Perez Hilton says he's devastated after getting banned from TikTok
The celebrity blogger alleges some of the app's top creators threatened to quit if he wasn't banned. TikTok says Hilton violated its rules.
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Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton alleges in a YouTube video that top TikTok creators complained about him.
Perez Hilton was permanently banned from TikTok for repeatedly violating the app's rules, a decision the celebrity blogger says he plans to appeal.
In a video streamed on YouTube on Monday, Hilton said he learned on Friday night that TikTok was banning him from the short-form video app where he attracted 1.6 million followers. He created a backup account, but it was also removed.
"It's not just about TikTok. It's about this year and me struggling so much and TikTok being such an escape for me and giving me so much joy," Hilton said in the video. "I had pinned so much hope for my future onto TikTok." He added he's felt devastated by the ban.
A TikTok spokeswoman confirmed Hilton had been permanently banned from the platform for violating the site's rules but didn't specify which ones.
"We are deeply committed to maintaining a welcoming and supportive community environment," TikTok said in statement. "Our Community Guidelines apply to everyone and everything shared on TikTok, and we remove accounts that repeatedly violate our policies."
Hilton, born Mario Lavandeira, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. He said in the YouTube video he's been accused of bullying on TikTok but denies the allegations. In another video posted on Twitter over the weekend, Hilton also mentions he's been flagged for violating TikTok's rules against nudity and harassment.
Some of Hilton's remarks on TikTok have sparked criticism from the app's users that he attacks teenagers.
In March, Hilton commented when TikTok star Charli D'Amelio, who has more than 100 million followers, posted a video of her dancing in a bikini to a remix of the song "Sugar," by Brockhampton. "Anyone else think it's inappropriate for a 15-year-old to dance to this?" he wrote.
The comment led to an online petition with more than 228,300 signatures on Change.org calling for TikTok to ban the 42-year-old blogger. In another instance, Hilton said he was accused of bullying for referring to Dixie D'Amelio as Charlie D'Amelio's sister rather than by her name.
"That's a hard pill for me to swallow because I thought I was not being cruel or nasty or hurtful. I was sharing news and opinions," Hilton said.
On Monday, Hilton alleged several top creators threatened to quit TikTok for a rival app if the company didn't ban him from TikTok. In the YouTube video, Hilton said he doesn't want to reveal the names of the creators because he's worried about getting sued.
He also apologized to the creators, the D'Amelio family and TikTok.
"I want to say something with the utmost of sincerity," Hilton said. "I am sorry and truly I did not consider my actions as bullying."