Eduardo Xol, a designer and television personality best known for his work as co-host of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” has died at the age of 58 after being stabbed in Palm Springs, California.
The Riverside County coroner confirmed that Xol passed away on September 19, 2024, at Desert Regional Medical Center, about 10 days after the initial assault.
The Palm Springs Police Department reported that officers responded to a call for help at 5:41 a.m. on September 10, 2024.
Upon arriving at an apartment on the 400 block of East Arenas Road, they discovered a man, later identified as Xol, suffering from significant injuries consistent with a stabbing. Xol was immediately transported to a local hospital in serious but stable condition.
The alleged assailant, Richard Joseph Gonzales, 34, of Cathedral City, drew police attention to himself by calling dispatch and claiming to have been assaulted the previous night. Following an investigation, authorities determined Gonzales was a suspect in Xol’s stabbing.
He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio.
In light of Xol’s death, police have requested that murder charges be filed against Gonzales, who is currently being held without bail.
Xol’s family released a statement expressing their grief:
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.
The statement also requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Lupus Foundation of America in Xol’s name, highlighting his lifelong commitment to serving others.
Xol’s entertainment career spanned decades.
He appeared in 65 episodes of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” from 2005 to 2012, joining the cast in the show’s second season. Prior to his reality TV fame, Xol acted in several telenovelas, including “Acapulco, cuerpo y alma,” “Sentimientos Ajenos,” and “La Jaula de Oro.” He also worked as a correspondent for People en Español and AOL Latino, and was a published author.
Friends and colleagues have begun paying tribute to Xol on social media. Richard Pérez-Feria, former editor-in-chief of People en Español, remembered him as a “talented, beautiful, passionate friend, brother, son and partner.”