Perez Hilton Assaulted by Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas?

Perez Hilton discovers that while everyone has the right to say what they want on the internets, people have the right to react to it.

Will.I.Am learns that when you put yourself out in public people will criticize you.

Both of them can dish it but the story doesn't lend much validity to them taking it in return.

It all happened when Perez Tweeted around 3 a.m. that he had been assaulted by Will.I.Am. He asked his followers to call the police and then fielded questions, including one from Miley Cyrus.

Will.I.Am alleges that while at a MuchMusic awards pre-event, Fergie asked Hilton why he doesn't like the Black Eyed Peas. Perez responded that he just dislikes the music. Will.I.Am says that Perez was rude to Fergie, Fergie got emotional, said something to Will.I.Am, who, seriously, WILLIAM, dude,WILLIAM, and Will.I.Am was all upset because "she's like my sister" or something.

While at an after party, he spies Perez, asks why he's so disrespectful to the Black Eyed Peas, tells him to not be disrespectful, says Perez called him a "faggot," and that he, Will.I.AM, never hit Perez.

Perez Twittered about it.Oh, and so did Will he is.

He alleges that while at rehearsals, Will.I.Am elbowed him; he told press that he had an "agro" moment when one of the Black Eyed Peas pushed him. Please, let's not disrespect the backwoods aesthetic of "agro" with a slapfight between two divas, one Web, one stage.

Not to be outdone by WILLIAM, Perez makes his own video about it; while Will.I.Am wears shades and looks relaxed, Perez looks sad and has a scrape under one eye. He says that Will.I.Am. hit him outside the club at the after party. "He sees me like a heat-seeking missile." Perez says that the singer told him t never write about the Black Eyed Peas ever again on his website. He says Will.I.Am. told him that he needed to respect him and then Perez corroborated the singer's claim that he called him a fag because he knew that it was the one thing that would make the singer mad. And then boom, Perez says the singer's manager hit him. Or Will.I.Am. did. Or both. I don't know.

But - hold up. Perez used a gay slur yet criticizes others for such behavior? How many posts has he written in which he holds people accountable for making various slurs, i.e. the T.R. Knight situation? He admits to using a slur as a way to antagonize someone who's already apparently volatile, and ramps up the conflict. Violence is never the answer, he says, but shouting slurs at people to admittedly provoke a reaction isn't, either? There is a degree of blame assigned to verbal harassment that, while never equal to, or ever deserving of assault, should be recognized. There are so many other ways to stand up for one's self without compromising one's principles. Both of these individuals repeatedly speak out for peace but yet their actions in this situation seem to conflict with that message. 

If Will.I.Am's manager did, in fact, hit Perez, then it seems that both parties share the blame in this, albeit at varying levels. It's never OK to scream slurs at someone no matter who you are or why you're doing it no more than it's OK to hit someone for anything other than self defense.

If true, I'm disappointed in both individuals; they are figures in the pop-culture community and both have sent a terrible message to today's youth in that name-calling and hitting others (or excusing the assault by a manager) are seemingly A-OK. Not so.

Ugh, HUG IT OUT.

Will.I.Am's videos; Perez's video, related

UPDATE: TMZ has the confrontation on video.

Comments

[Stephanie]

So instead of calling the police himself, he took the time to TWEET-quest his fans to do it for him? Ugh. I have no feelings one way or the other about WillIAm but it kind of warms my heart to imagine a Perez ass kicking.

[lori]

i read perez's tweets about this. I love how he says he will speak no further about it and then there are about 20 tweets above where he talks about it and he posted something on his site...

And I'm with stephanie... He couldn't call the police himself but could tweet about it? Wow.

[Chrystal K.]

This is so crazy. I wonder what happened.

[LovelyLayla]

I'm not one for violence...however if this story is true...
::::begins slow clap::::

[LovelyLayla]

Okay, so I just watched the video of Perez's statement on his website. So here are my thoughts:
1) The whole gay slur thing angers me. Like you mentioned, why is it okay for him to call others by that word ( I hate that word, not going to even repeat it) and not expect to get slammed for that? Now if it had been Will.I.Am who had called him that we would ban BEP's albums, and he'd probably be kicked out of the group after Perez led a mob of angry fans.
2. He calls their manager "unprofessional" and has also written numerous blogs about how people should act more mature during arguments, act "classy" and here he is saying " F you Will.I.Am" " F this, F that"
3. While I totally understand that violence is not the answer...I don't understand why he can't grasp the concept that it's because of the horrible things he says about other people that caused this. I'm surprised that he hasn't been physically attacked before, especially for picking on the children of other celebs by calling them "fat" or saying they need nose jobs are a bag over their heads. You are right, violence isn't the way, but verbally attacking others because they don't bow down to you isn't the way either.

[indycitygirl]

Ummm,on one hand it is SO NOT COOL to physically attack someone,hitting is never a good way to solve things EVER!! I saw all the videos and Perez was being a total wanker spewing out a load of garbage and namecalling,He should be ashamed calling someone a foul name like that,he was taunting WILLIAM.On the other side,kudos for the bitchslap Perez got,hecan dish it out but cant take it.I get a small teehee moment knowing he got bitchslapped.It was only a matter of time.The fact he twittered about it begging someone to call the police instead of doing it himself is just another try at getting everyone to look at him.I think he needs to STFU from now on

[Bowler]

I know exactly how to settle this little dispute: Re-match!