Eduardo Xol, a star designer on ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” has died at 58 from a stabbing.
The Riverside County coroner confirmed the musician, actor and activist’s death on Tuesday. Xol died from his injuries at the Desert Regional Medical Center on Friday 10 days after being stabbed in Palm Springs on Sept. 10.
“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,” Xol’s family said in a statement to TheWrap. “We ask for that kindness returned now allowing our privacy to be respected as we process our grief. In lieu of flowers 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.”
The Palm Springs Police Department is currently investigating the incident, though authorities have reportedly arrested 34-year-old Richard Joseph Gonzalez under suspicions of attempted murder in connection to Xol’s death. He is currently being held without bail.
Born on Feb. 19, 1966, Xol grew up in Los Angeles, and at age 10, became one of the youngest people to be scouted and chosen as a performer for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. After joining the Brand New Theater as an artist in The Palm Beach Club in Cannes, France, he eventually made his feature film debut in Luis Valdez’s 1981 musical “Zoot Suit.” By the late ’90s, he’d fully thrust himself into music and television, starring in syndicated telenovelas and producing his first solo album “La Pasión” through a partnership with BMG U.S. Latin.
After moving back to the States in 1998, he joined the cast of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” as a co-star in Season 2. He starred on the ABC reality series until Season 8 alongside host Ty Pennington. Xol later published his first book with HarperCollins in 2007, titled “Home Sense,” which was named the Best Self-Help Book at the 2008 International Latino Book Awards. He is also the co-founder of non-profit organization ALUMI Media Group, which seeks to provide underserved communities with alternative learning practices through arts and media.
Xol’s mother further confirmed his death to TMZ, who was first to report the news.
