Patti LaBelle’s nephew, Byl Holte, is speaking publicly about a family estrangement he says began around Christmas 2019 and became tangled with his support for Donald Trump.
In an X post shared Thursday, the singer’s nephew claimed LaBelle had recently told him he needed to move out of the home they had shared for 12 years when a political conversation turned personal.
He said relatives were discussing why Trump was a threat when he responded, “Why should I be afraid of trump when you’re the one who just made me homeless?”
According to Holte, “Her family instantly attacked me and threw me out of her house,” he wrote.
The nephew said the rupture did not end there. He alleged that LaBelle later became upset when he discussed their relationship online, which he says led to what he called “LIFETIME BANISHMENT.”
“As of today, she’s still not speaking to me,” he wrote. He also claimed that others in LaBelle’s circle have stopped communicating with him because of the dispute.
Here’s what supporting TRUMP cost me:
— Byl Holte (@SirBylHolte) August 20, 2026
My aunt is Patti LaBelle, famous singer AND DEMOCRAT.
Christmas 2019, she had just informed me that I had to move out of the home I had happily shared with her for 12 years.
So when I heard her and my family talking about what a threat… pic.twitter.com/GBQr5Xh8kR
Holte is refusing to back down from his political views.
“I’d rather vote Republican because I WANT to, than Democrat because I HAVE to,” he wrote.
He also said that despite moving away from politics, he still feels rejected by relatives.
“And even though I’ve gotten out of politics, they still hate me,” he claimed.
LaBelle’s nephew ended the post by saying the backlash makes him believe he is “doing something RIGHT.”
LaBelle has not publicly addressed his account.