If it were not for HGTV, we would not have some of the most entertaining TV shows around. Over the years, many famous people have appeared and starred in their shows. We daresay that Tarek and Christina El Moussa were in a league of their own, however. They rose to fame with the success of Flip or Flop, a show that follows the couple as they travel across the United States to buy, renovate, and sell homes in the hopes of turning a significant amount of profit. As we all know by now, this type of show is a hit among TV viewers!
Here Is The Truth Behind The Surprising Breakup Between Tarek And Christina El Moussa
Millions of people did not only tune in for the gorgeous properties, however. We also have to give credit to the charisma of Tarek and Christina. People were intrigued by their perfect relationship as well. They made it seem like they have everything that you could possibly wish for! This was the reason people were shocked to hear the announcement that they were splitting up. What made it even worse was the fact that it turned into a nasty breakup. Fans came up with various theories about what transpired between them, but we have uncovered the truth for you.
They Looked Like The Perfect Couple
Flip or Flop is among the most successful shows on HGTV. This is the reason it has earned a number of spin-offs over the years. Even though there is nothing unusual about people loving home renovation and interior design shows, this show got even more attention than usual. This is all thanks to the charm of Tarek and Christina El Moussa. From the very beginning, viewers adored the pair. They were great business partners who were happily married to each other as well! On top of that, they were talented and made a great team together. They would sound out ideas and work on lovely homes with each other. The two of them looked like the perfect couple, and we were all envious of what they had.
They Looked Like The Perfect Couple
The Experience To Back It Up
There was nothing accidental about the success that Flip or Flop earned.For one thing, both Tarek and Christina had a lot of experience when it comes to renovations and properties in the past. He was only 21 years old when he earned his real estate license and started working in the industry. Through work, he met a fellow realtor by the name of Christina. They claimed to have felt an instant connection and got together not long after that. In 2008, the couple decided to go into the housing market with each other. Unfortunately for them, the timing was not right because the market crashed in the same year. This was the reason they had to move out of their home and go for a much cheaper one.
The Experience To Back It Up
A New Chapter In Their Lives
Even though it was a tough situation for the couple, they were determined to achieve success in their career no matter what. With their dedication, hard work, and motivation, things started to look up for Tarek and Christina. They were thrilled over the way things have turned out and decided to walk down the aisle in May 2009. The two of them wanted to have children right after this, but it turned out to be more difficult than they had anticipated. After they failed to conceive naturally, they tried in vitro fertilization. The process was a success, and they welcomed their daughter in 2010. Their first child was called Taylor Reese El Moussa, and she weighed only 5 pounds and 13 ounces at the time of her birth.
A New Chapter In Their Lives
They Decided To Aim High
Even though they had great careers and a gorgeous family together, they were not yet satisfied with what they had. This was the reason they decided to take things up a notch by coming up with a TV show idea about flipping houses. Tarek created an audition tape to showcase what the process would look like and gave it to HGTV. Luckily for them, the executives and producers expressed interest in the concept. Even though Christina did not appear in the video, they asked her to join her husband in the show. The couple was happy about the fact that they were getting their very own TV shows. In April 2013, the first Flip or Flop episode came out!
They Decided To Aim High
The Nation Fell In Love With Them
In no time at all, viewers fell for the show and the couple. Flip or Flop turned out to be an instant hit in the United States. There was something about Tarek and Christina that drew in viewers! It was also important to note that they made a great team. He took care of looking for the properties and doing the actual work on the house. Meanwhile, Christina was in charge of designing the rooms and buying furniture. Aside from that, she also had to check that it was all going according to the timeline. Mind you, it was not always easy. As a matter of fact, things got very stressful every now and then, but they always pulled through. It was admirable to see that it did not put a strain on their own relationship!
