What Happened to David Bromstad? HGTV Star Opens up About Storm Damage and Addiction

Since landing his big break on HGTV, David Bromstad has faced serious challenges. The television personality did not quietly disappear from the network. Instead, the longtime My Lottery Dream Home host revealed in late 2025 that a storm hit his Orlando-area dream home during renovation. The storm caused major flooding and mold damage.

David opened up in the HGTV special My Lottery Dream Home: David’s Happy Ending and in follow-up interviews. He said the home project became emotionally tied to his sense of self, and when the house was badly damaged, he spiraled. In his own words, “I knew I was in trouble.” He later said the special became the biggest moment of his life because it forced him to talk publicly about his mental health and addiction.

According to David, multiple factors caused his life to spiral out of control. He described crushing stress from the storm damage, insurance claims, money pressure, nonstop renovation chaos, and lack of sleep. He said he kept throwing himself into house plans to stay busy, but that work became a distraction from what was really happening underneath.

"My mind is going crazy," he recalled in a clip obtained by People. "The sleep is becoming less and less and less, 'cause the stress is rising, rising, rising. I was starting to spiral. I got into some unhealthy behaviors. It's really easy to go there when you're under distress. You know, using substances … It's a real easy escape to take yourself out of a stressful situation. I knew I was in trouble."

He also said substance use felt like an escape from distress, and that he eventually paused the project and sought treatment because he needed to “climb out of this hole.”

The rain and flooding caused extensive water damage and mold in the half-finished house, and David had to demo the property down to the studs. According to HGTV, the flood forced a full gut job, and the ordeal stretched the renovation into a four-year saga, including a one-year pause while he worked on his health.

David built a long career with the network. He first gained national attention as the season-one winner of HGTV Design Star. He later returned as a mentor and became one of the channel’s most recognizable personalities.

According to his HGTV bio, he also hosted Color Splash, led Beach Flip, appeared on Rock the Block, and has hosted My Lottery Dream Home since 2015.

Before television, David studied at Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, and HGTV says he worked as a Disney illustrator before breaking out in home design TV.

The hopeful part is where he is now. After treatment, David took time away, celebrated his 50th birthday in Norway, and said he was learning to love himself “warts and all.” In 2025, he said he was nearing three years of sobriety and added, “I’m in such a good place.”