposed in a on-going defamation suit brought against him by DJ Samantha Ronson, after a post on PerezHilton.com claimed that she had planted cocaine in friend Lindsay Lohan\'s car and set Lohan up to be photographed while under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Lavendeira\'s report was a repetition of gossip initially posted on CelebrityBabylon.com. The judge was informed in court that the owner of that site has already settled the case with Ronson.AP. "Lohan friend sues blogger for defamation", Yahoo! News, 2007-10-11. Retrieved on 2007-10-11. On January 23, 2008, Perez Hilton was awarded by Superior Court Judge Elihu Berle $85,000 in this lawsuit filed by Ronson.Afp.google.com, Perez Hilton Wins in Lohan Friend Suit
Lavandeira has attracted lawsuits due to his use of video footage of celebrities on his blog. He was named as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by attorneys for Irish actor Colin Farrell on July 18, 2005, after posting a link to Farrell\'s sex tape with then-girlfriend Nicole Narain on his siteColin Farrell Sues Over Sex Tape. The Smoking Gun (2005-07-18). Retrieved on 2007-02-06. and on February 20, 2007, a lawsuit filed against him by Universal City Studios Productions LLP for posting a topless image of actress Jennifer Aniston that was allegedly "misappropriated and illegally copied" from unreleased footage from her 2006 motion picture The Break-Up.AP. "Blogger Sued Over Topless Aniston Photo", ABC News, 2007-02-21. Retrieved on 2007-02-21.
Bloggers, journalists, news agencies and photographers alike have charged that Lavandeira posts paparazzi photographs and other copyrighted content from their sites.Perez to Photog: You Don\'t Know Sh**. TMZ.com (2006-10-26). Retrieved on 2007-02-06. On November 30, 2006, celebrity photo agency X17Online filed a lawsuit against Lavandeira in federal court, seeking over US$7.5 million in damages for copyright infringement."X17Online Sues PerezHilton.com for Copyright Infringement", Business Wire, 2006-11-30. Retrieved on 2007-02-06. X17\'s co-owner Robin Navarre told the LA Times that the sale value of their photographs has been significantly reduced because the photos have appeared on PerezHilton.com before they could be published in magazines to which exclusivity is important. Navarre said,"X17 can make as much as tens of thousands of dollars from one magazine on an exclusive story. In the case of the Spears smooch shot, X17 sold a two-page spread to Us Weekly, but the magazine decided to shrink the photo play (which lowered the price by $10,000, to $15,000)...because the images had already been on Hilton\'s site and others."Abcarian, Robin. "Perez Hilton takes their best shots", Los Angeles Times, 2006-12-17. Retrieved on 2006-02-17.
Lavandeira defends his use of this material by claiming it falls under the fair use exception to the Copyright Act; that is, according to the LA Times, the photos are altered "to achieve a satiric or humorous end." On March 9, 2007, a judge ruled that Lavandeira could continue operating his website while the lawsuit remains before the courts.Perez Hilton Evens Score in Paparazzi Lawsuit. TMZ.com (2007-03-09). Retrieved on 2007-03-09. On April 23, 2007, a consortium of five celebrity photo agencies filed a joint lawsuit in federal district court in California against Lavandeira, claiming more than US$7 million in damages from 25 instances of alleged copyright infringement.Cock, John (2007-04-24). Paps Make Good on Perez Threats. Radar Online. Retrieved on 2007-04-27. Just days later, on April 26, 2007, upon arriving at the Kingsford Smith International Airport in Sydney, Australia to attend the MTV Australia Video Music Awards, Lavandeira 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.Kennedy, John. "Perez hit with more lawsuits. Celebrity blogger served with latest at Sydney airport.", Canada.com, 2007-04-27. Retrieved on 2007-04-27.
On June 20, 2007, Variety reported that Lavendeira\'s web host had dropped his site, upon threats of liability in the cases outlined above. Francois Navarre, co-owner of X17, told Variety, "It\'s the first victory, and we put a lot of work into trying to get this to happen." He added, "It\'s a precedent that\'s huge. When we were talking to Crucial Paradigm they were saying they were not responsible, dragging their feet. We had to threaten them and show them they were liable. His new host is Blogads, and we\'re contacting them already."Gilstrap, Peter. "Perez Hilton blog having problems: Crucial dims site\'s lights after copyright claims", Variety.com, 2007-06-20. Retrieved on 2007-06-21.
On June 26, 2007, Lavandeira 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.Lavandeira Jr., Mario Armando. "Notice To All Current And Former Photographers Of X17", perezhilton.com, 2007-06-26. Retrieved on 2007-09-15. Lavandeira has not used photos by X17 on his website since the suit.