The Nation Fell In Love With Them
A Viewer Was Concerned By What He Saw
Both of them threw themselves into their work. For a while, it looked like they were both doing fine and were happy as could be. However, it did not last very long. A viewer by the name of Ryan Reade noticed something concerning about the couple. A registered nurse, he noticed that Tarek had a lump on the neck! Ryan then wrote to the production team behind Flip or Flop and warned them to check out the lump. After receiving his message, the team brought it up with Tarek. The couple said that they had noticed the lump in the past but thought nothing of it since he did not feel any pain in the area. After the advice of the production crew and Ryan, he decided to go to a medical professional about it.
A Viewer Was Concerned By What He Saw
Tarek Received A Devastating Diagnosis
During his medical appointment, Tarek admitted that he had been having throat problems for around three years already. However, he did not really think that it was anything serious since he was generally okay. Sadly, the doctor confirmed their worst fear after running a number of tests on him. He had cancer! In particular, he had thyroid cancer, although the tests revealed that it was already spreading to other parts of the body. Even though Christina did her best to be strong and positive for him, she later admitted that she was terrified at the prospect of losing him. They just had a child recently, so she was scared that Taylor would grow up without a dad. What made things even worse was the fact that the production team of Flip or Flop told him that the show would go on hiatus while he was in recovery.
Tarek Received A Devastating Diagnosis
It Was Tough On The Family
The cancer was already in an advanced stage, so they had to start treatment right away. He took on a number of treatments and operations in the hopes of killing the cancer cells. Unfortunately, they resulted in strong side effects and always made Tarek feel nauseous. On top of that, he started to get severe migraines on a nearly daily basis. Despite this, he did not give up and remained determined to live through this. He knew that being pessimistic was not going to do him any favors, so he never stopped even though he had to slow down. When talked to Today, he said that it “gets scary, and you start getting depressed” when you lose hope. We are so glad that he pushed through!
It Was Tough On The Family
They Started To Become More Distant
By that point, pretty much everyone was aware that the Flip or Flop star was diagnosed with cancer. Despite this, neither Tarek nor Christina thought that it was necessary to inform the public of the full diagnosis. It was difficult for them to acknowledge it, and they did not feel prepared to talk about it with the entire world. However, this started to take an emotional toll on them. The couple began to feel anxious, stressed, and tired. Tarek started to go on The Doctors and admitted that he was feeling a lot of stress from his condition as well as the treatment. The fact that they also had a young child to look after made him and Christina grow distant. For some time, it felt like it was a losing battle, but things changed after they received a great piece of news.
They Started To Become More Distant
The Promise Of A Fresh New Start
He received the all-clear, which meant that the treatment worked! Tarek and Christina were both over the moon to hear this. It also looked like the relationship was finally back on track. As a matter of fact, the couple even wanted to try for another child to expand the family further. Sadly, they had problems conceiving again and had to rely on IVF once more. Even though the first attempt did not succeed, the second one did. The couple was devastated when it resulted in an early miscarriage. They decided to give it one last try. Their wishes came true at long last, although the pregnancy did come without its limitations and risks.
The Promise Of A Fresh New Start
There Were A Lot Of Restrictions
Christina was going through a high-risk pregnancy, so it was not possible for her to live life as she normally did. She had to get as much rest as she possibly could. As a matter of fact, the restrictions had been so strict that she was not allowed to lift anything more than a gallon of milk for 13 weeks. Aside from that, she was banned from taking a walk. Even though it was hard, they were glad to do it if it meant that they could have a second child at last. In the end, their hard work paid off since they were able to welcome a son called Brayden into the family. However, she had no choice but to go back to work only four weeks after delivery, which made things tense between the couple. Eventually, she talked to People magazine about their inability to communicate well.
There Were A Lot Of Restrictions
Time To Celebrate Their Successes
The couple kept throwing themselves into Flip or Flop. They must have been delighted to see that the show was even more successful than it had been before. On top of that, Tarek was also healthy after his terrifying ordeal. It looked like things were finally getting better now that they had two gorgeous kids as well. In April 2016, Christina and Tarek celebrate their seventh anniversary and bought a special gift together. We are referring to a 50-foot yacht that they named Flip or Flop and docked in the shores of California. It was huge enough to house eight people. According to a number of reports, the couple had to shell out more than a million bucks for this luxury vessel.
