Perez Hilton is facing another frightening health battle - and it comes just months after the celebrity blogger stunned followers by revealing that a near-death experience had led him to God.
Hilton's family says the 48-year-old remains hospitalized following an alarming Aug. 4 livestream in which he appeared to harm himself. In their latest update, relatives said Hilton is in "serious but stable" condition after experiencing "significant blood loss" and will need surgery as part of what they expect to be a lengthy recovery.
The disturbing episode has put Hilton back in the hospital only months after another medical emergency dramatically changed the way he talked about life, death and faith.
Earlier this year, Hilton spent 21 days hospitalized with severe sepsis - an ordeal he later said brought him face-to-face with his own mortality and resulted in something few longtime followers probably expected to hear from the famously outspoken gossip personality: a declaration of faith in God.
"God presented Himself to me in the hospital," Hilton said while discussing the experience.
Hilton subsequently described his recovery as miraculous and began speaking publicly about God with a candor that marked a striking change for the celebrity blogger. He said he had become convinced that God was real, that God loved him and that his survival had a larger purpose.
And Hilton didn't leave his newfound faith at the hospital door.
He announced that he intended to read the entire Bible from beginning to end, began talking about prayer and Scripture, and repeatedly credited God for carrying him through his medical ordeal.
Then came another scare.
Doctors discovered a major blood clot in Hilton's leg, leading to an emergency thrombectomy. After surviving that crisis, Hilton once again publicly thanked God and his medical team, giving "glory" to God for making it through.
Now, only months after telling followers that God had saved his life, Hilton is confronting another deeply serious crisis.
According to his family, the Aug. 4 incident resulted in substantial blood loss as well as injuries requiring surgery. Hilton remains under medical care, while his communication has reportedly been limited to family members and healthcare professionals.
His children are safe and are being cared for by relatives.
The latest development is particularly heartbreaking in light of how openly Hilton had been discussing the transformation that followed his earlier hospitalization. The man who built an entertainment empire chronicling the private struggles of celebrities suddenly found himself publicly wrestling with some of life's biggest questions - including mortality, purpose and God.
His family is now asking for compassion, privacy and prayers as he begins what they have described as a long road to recovery.
For Hilton, it is another unexpected chapter in an extraordinary year: a near-death illness, an encounter with God, a newfound interest in the Bible - and now another fight for healing.
The story is still unfolding.
