Ben Russo, who served as Perez Hilton's publicist for 10 years, is speaking out following the gossip blogger's recent suicide attempt, urging for compassion and a recognition of personal change. Russo, a close friend of Hilton since 2004, described witnessing the blogger's rise, his mistakes, and his subsequent guilt over past actions.

Russo stated that while he understands the anger directed at Hilton due to his past coverage, he feels compelled to speak about the man behind the public persona. "I had a front-row seat to his rise, his mistakes and, more importantly, his guilt as he tried to grapple with the consequences of the way he had covered people in the past," Russo wrote. He noted that becoming a father significantly changed Hilton, allowing the real person, Mario Lavandeira, to emerge.

The former publicist emphasized that Hilton did not create the celebrity gossip culture of the early 2000s but became its most visible figure. "We were all addicted to celebrity gossip, and still are today," Russo commented, adding that millions engaged with PerezHilton.com, fueling the demand.

According to Russo, Hilton has acknowledged the harm he caused and made a public commitment to change in 2010, altering his approach to coverage and decision-making. Russo believes that while accountability is important, it should not preclude the possibility of redemption.

"Accountability matters. And Perez took it. But if accountability offers no possibility of redemption, it is not accountability. It is permanent punishment," Russo stated. He expressed his struggle with comments labeling Hilton's suicide attempt as "karma."

Russo asserted that the incident was a mental health crisis, not a form of justice, and that no suicide attempt should be celebrated. He shared his distress over Hilton's suffering playing out publicly, noting that a video depicting self-harm remained on TikTok for over fifteen minutes, attracting judgment.

"Compassion doesn’t require us to forget someone’s past. It simply requires us to remember there is still a human being behind it," Russo wrote. He concluded by stating that Hilton has lived for sixteen years under public judgment that sometimes made him feel unworthy of life, expressing sadness over what this might have led him to believe about himself.

For further updates on Perez Hilton, readers are directed to perezhilton.com. In the US, individuals seeking help can contact the 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.