Time To Celebrate Their Successes
An Incident That Started Rumors
From the outside, it looked like Tarek and Christina had been leading the best lives possible. Many of us could only ever dream of achieving the same lifestyle, which explains why they had so many fans. Sadly, it turned out that there were a lot of things happening behind the scenes that none of us had been privy to. In May 2016, some reports claimed that a helicopter and 11 police deputies had been spotted around their house! An ambulance arrived not long after that. Nobody knew what transpired, but folks feared the worst. There were reports that speculated how the couple got into a big fight that went out of control. It turned out that he left the house, with a teary Christina on his heels. Still, people could not help but wonder why such a situation would require the presence of an ambulance and the police.
An Incident That Started Rumors
What Actually Happened That Day
It turned out that the police had a good reason to be at the scene as quickly as possible. Just before Tarek left the house, he reportedly brought a gun out of a safe and slipped it into his backpack. He did this in front of witnesses. He stormed out and went to a hiking trail leading away from their house. The witnesses claimed that Tarek might have been thinking of claiming his life, but they did not know how they could locate him. This was the reason they ended up calling the authorities, who managed to track him down with the help of a chopper. They asked Tarek to drop the weapon. It was said that he complied with the order and went back to the house. However, his version of the story is a bit different.
What Actually Happened That Day
His Version Of The Story
Tarek said that he only brought the gun with him as a way to protect himself from wild creatures. After all, the trail is littered with rattlesnakes, mountain lions, and the like. He also said that he told everyone in the house this piece of information, so he was puzzled about how things got so out of hand. According to him, suicide did not even cross his mind. He only wanted to cool his head. On top of that, there was no need for an ambulance and a chopper. When they spoke to People, they tried to shrug it off by saying that it was nothing more than “an unfortunate misunderstanding.” Could this be the truth?
His Version Of The Story
A New Scandal Soon Erupted
As usual, it does not take long for a new scandal to follow an old one. More stories about the couple circulated through the grapevine and shocked their loyal fans. TMZ claimed that child services got involved thanks to the fact that Brayden tripped and fell into the pool while the nanny was taking care of her. It was said that the nanny fetched the child out of the pool right away. When Christina arrived and heard about the news, she insisted on taking the boy to the hospital to make sure that his lungs were free of water. The hospital had the obligation of getting in touch with child services, but the whole situation was cleared up not long after that.
A New Scandal Soon Erupted
Tarek And His Alleged Affair
TMZ also publicized a different scandal about the couple. Basically, it reported that Tarek was having an affair with Alyssa Logan, their 23-year-old nanny. The weird thing about this was that the married couple claimed that they were still happily married at the time. There was a clip of Tarek and Alyssa attending a concert in Florida, but fans were not sure how true the report was. According to TMZ, Christina forbade him from spending time with the nanny under the assumption that it was going to solve the issue. On the other hand, he reportedly fired Alyssa in order to keep the affair going. Soon after this happened, however, Tarek and Alyssa were no longer seen together and believed to have broken up.
Tarek And His Alleged Affair
Fans Had Been Placing Bets
There was a lot of speculation if Tarek and Christina were going to stay with each other after this. At long last, the fans finally got word about the fate of the marriage. In December 2016, the couple announced that they were splitting up. US Weekly released their joint statement, in which they said that instead of filing for divorce, they “had challenges in [their] marriage” and wanted to “re-evaluate the future of [their] marriage.” Moreover, the two of them said that they would stay on good terms and remain true to their fans. They also referred to the previous incident with the police and said that they went to consulting sessions in the hopes of working out their differences and saving the relationship.
