Advertisement

Eduardo Xol of ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ dies after assault at Palm Springs home

Eduardo Xol smiling in black suit and orange shirt and tie
Eduardo Xol of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” died last week, 10 days after being assaulted at a home in Palm Springs.
(Peter Kramer / Associated Press)
Share via

Eduardo Xol, a fixture of ABC’s reality show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” has died. He was 58.

The designer and TV personality died Friday at the Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Coroner, 10 days after he was assaulted at a Palm Springs residence.

According to Palm Springs police, officers responded to a call at 5:41 a.m. on Sept. 10 from a man who requested help but was unable to provide specific details.

Advertisement

“Upon arriving at the scene, officers heard a male voice inside the residence in apparent distress. After making entry, officers discovered a man suffering from significant injuries consistent with an assault,” police said. “The victim informed officers that he had been stabbed, though he did not identify the assailant.”

Joseph Bashor, 20, of San Bernardino was waiting for his case to be called in court when he tried to grab a deputy’s gun. He was stabbed then subdued by deputies.

Sept. 20, 2024

Xol was then transported to a hospital and was listed in serious condition but was stable at the time.

Police said that they received a call a few hours later from a man claiming to have been assaulted the previous night. They responded and identified the caller as Cathedral City resident Richard Joseph Gonzales, 34.

Advertisement

“Through further investigation, officers determined that Gonzales was the suspect in the earlier stabbing incident,” police said. Gonzales was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and was booked at the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio.

Gonzales remains in custody, according to inmate records, and has been charged with murder. No bail was set and he is due in court Dec. 18.

A Southern California cast of thousands brings the teardowns and the tears in a reboot of the classic home renovation show.

April 3, 2020

Representatives for Xol did not comment on the investigation when reached by The Times.

Xol appeared on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” alongside Ty Pennington for more than seven seasons, 2005-12, and was part of the team that earned the series’ two Emmy Awards in 2005 and 2006.

Advertisement

He was also an author and an actor, appearing in the 1998 film “Bravo” and 1990s Spanish-language telenovelas “La Jaula de Oro,” “Sentimientos de Oro” and “Acapulco, Cuerpo y Alma.”

In a statement to The Times on Thursday, Xol’s family said they were heartbroken over the “tragic loss.”

“As his family, we know that his kindness has touched the lives of so many,” the statement said. “We ask for that kindness returned now allowing our privacy to be respected as we process our grief.”

‘Extreme Makeover’ redid a home to make room for five orphans. Then they moved out and sued. Coming up: a courtroom drama?

May 13, 2007

The family asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Xol’s name to the Lupus Foundation of America “as he spent so much of his life in the service of others.”

On Instagram stories, Pennington wrote Wednesday that he was “devastated to hear about Eduardo’s passing.”

“Truly the most genuine, kind soul,” the “Extreme Makeover” star said.

“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” had another season in 2020 and will return to ABC and Hulu for 2024-25.

Advertisement