Tragic Details About HGTV's Keith Bynum

"Bargain Block" star Keith Bynum has been renovating Detroit's dilapidated houses into affordable homes with his partner Evan Thomas for years, giving the city's unlivable properties a new lease on life. It's a passion that has been with Bynum since he was 14 when he created his first company. Even with an early start in the industry, Bynum has shared the many tragedies that have plagued him along the way to stardom.

The home improvement expert is a huge fan of the creative side of renovations, according to an exclusive interview with The List. His design work is always apparent in the homes he rebuilds with Thomas, from murals to large installations. He is an avid painter who wants to bring abandoned houses to another level through interior design, but he also creates art on the side, which he sells on his website, NINE Design + Home. Art has given Bynum an outlet to express himself, given the many hurdles he has experienced in his lifetime, which you can read about below.

Keith Bynum's interest in construction at a young age was a huge aspect of his childhood, and his family thought it would take him far. However, after coming out as gay, his family felt much differently. "My family went sideways when I came out," he said in an interview with People. Bynum's father told him that his sexual orientation would limit a thriving career for him in the construction business. Bynum told HGTV that his partner Evan Thomas' family made up for the love and acceptance he lacked from his own. "It's not gonna hold me back from having a fabulous life and being who I am," he said about his family's disownment of him.

While it's unclear whether Bynum has reconnected with his father, he has shared his love for his mother and sister on social media, noting their reconciliation. Before his mother's death, Bynum posted to Instagram to share his newly rekindled relationship with his mother, captioning the post: "It's never too late to start again. #lovemymama." In a March 2023 post, Bynum shared an adorable flashback photo of him and his sister on Instagram, writing as a part of the caption: "I'm so happy to have her back in my life."

Keith Bynum shared a huge milestone on Instagram for his audience to see, which was a sweet moment between him and his mother, LaQuinta Jolene Bynum, whom Bynum has previously admitted had disowned him after coming out as gay. The two had repaired their relationship after years of estrangement. But their new bond was short-lived when LaQuinta was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. The HGTV star's mother passed away on June 10, 2022, at the age of 63.

Bynum's coping mechanism after losing his mother was fully centered around his love for art. In an Instagram post sharing a piece titled "Facing the Storm," Bynum said, "The day I found out my mama had brain cancer, I just couldn't do anything that day but paint. This was the painting." The painting depicts a small figure standing in front of large, sand-colored mountains with one snow-covered peak. He ended the caption with the hashtag "#artistherapy."

Touted as one of the pioneers for the LGBTQ+ community in the construction industry, Keith Bynum and his fiancé Evan Thomas have created an inclusive space for everyone in their business. Bynum wasn't as lucky as the young carpentry and construction prospects today. Starting his construction career in Texas, Bynum was often exposed to homophobia as a foreman on a site in Austin. "There was a lot of nasty talk against the LGBTQ community," he told People.

In an interview with GLAAD, Bynum said, "The amount of very hateful things that I heard was very shocking, and it kind of was an eye opener." The palpable hate toward the LGBTQ+ community in his work environment enlightened him about the trials that one goes through if they do not fit the norm. It was an experience that made Bynum move out of his home state and up to Colorado, where he met Thomas.

The love between HGTV's Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas seems like it will last a lifetime. Their interactions with each other on their series "Bargain Block" make viewers' hearts melt every time. So, it's shocking to learn that these two love birds once broke things off — and once you learn the story, it will break your heart. In an interview with Queerty, Bynum confessed that his family gave him an ultimatum to choose a relationship with them or a relationship with Thomas. It was at the time when Bynum came out to his family and was disowned for being gay.

"My mom, who I was extremely close with at that time, she was like 'It's him or us, and you make the decision today,'" he told the outlet. Bynum, who was in a long-distance relationship with Thomas at the time, said he was unsure of how to handle the situation, so the two split for a brief period. But, of course, we know how their story ends. "I realized as soon as we broke up that was the dumbest thing I had ever done, and I wound up leaving Texas at that point," he said. After almost a year apart, Bynum realized the sad truth about his relationship with his family and decided to take a chance on his loving relationship with Thomas. Now, even while facing the challenges of being on TV and remodeling homes together, the couple is stronger than ever.

Between the constant barrage of homophobia during his work at a Texas construction site and the fact that his father told him he'd never amount to anything in the industry because of his sexuality, it's no wonder Bynum was discouraged from continuing down the home improvement path, especially through television. Now, as successful as his renovations on "Bargain Block" are, Bynum looks back on his beginning and sees nothing but persistence to have the best career possible. His partner, Evan Thomas, told Out Magazine: "We always try and be as inclusive as we can in our company. But Keith actually has a lot of experiences in the construction industry and a lot of homophobia and not super great employment opportunities for people like us."

According to Bynum, the confidence to embrace his own identity came from fellow HGTV star David Bromstad. The openly gay host of "My Lottery Dream Home" gave Bynum the inspiration to go for his dreams, no matter his sexual orientation. "Seeing [Bromstad] on HGTV and Discovery Plus was really that moment for me," Bynum told HGTV. "I was like, 'I really can get this dream. I can do this. I can be on HGTV just like David did.'" Now, Bynum is that inspiration for millions of LGBTQ+ people who are looking to crack into the home renovation business. While Bynum and Thomas say that wasn't their initial intention, they hope their fans know that there will always be an inclusive space in the industry while they're around.