Patti LaBelle's Nephew Claims Trump Support Led to Family Rift and 'Lifetime Banishment'

Patti LaBelle's nephew and adopted son, William 'Byl' Holte, has claimed his support for Donald Trump contributed to a years-long family fallout that has now left him completely estranged from the legendary singer.

Holte, 65, detailed the alleged breakdown in a lengthy post on X, claiming the trouble reached a turning point around Christmas 2019, when LaBelle told him he needed to leave the home they had shared for 12 years.

Holte later clarified that he lived on a family estate and worked as LaBelle's personal assistant, gardener and pet caretaker during that period.

According to Holte, the situation escalated when he overheard relatives discussing why they considered Trump a threat.

'Why should I be afraid of Trump when you're the one who just made me homeless?' Holte recalled asking LaBelle.

He alleged that family members then 'instantly attacked' him and threw him out of the house.

LaBelle has not publicly responded to Holte's latest allegations.

Holte Claims He Was Given 'Lifetime Banishment'

Holte said the dispute did not end in 2019.

He claimed LaBelle later took issue with him discussing their life together and alleged that his decision to speak publicly resulted in what he described as 'LIFETIME BANISHMENT'.

'As of today, she's still not speaking to me,' Holte wrote. He claimed the fallout extended beyond his relationship with LaBelle, saying: 'Because SHE'S not speaking to me: NO ONE IN HER CIRCLE IS SPEAKING TO ME.'

Holte blamed the breakdown largely on political differences and accused Democrats of failing to respect free speech. That characterisation reflects his personal political views and cannot be treated as an established account of why the family became estranged.

His reference to the First Amendment also sparked pushback online. The First Amendment generally protects Americans against government restrictions on speech; it does not require private individuals, including relatives, to maintain relationships with someone because of what they say.

Still, Holte's story struck a nerve with some X users, who responded with their own accounts of relationships fractured by political disagreements. Others questioned his version of events and argued that a family dispute was more complicated than a disagreement over Trump.

LaBelle Previously Said She Still Loved Him Despite Politics

The family's political divide is not new, and LaBelle herself previously discussed it publicly.

Holte attracted national attention in 2020 after former Republican congressional candidate Dean Browning posted a bizarre message on Twitter, now X, appearing to describe himself as a 'Black gay guy'. Browning later said he had accidentally copied and posted a message sent by a supporter. Holte subsequently identified himself as that supporter.

The controversy inevitably pulled his famous aunt into the story.

In a December 2020 interview with O, The Oprah Magazine, LaBelle acknowledged that she and Holte were politically opposed but said she did not hate him for his beliefs.

'Guess what? I didn't choose my family. I choose my friends. I love Billy. He has a Republican mind. And, guess what? I don't,' she said, as reported by MadameNoire.

LaBelle also revealed that she had spoken with Holte only hours before the interview and said he had apologised to her.

She explained that she had decided to 'take the high road' rather than punish him indefinitely, although she drew a firm line when her own name became involved in his controversies.

'Certain things happen in life, and I just keep going on, because I love him,' LaBelle said.

Her comments offer significant context to Holte's latest account. At least publicly, LaBelle was describing love and reconciliation in late 2020, rather than an estrangement based solely on his support for Trump.

Their Relationship Was Once Publicly Affectionate

Holte is not simply LaBelle's nephew. He is also one of her adopted children.

His mother, LaBelle's younger sister Jackie, died in 1989 after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. LaBelle subsequently adopted Jackie's two children, William and Stayce.

Before the political controversy, Holte also openly celebrated his relationship with LaBelle on social media. He shared posts supporting her television appearances and concert rehearsals, and marked her 75th birthday in May 2019 with an affectionate tribute.

That history makes his claim that they are now no longer speaking particularly striking.

Yet despite blaming the family fallout on their political divide, Holte still defended LaBelle when one X user called her a 'scumbag'.

'She's not, just a democrat,' he replied.

Holte also made clear that he has no regrets about choosing his politics for himself.

'I'd rather vote Republican because I WANT to, than Democrat because I HAVE to,' he wrote, before ending his post with: 'God Bless America.'