The world of reality television is often rife with petty, nonsensical antics (like the name of a certain New York restaurant), but sometimes the personal dramas hit even closer to home, which is the case for Bobby Boyd from Bravo‘s Million Dollar Listing.
The model turned real estate agent has appeared on the series as the husband of castmate and fellow agent Josh Flagg, and his run on the show has mostly been unmarked by drama. Of course, a show about luxurious Los Angeles real estate is always going to seem like the picture of perfection, but it appears to be a different story for Boyd’s life offscreen.
In recent years, the reality TV star has endured some personal tragedies relating to his family members, though it hasn’t yet been covered on Million Dollar Listing.
What happened to Bobby’s parents on Million Dollar Listing?
While fans have long enjoyed seeing the sporadic appearances of Josh’s parents on Million Dollar Listing, the same unfortunately can’t be said for Bobby’s mother and father. In the season finale of Million Dollar Listing’s tenth season in 2019, it was revealed that both of Bobby’s parents had passed away, though details of their deaths were not specified.
The revelation came during Bobby and Josh’s marriage ceremony, with the latter’s vows mentioning how Bobby’s parents “are here with you right now, watching you.” Josh also said that Bobby’s parents — named Jeanette and Gary — would be “very, very proud of you.” While that episode aired in 2019, Bobby has revealed that both parents died just two months apart in 2016, after both suffering battles with cancer.
In a 2022 episode of the Dead Talks podcast, Bobby revealed that both of his parents were diagnosed with lung cancer just one month apart, and explained how his father specifically had accepted death. Bobby’s father was 60 years old when he passed away, and his mother was 58. Bobby also spoke about taking on the responsibility of caretaking for his parents while they were sick, and said he regrets not asking them more questions about his childhood and their marriage before they died.
He also spoke about his parents’ strength through the cancer battle, and his closer relationship with his mother despite describing his father as “my hero.” Bobby has paid tribute to his parents on social media in the years since their passing. In 2017, Bobby honoured his mother’s birthday a year after her death, describing her as “my beautiful shining star.”
The diagnosis of Bobby’s parents happened the same year he fell in love with Josh, though the pair have since finalised their divorce in 2023. The pair’s split played out on season 14 of Million Dollar Listing.