Jared Padalecki Deletes Perez Hilton Support Post, Apologizes After Backlash

Q: Why did Jared Padalecki apologize for showing compassion to a notorious gossip blogger following a tragic self-harm livestream?

Jared Padalecki apologized because his public message of support to Perez Hilton was widely seen as overlooking Hilton’s long record of cruel celebrity gossip and public shaming, especially toward women. What Padalecki intended as a humane response to a mental health emergency quickly became a backlash over whether Hilton deserved public sympathy from a high-profile actor. Padalecki had posted on X that he was thinking of Hilton and urged him to be kind to himself after Hilton was hospitalized following an apparent self-harm incident that was reportedly livestreamed. Critics responded by pointing to Hilton’s history of targeting celebrities including Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Amy Winehouse, Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga, arguing that a supportive post ignored the damage he had done. After deleting the post, Padalecki said he “absolutely had no idea” about the full extent of Hilton’s past when he wrote it. He said he believed in grace and forgiveness, and that he had not meant to endorse harmful behavior. He apologized because he recognized that his words had upset people and could be read as minimizing Hilton’s history. His response was also shaped by his own experience with mental health struggles, which likely explains why he reacted with empathy. The episode ultimately became a clash between two views: that anyone in acute mental distress deserves compassion, and that public support for Hilton was painful or inappropriate given his past conduct.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 9

Jared Padalecki deleted his X post backing Perez Hilton and wrote Sunday that he "didn't know" about Hilton's past, apologizing for any harm his words caused.
An hour later, Padalecki said he had "absolutely no idea" about Hilton's history, adding that his instinct was to offer grace even to someone who may have tried to harm him.
The backlash followed Padalecki's Saturday message urging Hilton to be kind to himself during recovery, which drew criticism from followers who cited Hilton's record of outing celebrities and targeting women.
Hilton was hospitalized Tuesday in Miami after police responded to a TikTok livestream showing him harming himself; his family said Saturday he was in serious but stable condition after significant blood loss.