Tragic Details About HGTV Star Mike Holmes

For decades, contractor Mike Holmes has been a successful HGTV star, first in Canada and then the U.S. "Holmes on Homes" was his breakout show, and since then he's done other shows like "Holmes Family Rescue," with his kids, Mike Holmes Jr. and Sherry Holmes. Holmes has also popped up as a judge on the network's "Battle on the Beach" competition. His TV career began serendipitously when Holmes happened to serve as a consultant for a TV show. Holmes' comments about botched construction jobs ended up being an impromptu pitch that launched him to stardom. Even so, he remained grounded. "I don't feel like a celebrity," Holmes informed The Globe and Mail in 2009. "I'm a contractor."

Amid his successes, Holmes has also had some serious difficulties. While Holmes became a bestselling author, his venture into magazines didn't turn out so well. The HGTV star debuted "Holmes: The Magazine to Make It Right" in 2009. Unfortunately, two years later, it was discontinued. To make matters worse, there were some financial hang-ups, including subscribers who had paid ahead for a magazine they wouldn't be receiving anymore. In addition, Holmes has experienced some tragic losses in his life, as well as dealt with other business and fame-related stresses. Let's take a look.

Mike Holmes had a tight knit relationship with his parents, Jim and Shirley Holmes. Jim and Mike bonded while doing home renovation projects together, and Holmes was particularly struck by his dad's attention to detail and commitment to a job well done. "By putting a hammer into my hands, he was getting me started on the path that would decide my entire life," Holmes wrote on Facebook. "But at the time, I was just making memories with my dad." As Holmes' career as a contractor took off, Jim made sure he let his son known that he was blown away by his talent.

Sadly, Jim died suddenly when he was 55. "My dad went down to the basement one night, missed the top step, fell down the stairs and broke his neck," Holmes informed MacLean's. The HGTV star was only 30 at the time, and, as he grieved for his dad, Mike decided to honor Jim by wearing a diamond earring. "My father has always been the inspiration behind everything I do, and I got my left ear pierced in his memory," Holmes wrote on LinkedIn.

Unfortunately, Holmes' mom had a complex health history, and she died when she was 56. Since his parents both died in middle age, Holmes was convinced that he wouldn't experience longevity either. Happily, Holmes is beating his lifespan predictions, and he reached his milestone 60th birthday in 2023.

Mike Holmes experienced a tragic loss in 2014, when his friend Craig Lowe died while scuba diving. At the time, it was unknown what happened exactly, since Lowe was by himself. His family later surmised that Lowe had run low on air while exploring a shipwreck. Holmes was shocked at the news. "It's terribly tragic. When I woke up yesterday morning and found my daughter crying telling me happy birthday and I knew something was wrong," Holmes informed the Toronto Sun at the time (via The Holmes Spot).

When Holmes first met Lowe at a job site, he was immediately impressed by Lowe's skills as a painter. The two began a long, successful professional and personal connection. "I have been working with Craig since day one of 'Holmes On Homes,'" the HGTV star wrote on Facebook. "He was a generous, dedicated and talented man who was always willing to lend a hand." Months after Lowe's death, Holmes remembered his friend in a subsequent Facebook post. He shared a photo of where he and Lowe were smiling together, along with a magazine article about Lowe's life and career.

Lowe had also forged a close bond with Holmes' son, Mike Holmes Jr. "It's been over a year now that Craig Lowe has been gone and it still doesn't feel real," Mike Jr. wrote on Facebook in 2015. "He was an amazing friend and will forever live on in my memory."

Mike Holmes has three children. His son, Mike Holmes Jr., and his younger daughter, Sherry Holmes, work alongside their dad in construction both on and off camera. Sherry's also appeared on her dad's "Holmes on Homes" podcast. As a child, Sherry experienced frequent head pain. At age 19, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. While Sherry's diagnosis and surgery happened within a week, she noted that the recovery process was challenging.

"It was extremely scary, but I am so grateful that her treatment was successful," Holmes wrote on LinkedIn in 2024. That same year both Sherry and her dad partnered with the charity Meagan's Hug to promote awareness of pediatric brain tumors. Holmes also promoted the charity through his Instagram page.

In addition, the HGTV star used his TV show to support another family with a child who had a brain tumor. Holmes remarked that it was a particularly poignant experience for him, and he was grateful to use his construction skills to renovate this family's home. In a 2020 Facebook post, Holmes mentioned Sherry's experience and noted that amid the emotional trauma, it can be hard to deal with life's other demands. "It's a scary time for any family — and often, the other things we're supposed to do fall to the wayside as we support our family members in need," he observed.

Unfortunately, Mike Holmes' celebrity has caused him to be targeted by a slew of disruptive rumors. "Everyone's seen it: I'm going to jail for 25 years ... I believe in the CBD oil and sex pills," Holmes described the scams on a 2022 episode of his "Holmes on Holmes" podcast. "I spent thousands in legal fees going after a company we could not find."

In 2019, Holmes also reached out to fans on his blog, and cautioned them about these false endorsements. It's also been a hassle for his daughter, Sherry Holmes, as people have questioned her anytime a new, unsubstantiated rumor arises. Even companies like Viagra were duped and threatened Holmes with legal action regarding products he had never endorsed.

In addition, Holmes was implicated in an even more destructive scam that involved a fake casting call for his HGTV show. While Holmes does occasionally make these types of requests, he issued a cautionary warning on Instagram: "My team will never reach out to you on social media. Beware of scammers." As he's noted on his podcast, his official website is the only portal for these types of communications.

In 2021, Mike Holmes got caught up in a $8 million lawsuit that involved a housing development in Ontario, Canada. The HGTV star appeared in promotional materials for the complex. In addition, back in 2016, Holmes owned a home there, and he had praised the building techniques that were used. Unfortunately, while prospective homeowners felt confident after associating Holmes with the houses, some of them experienced some serious problems, including mold.

Holmes pushed back on the legal claims, stating that his company hadn't approved the homes that turned out to have concerns. "We do not deny we advertised our inspection services ... however, no homes were registered or took up our inspection services," he wrote on Facebook (via CBC). Some fans weren't convinced and took out their frustrations by commenting on Holmes' Instagram post promoting a casting call for his show.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the first time Holmes was sued. According to the Calgary Herald, in 2014, the HGTV star was involved in a $3.1 million legal action. Julius Brinkman, who had served as CEO of Holmes Communities "Make It Right," accused Holmes and others of not fulfilling the parameters of his contract. Among the allegations made in the claim, it asserted they "failed to pay [Brinkman] 5% of the total value of $15.5 million in capital raised by him for the benefit of HCMR" (via The Holmes Spot).