Stayce Holte Faced Many Challenges & Was Adopted by Her Aunt Patti LaBelle

Stayce Holte is the beloved niece and adopted daughter of the matriarch of R&B, Patti LaBelle. Her aunt adopted her and her brother when their mother died in the late '80s.

Patti LaBelle had to bury all her sisters prematurely and sang at their funerals. She is the mother of five, William and Stayce Holte, Dodd Stocker-Edwards, Stanley Stocker-Edwards, and her only biological child, Zuri Kye Edwards.

Stacey fondly calls the "Lady Marmalade" star her aunty mommy, who in turn refers to her as a daughter. Unlike her brother, who was entangled in a bizarre Twitter episode, the Taurus keeps a low profile.

Breaking up with Her Girlfriend Broke Stayce Holte's Heart

When she was going through a painful breakup with a female partner, Stayce, born May 18, 1964, turned to her aunt LaBelle. The "Somebody Loves You Baby" singer told her niece that she loved her dearly and "nothing could ever change that."

On her birthday in 2022, her aunt shared a carousel of images of them and said, "I love you more than words can express!"

Stayce revealed in June 2019, "I have bipolar disorder, but it doesn't have me!" In the Insta post, she shared that she had survived a suicide attempt. She used her personal experience to appeal for kindness, as one never knows what someone else is going through.

Stayce Holte's Mother Died of Cancer

Patti LaBelle is the third of four daughters, all of whom were taken by cancer. Having already lost her elder two sisters, she was in denial when Jacqueline "Jackie" Holte, her youngest sister, was diagnosed with lung cancer. Jackie passed away five days before her 44th birthday.

It is unclear if William was behind the Purdy account...

Decades after her mother's death, Stayce celebrated her legacy and "bright, beautiful smile." In the July 2020 social media message, the loving daughter said that though it might not look like it, she remembered everything that her mom showed and taught her.

Patti LaBelle Is Stayce Holte's "Auntie Mommy"

After her sister Jackie's passing, LaBelle adopted her two children, William and Stayce. William, also known as Billy and Byl, is three years older than his sister.

After the funeral, Stayce presented the "Open Up Your Heart" singer with a Mother's Day ring that she and Billy had given their mother in the hospital. On her aunty mommy's 75th birthday, she penned a glowing tribute that read in part:

“She loves on me like a mom, we fight like sisters, she spoils me like an auntie, and we talk late into the night and share secrets like besties. I was raised in a village of strong black women, and she’s the last (wo)man standing.”

The Confusing Twitter Incident Linked to Stayce's Brother

A white Republican politician baffled the internet in November 2020 when he began a tweet about outgoing US president Donald Trump with "I'm a black guy," leading many to believe he meant to send it from a sock puppet account. He claimed he had shared the text of a follower.

Twitter detectives found the possible sock puppet account, "Dan Purdy," that posted a video of a black man backing the politician's story. Further digging found him to be William, Stayce's brother, and LaBelle's adoptive son. It is unclear if William was behind the Purdy account or was helping out the politician.

If Stayce reacted to her brother's tangled mess, it is no longer available online. She gave some insight into her values and humor in a February 27, 2017 tweet, "Are we SURE Hillary didn't win? I mean, look at what just happened at the #Oscars !! IJS...Congratulations, MOONLIGHT!!"

Moonlight, starring Mahershala Ali and Janelle Monáe, won the Academy Award for best picture in 2017. However, the wrong film, "La La Land," was called out. Hilliary Clinton lost out to the presidency to Trump in 2016.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org.