Fans Had Been Placing Bets
The Couple Finally Filed For Divorce
Only a month after that, Tarek told People that they have decided to file for divorce. It looked like the trial separation only confirmed their worst fears! There were also reports that claimed that even though they announced the separation in December 2016, the two of them had not been together since the beginning of the year. At any rate, Christina kept quiet and stayed out of the limelight. From the look of things, she just let Tarek do the talking. In February 2017, however, she made a TV comeback by agreeing to be interviewed by ABC news. She did not reveal a lot of information about the breakup and chose to stay mysterious instead.
The Couple Finally Filed For Divorce
In A Very Good Place
In the entertainment industry, a lot of couples say that they want to stay friendly after breaking up. These former lovers usually eat their words in public, but it looked like things would be different for Tarek and Christina. Fans were starting to think that they could pull it off, which was confirmed by Christina during an event that she attended in March 2017. According to her, she had no problems getting along with him. She also said that the two of them were “in a very good place right now” and doing “a really good job” of staying on good terms for the kids. They had shared custody of Taylor and Brayden, after all. In general, it seemed that things were going well for everyone involved. However, this image was ruined when more scandals about the marriage came to light and made its way to the news.
In A Very Good Place
The Truth Came Out At Last
The reports claimed that his struggle with cancer took a much bigger toll on the relationship than anyone realized in the past. Reports claimed that they had all but broken up by then. When Tarek spoke to Pop Sugar, his account corroborated this claim. He explained that the hormone medication, which was part of the cancer treatment, had a negative effect on his physical and mental health. He said that he became more anxious, irritable, and tired while undergoing the treatment. On top of that, he gained weight quickly. He felt down because he no longer looked or felt like himself. This, in turn, had a negative effect on the marriage.
The Truth Came Out At Last
Reliving The Difficult Times
In the same interview with Pop Sugar, he also revealed that they were both “devasted” to find out that the disease had already spread. It was very difficult for them to keep things to themselves as well. It took him three years of recovery and treatment before he felt like he was back to usual. This is quite a long time for the couple, whose marriage had been suffering a lot already. In March 2017, he told People that, back then, they had been so busy with work and overwhelmed with his health problems that they failed to communicate as they should have had. It only made things much worse for both parties involved.
Reliving The Difficult Times
A Different Sort Of Pain
Even though the headlines were dominated by the state of his health, Christina was also going through her own share of physical pain at the time. She had difficulties with the pregnancies, and the miscarriage did not make things any easier. Later on, she told People that they “went through a lot in a short space of time.” Things only got worse with their failed IVF attempts as well as their worries during the pregnancies. She revealed that, at the time, it was a mistake for her to go back to work only four weeks after having her second child. Christina admitted that she was not yet ready and pushed herself to the point that the communication between the couple had disintegrated. As a matter of fact, she revealed that they would drive two different cars when they had to film Flip or Flop.
A Different Sort Of Pain
The El Moussa Seminar Scandal
The revelations did not end there either. The breakup of the famous couple started to look more and more plausible to their fans. Fans knew that aside from their work on the TV show, the couple also gave seminars on real estate to budding contractors. Thanks to the success of the two, the programs proved to be very popular. Tarek and Christina would go to the venue and talk about a job that they had been doing for a long time now, but it soon came to light that things were not as it seemed. Those who went to the seminars voiced their complaints! The bad reviews piled up after the split. What did they say?
The El Moussa Seminar Scandal
Attendees Claim That They Were Scammed
Intouch reported that people who went to the El Moussa Ohio seminars were disappointed and asked their lawyers to look into the programs. As a matter of fact, one of them even claimed that she was “suckered” out of thousands of bucks by the couple. This person claimed that she shelled out an incredible $41,000 for the seminars conducted by Tarek and Christina. The authorities reportedly looked into it and found that the seminar contracts were untrustworthy. Officers managed to recover $3,000 for her, while the couple offered to issue her a refund. There was more controversy about the seminars after this. People also said that the couple did not usually turn up, claims denied by Tarek and Christina.