On his blog, Lavandeira is open about his homosexuality and about his desire to "out" closeted gay celebrities. When former Nsync member Lance Bass officially came out as gay on July 26, 2006, Lavandeira received criticism for having been partially responsible in the outing. "It upsets me that people think what I\'m doing is a bad thing," Lavandeira told Access Hollywood. "I don\'t think it\'s a bad thing. If you know something to be a fact, why not report it? Why is that still taboo?""Did gossip blogger out Lance Bass?", Access Hollywood / MSNBC.com, 2006-07-27. Retrieved on 2007-02-06. On November 2, 2006, another celebrity often questioned by Lavandeira for remaining closeted, actor Neil Patrick Harris, revealed that he is gay.Martindale, Stone (2006-11-04). Perez Hilton outs more celebrity gays in media. Monsters and Critics. Retrieved on 2007-02-18. After Harris came out, Lavendeira wrote, "Today is a victory....We are throwing down the gauntlet and issue a challenge to all the closeted celebrities out there: Come out. Come out NOW! Come out in droves!!....We are talking to you Anderson Cooper, Jodie Foster...Queen Latifah...and the rest of you! NOW is the time!!!!!!!!"Lavandeira, Mario (2006-11-03). Anderson Cooper And Jodie Foster Are Next!. Perezhilton.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-23. These celebrities either maintain they are heterosexual or do not discuss their sexual orientation.
Prominent members of the gay community who have criticized Lavandeira\'s outing tactics include Arts & Entertainment Editor of The Advocate Corey Scholibo, AfterEllen.com editor Michael Jensen, and Damon Romine, spokesperson for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Kim Ficera, contributing writer for AfterEllen.com, wrote,"I have to question the character of a man who attacks others on such deeply personal levels, without provocation and for self-benefit, monetary or otherwise....If he\'s emotionally incapable of exhibiting even the tiniest bit of compassion for closeted people, if he can\'t be sensitive to the fact that coming out is a very personal decision and that the process can be difficult for some — especially celebrities — I feel sorry for him. If his juvenile behavior is his shtick, I think it makes him a much more pathetic figure, and one the gay and lesbian community should not support...If we support behavior like Hilton\'s, we applaud shallowness, arrogance, rage and invasion of privacy, and risk becoming what we despise."Kim Ficera (2006-11-29). Don\'t Quote Me - Perez Hilton. AfterEllen.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-13.
Some of Lavandeira\'s fellow gossip bloggers have also objected to his approach. Trent Vanegas, who runs "Pink Is the New Blog," told Salon, "I do not outright call people gay. I do not feel it is my place, or anyone else\'s place, to make people come out of the closet. Being shockingly hurtful just to get attention is not my style." David Hauslaib of gossip blog Jossip.com stated, "The rationale that he\'s doing this for the good of that gay community is tantamount to saying that there is a gay agenda. Is this a positive for the gay community? I\'d say, \'No.\'" Author, screenwriter, and former friend Japhy Grant has also questioned his motives, writing in online magazine Salon, "Spreading gossip is just your average pedestrian variety of immorality. Claiming that you\'re doing it to further civil rights is an outright sham."
When questioned on Midweek Politics about whether reporting on celebrities\' sexual orientation incites homophobia by making it news, Lavandeira indicated that he did not believe so.Interviews - Perez Hilton - PerezHilton.com - August 30, 2006. Midweek Politics (2006-08-30). Retrieved on 2007-02-18. He sees that coming out in Hollywood is not necessarily a bad thing, citing Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O\'Donnell as examples: "I know there is some controversy about outing people, but I also believe the only way we\'re gonna have change is with visibility. And if I have to drag some people screaming out of the closet, then I will. I think that lots of celebrities have an archaic fear that being gay will hurt their career but look at Rosie. Look at Ellen.""Did gossip blogger out Lance Bass?", Access Hollywood / MSNBC.com, 2006-07-27. Retrieved on 2007-02-06.
Some prominent gay rights advocates disagree. GLAAD spokesperson Damon Romine told Salon, "Media speculation about a celebrity\'s orientation is not something we support. This kind of gossip can lead some people to the decision to come out, as we\'ve seen recently, or it may drive others further into the closet. People are going to become more guarded and secretive and not less, because they don\'t want to create any opportunities [for anyone to out them]." Actor Bruce Vilanch said, "What purpose does it serve? These [people like Perez] are professional homosexuals. They are gay people for a living. They have to respect the rights of homosexuals who aren\'t professional." In an article entitled "Just How Dangerous is Perez Hilton?", AfterElton.com suggested that Lavandeira\'s actions put people\'s careers at risk, because anti-gay bias is still a prominent part of American culture. He continued, "Both as a gay man and a journalist, I question whether the gay community should approve of Hilton\'s actions....Being associated with someone who publishes photos of panty-less starlets and scribbles dirty notes....makes us look infantile and ridiculous."Michael Ricci (2007-01-16). Just How Dangerous is Perez Hilton?. AfterElton.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-13.
On July 13, 2007,Lavandeira announced on the tv show "The View" that he will star in his own reality television show on VH1. The series of six one-hour episodes, titled What Perez Sez, aired its first part on September 11, 2007.Steve Zeitchik. "VH1 lines up \'Perez Hilton\' series", Variety, 13 July 2007. Retrieved on 2007-07-11.
Lavendeira appeared as a contestant on MTV\'s "Celebrity Rap Superstar", which debuted August 30, 2007. He was eliminated in week 6 of the contest by judges\' vote. On September 29, 2007, he hosted a "Best of MADtv" episode featuring pop culture parody sketches from previous seasons.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild | Himself | Filming in Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Celebrity Rap Superstar | Himself | Eliminated week 6 by judges vote. |
| 2007 to Present | What Perez Sez | Himself | A series of specials airing on VH1 |
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