‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ Star Dead at 58: ‘Heartbroken’

Former “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” designer Eduardo Xol died September 20, 2024, at age 58, as first reported by TMZ. The designer and actor co-starred on the popular series with HGTV‘s Ty Pennington from 2005 to 2012, per IMDb.

Xol died 10 days after being stabbed at his home in Palm Springs, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Xol’s mom also confirmed his death to TMZ, and his friends and family shared their sadness on social media.

Ty Pennington Says He’s ‘Devastated’ by Eduardo Xol’s Death

GettyEduardo Xol and Ty Pennington in August 2007

Xol was found at his Palm Springs home with “significant injuries” on the morning of September 10, according to the Palm Springs Police Department, which had received a call about an injured man at that address, per the Desert Sun. Xol was able to tell the responding officers he’d been stabbed but didn’t identify the perpetrator, the outlet reported.

Police later arrested 34-year-old Richard Joseph Gonzales, who had called the police the previous night to report he’d been assaulted, the Desert Sun reported. Gonzalez was booked on suspicion of attempted murder at the time and held without bail, but after Xol’s death, police requested that he be charged with murder, the outlet reported.

In a statement to TMZ, Xol’s family said, “We are heartbroken at the tragic loss of our beloved Eduardo Xol. As his family, we know that his kindness has touched the lives of so many. We ask for that kindness returned now allowing our privacy to be respected as we process our grief.”

“In lieu of flowers,” the statement continued, “we ask that donations be made in Eduardo’s name to the Lupus Foundation of America as he spent so much of his life in the service of others.”

Over a decade ago, according to the Lupus Foundation, Xol created a “zen retreat” for his younger sister, Monica Cajayon, who was living with lupus. He used his landscaping skills, the organization said, to build the retreat in her Los Angeles backyard.

As news spread of Xol’s death, fans and friends shared their reflections, including Pennington, who posted a photo with Xol in his Instagram Stories.

“Devastated to hear about Eduardo’s passing,” he wrote over the photo. “Truly the most genuine, kind soul 😔💔”

Former People en Español editor-in-chief Richard Pérez-Feria was a close friend of Xol’s and alluded to his death in an Instagram post on September 22, sharing a collage of photographs with him.

“It’s nearly incomprehensible that I’m writing this post as a goodbye to someone who has been so present, so important in my life,” he wrote. “When I first learned that Eduardo Xol had passed, I went numb.”

Pérez-Feria concluded his tribute by writing, “Sending healing love at this horrific time to his circle of friends and family who loved him so. Sadly, tomorrow isn’t promised.”

Eduardo Xol Said ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ Reminded Him of His Own Blessings

Xol joined the hugely popular “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” in its second season, per IMDb, and also acted in numerous telenovelas in the 1990s.

In video footage of Xol being photographed for a 2008 story in Experience Life magazine, he said that he’d learned to live with an “abundance mentality” from his Mexican grandmother, who lived in poverty but, he said, was always determined “to make the best of what she had.”