Attendees Claim That They Were Scammed
They Were Not Compatible At All
It also came to light that financial issues played a role in the disintegration of their marriage. Tarek and Christina went through some monetary turmoil that did not do their relationship any favor. The reports claimed that they did not see eye to eye when it comes to handling their money. A ‘close source’ tipped People off with the claim that they made for a “wildly incompatible” couple. The tipster said that Tarek was not the sort of person to indulge in pricey and luxurious things, preferring to save most of the money instead. On the other hand, Christina was supposedly fond of the finer things in life.
They Were Not Compatible At All
Things Got Out Of Hand
This person explained that the money that they were receiving from Flip or Flop meant that they should have been set for life. However, Christina allegedly found this development overwhelming. The tipster explained that she started out buying a couple of luxury items but developed a shopping habit that soon spiraled out of control. It supposedly did not take her long before she would throw money at anything that she wanted to buy next. The source explained that she was focused on getting her hands on the next best thing and enjoying the finest things that fame and money had to offer. On the other hand, her husband allegedly did not agree with her on this and preferred to live a different lifestyle. As you can imagine, this soon became a point of contention for the two of them.
Things Got Out Of Hand
Jonathan Schmier Had His Grievances With Them Too
What do you know – we have another scandal that involved Tarek, Christina, and a former employee of theirs. This piece of news made it to the front page of various magazines across the nation. Jonathan Schmier was a contractor who worked for the couple many times back in the day. It turned out that he had a problem with them as well! TMZ covered the story and reported that he talked about how the El Moussa couple owed him a lot of money for the work that he did. It turned out that they avoided paying him and refused to pay him any money in the end. This was not a good look for Tarek and Christina!
Jonathan Schmier Had His Grievances With Them Too
They Did Not Pay Him His Due
Jonathan Schmier further explained that he met the couple as they were checking out properties to fix up in North Carolina. Next Level Property Investments, their company, hired him to look for houses, which he did right away. He said that he was able to find five houses for them before they even broached the matter of payment. According to Jonathan, he was supposed to receive $5,000 for each house that he found. On top of that, he was supposed to get additional wages and bonuses for the out-of-hours that he worked. Despite this, he never saw a single penny from the company and the couple. We can see why he was furious enough to sue them for $37,800 to pay for his work.
They Did Not Pay Him His Due
It Had All Been A Facade
The stories all painted an unflattering picture of what Tarek and Christina were like when the cameras were not rolling. Outside of the film set, their true personalities came out and could not be any more different than what they presented in front of the camera. People started wondering if there was anything real about what they showed on the screen. A ‘close source’ talked to Inside and said that the couple lived in “the ultimate house of horrors.” Tarek and Christina allegedly screamed and shouted at one another, accusing their spouse of cheating, lying, and spying. One of the neighbors even reported that they fought all day and night only to post loving messages about the other on the internet. You can probably see why a lot of people felt like the whole show was nothing more than a sham.
It Had All Been A Facade
Revelations From The Neighbor
Let us see else the neighbor had to say. This person also said that Christina and Tarek were “living a complete double life.” Even though this is not the strangest thing ever in Hollywood, it looked like they had it worse than usual. It was clear that the couple had been hiding how unhappy they had been for the longest time. There were delays in their previous home renovation projects, which people claimed had been caused by their feuds. Sources claimed that she would change her mind constantly and expect him to accommodate these whims right away. Knowing all of these things, we now understand why the couple decided to split up. We are sure that it was not easy to pretend that nothing was wrong.
Revelations From The Neighbor
A Cocktail Of Lies And Truths
There were a lot of accounts that point to how bad the marriage had been, but a lot of fans were not yet convinced. It felt like bad stories would come out week after week, which made it even harder to figure out which ones were true. There was also a source who said that Tarek blamed Christina for the split. It is not a light statement to make, but he was allegedly furious with her when he said this. It turned out that he wanted to keep the breakup lowkey and that he even suspected her of leaking the news on her own. He was sure that she was out to get him by trying to ruin his chances of getting a show of his own!
