TikTok fans started a petition to remove celebrity blogger Perez Hilton from the app after his feud with Charli D'Amelio. Here's the timeline of the drama.
TikTok fans started a petition to remove celebrity blogger Perez Hilton from the app after his feud with Charli D'Amelio. Here's the timeline of the drama.
Rachel E. Greenspan
TikTok fans are calling for celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton's removal from the app after he commented on Charli D'Amelio's posts.Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images; Charli D'Amelio/Instagram
Celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton is in hot water with TikTok fans after his comments about 15-year-old Charli D'Amelio's videos.
Fans even started an online petition to remove Hilton from the video app, calling him and his content "inappropriate" and "problematic." The petition has more than 60,000 signatures as of Tuesday.
Avani Gregg of the Hype House TikTok collective said in a tweet that she had signed the petition.
Perez Hilton has been reporting on celebrity gossip for more than a decade. But recently, the blogger has pivoted to discussing TikTok's biggest stars, people that Gen Z cares about much more than Hollywood.
The problem for many fans, who have called his behavior "creepy," is that a good number of the TikTokers he talks about are minors. Now, Hilton, 42, is in hot water for his comments about 15-year-old Charli D'Amelio, the most-followed person on the app.
"I genuinely love all attention — positive or negative," Hilton told Insider in a statement.
Perez Hilton at the Dolby Theatre on February 18, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
Amanda Edwards/Getty Images
Hilton commented on the controversy in a statement provided to Insider.
"My TikTok followers have been increasing and at a much faster rate than before. Drama is my business and it's been good for business," he said, adding that he wanted to "thank" those who signed and shared the petition.
"I invite everyone to look at my videos on TikTok and leave me as much hate as they want. I genuinely love all attention - positive or negative. And a hateful comment is still a view and also helps with engagement! It's crazy to think I've been doing what I do for 16 years now," he said. "I think I know how things work and how to play the game."
In his statement, Hilton added that he wrote about that "game" of gossip and drama in his new autobiography, which comes out in October.
Hilton apparently set up a bot on Twitter to thank anyone sharing the petition and using the #PerezHiltonIsOverParty hashtag.
The replies section of Perez Hilton's personal Twitter account, @ThePerezHilton, show he apparently set up a bot to automatically reply to tweets linking to the petition.
Screenshots from Twitter
Hilton was apparently excited over the petition. In addition to his comments on the @TikTokRoom Instagram account, he seemingly created a Twitter automated reply for anyone sharing the link. "Thank you for signing my petition," his @ThePerezHilton personal Twitter account replies to posts with the link, in addition to the hashtag #PerezHiltonIsOverParty.
In an emailed statement, Hilton told Insider that he'd "like to thank those who signed the petition and shared it on their social media."
He added, "I genuinely love all attention - positive or negative. And a hateful comment is still a view and also helps with engagement!"
Avani Gregg shared the petition on her Twitter and said that she signed it.
Avani Gregg, a member of the Hype House TikTok collective and a friend of D'Amelio's, tweeted on April 25 that she signed the petition for Hilton's removal.
A post shared by The Tiktok Shaderoom (@tiktokroom) on Apr 26, 2020 at 8:09am PDT
Before signing, Gregg commented on an Instagram post from TikTok gossip account @TikTokRoom asking where she could sign. Hilton responded: "You're just mad I never followed you on TikTok."
TikTokers started a petition to "ban Perez Hilton from TikTok," claiming that he "earns a living by attacking young kids."
A post shared by The Tiktok Shaderoom (@tiktokroom) on Apr 25, 2020 at 1:57pm PDT
On April 21, someone created a petition on Change.org calling for Hilton's removal from TikTok.
"His whole career is based off of creating drama - which is something we seriously don't need right now," the petition said. "Perez is a middle-aged man and earns a living by attacking young kids for just having fun. CANCEL HIM, or at least BAN HIM from Tiktok."
As of Tuesday afternoon, the petition has more than 64,000 signatures.
A representative for TikTok did not return Insider's request for comment.
Hilton doubled down on his comments and posted about D'Amelio's breakup drama on TikTok.
In addition to his TikTok comments, Hilton made a video about D'Amelio's father.
Days later, on March 7, Hilton made a TikTok video (that he also shared on YouTube) about D'Amelio and her father, deepening the brewing feud.
Hilton said in the video that he stood by his concern over D'Amelio's "sexual" clip and "gyrating" dance moves. "I think Charli's a sweet girl, and talented. My real issue is with her parents," said Hilton, who has three children of his own. He added that he thought D'Amelio's parents should make her take the video down.
News reports from the time don't specify which of Marc D'Amelio's two daughters had been in the car, but did say his 9-year-old was there. In January 2014, at the time of the incident, Charli was 9 years old.
The incident was publicized in 2018 when Marc D'Amelio was running for a seat in the Connecticut state Senate. "I've already taken responsibility five years ago," he said in 2018, according to local publication The Hour.
D'Amelio appeared to clap back at the comments in a March 4 tweet.
The video continued to receive more comments on D'Amelio's bikini (the influencer has spoken out against online harassment and criticism of her appearance) leading her to tweet in response: "i will continue to post when i feel happy and confident so if me wearing a swimsuit at the beach is a problem well sucks to suck doesn't it."
The drama began when Hilton commented on D'Amelio's March 3 TikTok, saying, "Anyone else think it's inappropriate for a 15-year-old to dance to this?"
But now, with TikTokers becoming the celebrities for Gen Z, Hilton has seemingly set his sights on the biggest personalities from the short-form video app.
Perez Hilton is a celebrity blogger and YouTuber who has long been reporting on Hollywood gossip.
Hilton, whose real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., has been one of the top sources for celebrity gossip and news for more than 15 years through his blog and YouTube channel.
The blogger made a name for himself with his funny reactions to pieces of celebrity gossip, doodling over tabloid photos, and controversial opinions. His fame became so mainstream that he was even mentioned in an episode of CSI in 2007.
Hilton's posts have often struck chords with his subjects. He has had multiple lawsuits filed against him, mostly for copyright infringement (including sharing a Britney Spears audio recording and a topless picture of Jennifer Aniston) in the early aughts. Other publications, photographers, and bloggers have also alleged he wrongfully used footage or images.
More recently, Angelina Jolie threatened to sue him in 2016 for his reporting about her divorce from Brad Pitt, Hilton claimed.
A post shared by Perez Hilton (@theperezhilton) on Oct 8, 2016 at 1:48pm PDT
The openly gay blogger has also faced backlash for a practice of pressuring gay male celebrities to be open about their sexualities, including Lance Bass and Neil Patrick Harris. In a 2006 interview with Access Hollywood, Hilton defended his forcible outing of celebrities, saying that it was the only way to achieve LGBTQ equality.
"I know there is some controversy about outing people, but I also believe the only way we're gonna have change is with visibility," Perez said at the time. "And if I have to drag some people screaming out of the closet, then I will."
