"Honestly, there are no words…": Perez Hilton reacts after Mercedes Wells was forced to give birth on the road after being discharged by the hospital

Perez Hilton weighed in on the case of Mercedes Wells, the Indiana woman who was forced to give birth on the side of the road on November 16 after being discharged from a hospital despite being in active labor. In his November 20, 2025, article, Hilton wrote:

“Mercedes Wells was an Indiana mother-to-be who knew she was in labor and about to give birth over the weekend. So, she walked into Franciscan Health Crown Point Hospital in the city of Crown Point on Sunday, looking for care and compassion. Sadly, her family says she got neither…Honestly, there are no words.”

In his website article, Perez Hilton went on to summarize media reports from Indiana, stating that Wells was discharged before she was able to deliver.

He explained that the family alleged hospital staff “brushed off her concerns” and “told her to go home” and even “sent her right back out the doors”- and all this time she “SHE WAS IN LABOR.”

“And this was after she and her husband Leon had already tried to alert the hospital by phone before arriving, only to feel ignored then, too,” Perez Hilton added.

After being discharged, Hilton reported that the couple reportedly left Franciscan Health in desperation, heading toward Munster Community Hospital because they knew the baby was coming quickly.

He then emphasized how quickly events unfolded, and Mercedes Wells “didn’t make it” to the next hospital. Within “Just EIGHT minutes” after “being discharged against her wishes,” Wells ended up giving birth on the “side of the road. However, the baby was thankfully healthy.

“Her baby girl, Alena Ariel Wells, arrived in the most chaotic conditions imaginable. But mercifully, she showed up healthy at 6 pounds and 18.5 inches long,” Perez Hilton detailed.

Hilton further added that videos circulating online showed Wells being discharged despite protesting and later holding her newborn on the roadside. He explained that these images had intensified public anger, noting that the incident resonated far beyond her local community.

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What else did Perez Hilton say about Mercedes Wells’ case?

Perez Hilton (Image via Getty Images)

In the aforementioned website article, Perez Hilton expanded on the aftermath of Mercedes Wells’ traumatic roadside childbirth, noting that “her family” later spoke out publicly, determined to make sure “the situation never happens to anyone else.”

Hilton reported that Mercedes Wells herself described the experience in a Facebook post reflecting on the ordeal." In her post, she explained how she had desperately asked hospital staff to let her stay before being discharged. She also expressed the deep sense of pain and disbelief she was "still processing.”

“I begged to STAY while still upstairs in Labor and delivery Triage…I was treated SO poorly and inhumane. I still can't believe it,” Perez Hilton added, citing what Mercedes Wells had said.

The podcaster also noted how Mercedes Wells’ relatives “echoed that pain” and frustration following the incident.

“They said Mercedes was dismissed, disbelieved, and ultimately put in danger. They’ve retained a lawyer and allege that racial bias played a role in how she was treated, too,” Hilton added

The podcaster also reported that Mercedes Wells’ sister-in-law, Cherise Thompson, spoke to WLS News, where she called on the community “to demand better from a system that failed a vulnerable mom” at her “most urgent moment.” She told the news outlet that she wanted there to be “some sort of change” so that “other families don’t have to experience” what Wells had.

Hilton also added that Mercedes Wells’ uncle, Lance Thompson, also gave a statement where he “stressed” what he hoped could “come from this ordeal.”

“If it implements change, implements strength, implements courage for other women that’s going through this, then that’s what I’m looking for, personally,” Hilton added, citing Lance Thompson’s statement

The entertainment blogger then detailed that following Mercedes Wells’ birthing incident, Franciscan Health Crown Point Hospital’s CEO, Raymond Grady, publicly addressed the situation. His statement came in response to the growing concern and online outrage.

Grady, in his statement, first acknowledged the public’s worries and made it clear that the hospital was aware of both the video and the criticism circulating online. He further added in his statement that he was “grateful to learn from online and media reports” that both “mother and child” were “reportedly doing well.”

Hilton further emphasized that Grady, in his statement, stressed that the viral videos involving Mercedes Wells did not “reflect the hospital’s mission.”

Grady’s statement pointed out how patient privacy laws made it difficult for the hospital to comment in detail, but he maintained that the circulating videos and the “narrative surrounding them” failed to accurately represent Franciscan Health Crown Point’s Catholic healthcare values.

Grady also reiterated that the institution’s ministry was rooted in principles such as “respect for life,” “compassionate concern,” and “Christian stewardship,” and that these values guided the hospital’s conduct.

Hilton further conveyed that Grady‘s official statement emphasized the hospital’s goal of making “everyone who walks through our doors feel the love of Christ through our actions,” framing this as a central aspect of their approach to care.

“The reality is disparities in healthcare outcomes exist, and Franciscan Health Crown Point strives to be part of the solution, not the problem. We remain committed to meeting and exceeding all regulations and best practices for care, and we will take appropriate action based on the findings of our review,” Hilton added, citing CEO Grady’s statement.

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As per a People Magazine report, Mercedes was eventually taken to Munster Community Hospital, where she received care following the unexpected roadside birth. In the aftermath, the Wells family also retained legal counsel, alleging that they were treated unfairly because they were Black.

Edited by Shayari Roy