Perez Hilton: “I’m shocked Kim and Kanye haven’t split by now!”
TV star Perez Hilton tells Closer’s Katie Banks why he’s astonished A-listers Kim and Kanye are still together – and how the Trumps are the new Kardashians
s Hollywood’s No.1 gossip, A he knows all the secrets in the A-lister closet – and now world-famous blogger Perez Hilton says that of all the dysfunctional celebrity couplings, he’s surprised Kim Kardashian and rapper Kanye West are still together.
Reports surfaced in December that Kim had seen a divorce lawyer in secret after she was robbed at gunpoint in Paris last October. Then a month later, her husband Kanye suffered a mental breakdown.
We visit Perez – real name Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr – at his mum’s lavish West Hollywood home, where he’s spending the day with his two children, Mario, four, and Mia, who turns two in May. He says: “I’m shocked that Kim and Kanye haven’t split by now. So much has happened to them in such a short space of time and they’re constantly under so much pressure to stay at the top of the celebrity pile.
“You can see how unhappy he is appearing on her reality show (Keeping Up With The Kardashians). He wants to be an artist but that’s not the direction she’s interested in. I’m sure their two-year marriage hasn’t got long to go!”
Perez, 39, found fame in 2004 when he launched his catty celebrity blog Perezhilton. com, which then became a global success.
THE NEW REALITY FAMILY
He says President Donald Trump and his family – including wife Melania, 46, and five children, Donald Trump Jnr, 39, Ivanka, 35, Eric, 33, Tiffany, 23, and Barron, 11 – have overtaken the Kardashians as the world’s most headline-grabbing family.
“The Trumps have definitely stolen the Kardashians’ thunder!” chuckles Perez. “The Kardashians have had their time in the limelight and now their time is up – nobody cares. Everyone is talking about Trump – he sucks up all the oxygen around him.
“He’s so sinister and mischievous and his colourful family are like their own living, breathing soap opera – with more car crash excitement than any crazy reality star on the planet. I’m not sure how happy Melania is about it – she blatantly just wanted a sugar daddy, but now she’s stuck with being First Lady, which comes with a lot of hard work.”
EMOTIONAL MELTDOWNS
Perez hit the headlines two years ago when he appeared on UK Celebrity Big Brother. He was seen suffering a series of emotional meltdowns, starting explosive rows with housemate Katie Hopkins and raising eyebrows when he simulated sex against the furniture and stuffed cheese up his nose.
Now he says there’s no love lost between him and Katie – and he won’t be returning to the CBB house any time soon.
“I found the whole experience so traumatic,” admits Perez. “I was on sleeping pills for the last nine days in the house because I just couldn’t calm down. I was constantly fighting all day and all the adrenaline and endorphins were racing through my body.
“Katie tried really hard to isolate me and I was missing Mario loads. Combined with the complete lack of sleep, it was like being
a war criminal. I was left suffering from such severe anxiety that I had to pay to see a therapist afterwards. I don’t think I could ever do it again.”
Now openly gay Perez admits he’d love to find someone to settle down with and enjoy life with his beloved two children – who were both conceived via an egg donor and then a surrogate. But he’s not afraid to admit he has high standards.
number one priority
“I need and want someone exceptional,” smiles Perez. “I don’t want perfection, I just want awesome. My parents were married for 18 years before my dad passed away and they never fought.”
“I’d never do the app dating thing as I think it’s too fickle, so I’ll probably meet someone at work or through friends. Whatever happens though, my kids will always be my first priority. They’re the best thing to happen in my life and I feel blessed every day!”