Jared Padalecki tried to comfort a man in crisis, and within hours his own fans were tearing him apart for it. The Supernatural star deleted his message of support for Perez Hilton after being flooded with replies reminding him exactly who he was defending.
Padalecki, one of Hollywood's most vocal mental health advocates for nearly a decade, didn't stay quiet after the backlash hit. He came back with a much longer explanation, insisting he'd had no idea about Hilton's past while simultaneously condemning it outright.
Padalecki's Mental Health Advocacy
This wasn't some random celebrity tweeting for clout. Padalecki launched his Always Keep Fighting campaign back in 2015, and in 2024 he opened up about checking himself into a clinic that same year after what he described as 'dramatic suicidal ideation'.
So when Hilton ended up hospitalised, Padalecki's reflex to reach out tracked with everything he's said publicly for years. 'Being human' was, in his words, 'exhilarating. Exhausting. Fast. Slow', and he told Hilton to 'surround yourself with the love and support that all humans deserve'.
Hilton's Hospitalisation Under the Baker Act
Hilton was hospitalised under Florida's Baker Act after a livestream triggered multiple 911 calls to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office.
His family has since said he needed surgery and remains in 'serious but stable' condition. In other words, Padalecki wasn't wading into a minor scandal. He was reaching out to someone in real danger.
The Legacy of 2000s Gossip Culture
The problem is that plenty of people online haven't forgotten who Hilton used to be. He built an entire career in the 2000s outing celebrities before they'd come out themselves, mocking stars like Britney Spears and Amy Winehouse while they were visibly struggling, and handing out cruel nicknames that stuck for years.
For anyone who lived through that era of the internet, watching Padalecki extend warmth without acknowledging any of it felt like a miss.
Is Padalecki's Ignorance Believable?
This becomes more challenging to buy. Padalecki is 44 years old and grew up in the industry during the same period when Hilton's site was essential reading for anyone in entertainment.
His own explanation leaned entirely on instinct rather than research. 'My thought is always to give grace and forgiveness to those who may have tried to "harm" you,' he wrote, adding that it 'usually works out better than holding a grudge'.
To give more detail re: my post wishing someone well…
— Jared Padalecki (@jarpad) August 9, 2026
I had ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA about his past.
I had heard of him. Obviously.
I had heard that he hadn’t exactly “been kind” to me in the past.
So, my thought is always to give grace and forgiveness to those who may have tried…
The Retraction and Apology
Padalecki's follow-up tried to have it both ways. 'On my life, I have never in my life, not once, looked him up,' he wrote, before pivoting hard: 'I DO NOT stand for, or support, ANY of the actions I just now found out that he has committed. Full stop.' He wrapped it up with a simple 'I'm sorry if my words caused any harm'.
Claiming complete ignorance and total condemnation at the same time is a tough sell. That's part of why this apology has turned into such a bigger deal than it probably should have been.
At the centre of all this is a mental health advocate who confronted the internet's long memory and discovered that even his own history with crisis wasn't enough to earn him the benefit of the doubt.
If you or someone you know is struggling, support is available through Samaritans on 116 123 (UK and Ireland) or via jo@samaritans.org.
