Perez Hilton is certainly no stranger to controversy, but it seems as though even he couldn’t have predicted the amount of backlash that he would receive after revealing that he and his two-year-old son, Mario, sometimes share a shower together.
The celebrity blogger, whose real name is Mario Lavanderia, posted the picture - where both he and Mario are grinning widely - on Instagram.
Alongside the snap, he wrote: "Our family motto is: #fun! We try and incorporate fun into as much of the everyday things we do! #Bathtime."
And it didn’t take very long for others on social media to react strongly, Commenting on the snap, some users wrote: “IS THIS A JOKE THEY’RE BOTH NAKED”, “Kinda creepy”, and “That’s just odd”, with one particularly nasty comment reading: “This is child abuse.”
Perez replied to one comment, saying: "I had my bathing suit on, and I didn’t feel the need to clarify that in the caption."
However, fans and fellow parents defended Hilton, with one writing: "It’s not wrong at all. They are father and son."
Another said: "Only creepy if you’re not a parent!"
One follower told Hilton: "No need to explain yourself. Shorts or not, nudity is nothing to be ashamed of and it’s how we teach our children about our bodies."
Perez Hilton is an American blogger, columnist and television personality. His blog, PerezHilton.com is known for posts covering gossip items about celebrities.
He is also known for posting tabloid photographs over which he has added his own captions or 'doodles.' His blog has garnered negative attention for its attitude, its former outing of alleged closeted celebrities, and its role in the increasing coverage of celebrities in all forms of media.
He moved to New York City in 2013, stating, "I love New York and that is where me and my growing family want to call home right now". Hilton was referring to his first child, Mario Armando Lavandeira III, born on February 17, 2013, conceived with a donor egg and carried by a surrogate mother. His daughter, Mia Alma Lavandeira, was born on May 9, 2015, via surrogate.