Hilary Farr is best known for being the fabulous yet no-nonsense star of HGTV’s “Love It or List It” and “Tough Love,” but every now and then, she’s opened up about some of the less glamorous moments in her life. From losing beloved pets to serious health issues of her own, the designer has been through a lot over the years.
We’ll start with a sad moment Hilary had not long before she became a household name. As some will know, Hilary became the face of “Love It or List It” just months after she wrapped up her divorce from her husband of 26 years, Gordon Farr. Though Hilary has never gone into detail, she did share in a 2013 Top Ten Event speech that it hadn’t been the most amicable of splits. In fact, she referred to it as a “horrible, horrible divorce,” according to Notable Life.
Whatever happened to make the split so bitter, it does bear mentioning that it actually led her to HGTV. In fact, while many divorces have destroyed Hollywood careers, Hilary revealed in her Top Ten Event speech that she channeled all her anger into her “Love It or List It” audition. Evidently, that approach was an effective one — Hilary was hired and has remained on the show for a whopping 19 seasons. Talk about a turnaround!
Hilary Farr had big health scares
Unfortunately for Hilary Farr, a few years into her “Love It or List It” tenure, a 2012 mammogram picked up that she had a lump in one of her breasts. While speaking to People in 2021, the HGTV star shared that she underwent a lumpectomy for it, and tests showed that it had been pre-cancerous. Of course, that allayed some of Farr’s concerns — but it proved to be short-lived. Two years after that, she went for another mammogram, and this time, it found that she had invasive breast cancer. Farr had another lumpectomy, after which her oncologist told her there was nothing more to worry about. However, it turned out that wasn’t the case.
Without going into detail about how she found out, Farr told People that she realized by chance that she should have undergone radiation therapy to prevent the cancer from spreading. Understandably, the fact that her doctor had misled her infuriated Farr. “I felt absolute fury that someone could be so flippantly wrong … I could have been dead,” she told People. Thankfully, she received treatment in time. Sadly, though, in late 2015, another pre-cancerous lump was detected. However, as of the time of writing, she is in remission.
In another interview with People, Farr explained that through it all, her “Love It or List It” co-star was right by her side. As many know, Farr and David Visentin’s relationship is incredibly close, so we’re glad to hear it.
Hilary’s priorities shifted post-cancer
Like many celebs, Hilary Farr hid her scary cancer diagnosis from the public for a long time. And, as she told People, she actually continued to work on “Love It or List It” throughout her treatment. But, while she appreciated David Visentin’s support through it all, it forced her to think about whether she really wanted to keep doing it.
“I’m now very aware of really wanting to take joy out of every day, and that’s one of the reasons that it was time to leave ‘Love It or List It,’ because it was becoming too easy,” she explained. That’s right: the reason Farr left “Love It or List It” is because she wasn’t feeling challenged anymore. “You want to feel that every day is something different and special and grasp for those challenges. That’s really what I think drives me, anyway,” she continued.
Of course, one might argue that this particular detail isn’t all that tragic. After all, even though fans were no doubt heartbroken by her exit, it was a move Farr really wanted to make. What’s more, even though she would be walking away from Visentin, she gushed to People that their friendship certainly wouldn’t be affected by it. As for the show itself, she told the outlet she had every intention of watching it, even if she wasn’t on it. “I wish them all the luck in the world,” she said.
She lost her beloved pooch Mimi
A brief scroll through Hilary Farr’s social media is all it takes to know she’s an animal lover through and through. As for her own pets, longtime fans of the HGTV star will remember that she and her pooch, Mimi, were inseparable. In light of that, it was heartbreaking when Farr took to Instagram in November 2020 to share that Mimi had passed away.
In her tribute to Mimi, Farr wrote that Mimi needed an emergency euthanasia. However, her health had long been in decline. Farr recounted that there had been a few instances where she didn’t know if Mimi would pull through, but when she did, it gave her a false sense of security. “I gave her nightly massages, dabbed Vaseline on her old dry nose and it seemed as though I could outsmart the grim reaper and keep her with me forever,” she wrote.
Sadly, that wasn’t the case, and as she wrote in her emotional Instagram post, she was inconsolable. “The sadness I am feeling is overwhelming and my tears won’t stop as I write this. After my days work is done and I walk into my apartment in Raleigh or Philadelphia, Mimi is everywhere I look but, she’s nowhere, and for the first time I can remember … I am lonely,” she said. Farr has since gone on to adopt a cat named Puff and a dog named Suki, hopefully helping ease some of her pain from the loss of Mimi.
Hilary’s dog Suki was hospitalized days after the adoption
Sadly for Hilary Farr, not long after losing Mimi, her rescue dog Suki had complications, too. What’s more, Suki’s health scare came just days after Farr adopted her.
As Farr revealed via Instagram, Suki had been abandoned in Amristar in India and was brought to Canada by a rescue sanctuary in November 2021. However, a few days after bringing Suki into her forever home, Farr shared a heartbreaking update. “This morning Suki didn’t smile and wiggle and wag her tail. She stayed curled up on her bed, lethargic — looking at me for help. She wouldn’t eat or drink. 10:am I took her to the emergency vet clinic where they saved Mr. Puff’s life and so I trust them,” she wrote in an Instagram caption. A heartbreaking blow for any celeb who treats their pets like human children — let alone one still grieving the loss of another dog.
Luckily, the clinic was able to save Suki just as they had Mr. Puff, and two days later, Farr took to Instagram once again with an update. According to the HGTV star, Suki had had a tick-related infection, but thanks to the vets she saw and the medication they administered, she was on the mend. These days, she makes regular appearances on Farr’s Instagram page.
Hilary Farr credits her dad with giving her tough love
As the star of “Tough Love with Hilary Farr,” it goes without saying that this HGTV fixture is no stranger to telling it like it is. However, it turns out that’s not unique to Farr herself. Au contraire, it’s something of a family trait.
Taking to Facebook in June 2020, Farr shared a throwback pic of herself with her dad on her wedding day. Alongside the sweet snap, she wrote about the pros and cons of his own preference for straight shooting. “My father was my buddy, my strength my most loyal defender: but he was also my toughest critic and brutally honest even when he knew it would hurt.” At the same time, she wrote that he was always a big proponent of the golden rule. “Do as you would be done to. Keep that in your own hidden place, untouchable and you’ll be strong and fearless,” she recounted him saying.
Safe to say, unlike some stars who were pushed too hard by their parents, Farr appreciated her dad’s approach and took his words to heart — and she’s even managed to create a career out of his philosophy. Hurt feelings aside, we’re not so sure this is a tragic detail so much as an instance of tough love in action.
