For more than two decades, Perez Hilton has lived much of his life in public.

The celebrity blogger built a career chronicling the private lives of famous people, turning his name into one of the most recognizable — and controversial — brands of the early internet celebrity era.

But since early August, the most important story surrounding Hilton has had little to do with Hollywood.

It has been about his health, his three young children and the grandmother who has stepped in to care for them while their father remains in treatment.

More than a month after a serious mental health crisis at his Miami home, Hilton, 48, has moved from hospital care into a residential treatment program, his family announced on September 14. His children — Mario, 13, Mia, 11, and Mayte, 8 — remain together under the full-time care of Hilton’s mother, Teresita Lavandeira.

The arrangement is not merely informal.

On August 18, a Miami-Dade County judge granted Lavandeira temporary legal custody of all three children. Court documents cited by multiple news organizations say Hilton remains their legal parent and voluntarily agreed to the temporary arrangement. Lavandeira was authorized to handle matters necessary for their care, including educational and medical decisions.

For the moment, the legal order also places limits on Hilton’s contact with his children.

Any visits must be supervised by either a therapist or a family member agreed upon by Hilton and his mother, and Hilton must first obtain psychiatric clearance, according to the court order. The supervised arrangement remains in effect unless the court orders otherwise or the parties reach a different agreement.

It is a striking change for a man who has frequently presented himself publicly not only as an entertainer and blogger, but as a deeply involved single father.

Now, while Hilton focuses on recovery, his mother is responsible for creating something far less dramatic but arguably more important for his children: stability.

A Crisis That Became Public

The family’s life changed on August 4.

That night, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office received multiple calls concerning an individual who was livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media. Deputies located the residence and spoke with family members before Hilton was eventually transported by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to a local hospital.

The Sheriff’s Office said its Crisis Response Unit and licensed mental health professionals were also involved in supporting Hilton’s family.

A later sheriff’s incident report, obtained by CBS Miami, provided additional context. Hilton’s sister, Barbara Giarraffa, had contacted authorities after becoming concerned about him at the home.

Hilton’s family subsequently said that his children, sister and niece had been inside the home shortly before the crisis escalated. When relatives realized what was happening, they moved the children away from the situation.

In a statement two days later, the family said its immediate priority was helping the children recover from what they had experienced and restoring a sense of safety and normalcy.

That concern ultimately became part of a formal custody proceeding.

On August 12, news organizations reported that Lavandeira had filed for temporary custody. Hilton had signed a consent form supporting the request. The filing would allow his mother to make necessary decisions for the children while he was unable to resume his normal parenting responsibilities.

Six days later, the judge approved the arrangement.

Grandma Steps In

The September update from Hilton’s family offered one of the clearest descriptions yet of what life now looks like for his children.

The three siblings remain together and are “safe” and doing well under their grandmother’s care, the family said.

Lavandeira has effectively become their full-time caregiver during her son’s recovery.

The family’s goal, according to the statement, has been to maintain routine and normalcy for Mario, Mia and Mayte while their father receives treatment. They also publicly thanked Lavandeira for taking on that responsibility.

For children ages 13, 11 and 8, the disruption has been substantial.

Their father has been away for weeks. His contact with the outside world is restricted. Their grandmother now has legal authority over many of the decisions he would ordinarily make.

Yet the children have also been able to remain together rather than being separated during the family emergency.

The court documents make clear that the custody arrangement is temporary — not a termination of Hilton’s parental rights.

From Hospital to Residential Treatment

Hilton’s recovery has also entered a new phase.

On August 17, his family said he remained hospitalized and was receiving inpatient care from medical and mental health professionals.

By September 14, that had changed.

After spending weeks in the hospital receiving treatment for his physical injuries, Hilton entered a residential treatment program focused on his mental health, according to his family.

They expect him to remain there for at least several more weeks and potentially longer, depending on the recommendations of his treatment team. Hilton currently does not have access to his phone or laptop, and his communication with friends and relatives is limited.

The family also used its latest statement to correct rumors circulating online about Hilton’s condition.

They specifically denied claims that he had lost years of his memory or was confused about where he was, saying he was lucid and able to communicate clearly with relatives.

The correction underscored a strange reality for a man whose career was built around celebrity gossip: while Hilton is largely unable to speak publicly for himself, speculation about his own private life has spread across the internet.

His family has asked people to give him — and especially his children — space.

The Long Road Home

There is currently no public timetable for Hilton to resume full custody of his children.

The existing order means supervised contact can occur once psychiatric clearance has been obtained, but when or how the broader custody arrangement might change will depend on Hilton’s health, the family and potentially further court decisions.

What the September update does establish is that the immediate crisis has shifted into a longer process of recovery.

Hilton is receiving structured treatment.

His children are together.

And their grandmother has taken responsibility for keeping their daily lives moving while their father works toward returning to them.

For a family whose worst moments suddenly unfolded before millions of strangers online, the next stage may be deliberately quieter.

Hilton’s family put the situation simply in its September 14 update: recovery will take time, but there has been progress.

For his three children, that progress may ultimately be measured less by headlines than by something much more ordinary — the day their father is healthy enough to come home.