A Cocktail Of Lies And Truths
Pressure From The Executives
However, the media also claimed that he was actually the one at fault between the two of them. It was said that he was usually harsh and ill-tempered with Christina, often shouting and calling her names when they were on the set. Rumor has it that there was a video that proved this, although the public never got to see it. He vehemently denied the claims. There were also reports about how an HGTV exec knew just how unhappy they were but put pressure on them to put on a show for the sake of TV ratings. This exec allegedly thought that the show would be doomed if the couple decided to break up.
Pressure From The Executives
Putting On A Show
This was the reason HGTV asked the couple to keep working together and pretend to be in love until the end of the contract. After this, they could do anything that they wanted. It turned out that the network threatened to sue Tarek and Christina for breach of contract otherwise. It was ironic that the divorce rumors only made the ratings increase. Flip or Flop had been seeing an average viewership of 17 million people per episode by the time that the seventh season rolled in! This was the highest in the history of the show. On top of that, it went on to be the longest season during its run. When Tarek spoke to Today, he admitted that they found it difficult, but it was still a part of their job.
Putting On A Show
A Failing Relationship And Extramarital Affairs
After the rumors of their failing relationship and unhappy marriage came out, people started to hear about whirlwind relationships and affair allegations. Of course, this is nothing unusual in show business. However, fans were shocked to find Christina and Tarek at the center of these rumors. After all, they seemed like the perfect couple for the longest time! However, there were certain sources that said that the couple had been seeing other people months before the breakup became public knowledge. Even though we have already heard of their former nanny, there was a rumor that Christina was involved with Gary Anderson, who was a former contractor.
A Failing Relationship And Extramarital Affairs
An Instant Yet Illicit Connection
Touch Weekly said that Gary and the El Moussa couple first met in 2015. It was said that he and Christina had been attracted to each other from the very beginning. Sources said that the two of them became increasingly close while they were working on a project together. Other people could not help but notice their bond as well. This would also include Tarek, who started to get suspicious of how well the two of them were getting along and how much time they had been spending with each other. They denied all of these claims. Since there was no evidence of an affair, Tarek was convinced. It looked like things were calming down at last.
An Instant Yet Illicit Connection
It Supposedly Started The Incident
When the incident with the police and the gun happened, Gary was actually at the house of one of the neighbors. During the commotion, he went over to the El Moussa residence to check out what was happening. It was said that he stayed with Christina to help her sort out matters with Tarek and the police even after everyone else had left. When Tarek and Christina broke up, there were rumors about her extramarital affairs. According to In Touch, she had been romantically involved with Gary at the time. On top of that, the rumors claim that Tarek saw their text messages and blew up. Apparently, this was the reason the aforementioned incident happened.
It Supposedly Started The Incident
Finding Fulfillment And Happiness At Last
Regardless of what really happened behind the scenes, Christina and Tarek El Moussa officially divorced in January 2019. The two of them turned to social media to post inspirational quotes about happiness, life, self-care, and fulfillment. At long last, they were both single and had a new chapter of their lives to look forward to. During an interview, Tarek emphasized the same thing. According to him, it did not even occur to him that his marriage was going to come to an end, especially not like that. However, he would not change a single thing if he had the choice to go back in time. He explained that he has since become a better father and overall person because of everything that they went through as a couple.
Finding Fulfillment And Happiness At Last
Now Looking Toward The Future
From the way things looked, he had already set aside any feelings of anger, bitterness, and resentment. He seemed to be focused on what the future holds. On the other hand, Christina has since married a British TV presenter called Ant Anstead and had a son with him. This means that they have combined their families since they both had two kids from failed marriages. Reports claim that Tarek has been nothing but supportive of her new life. As a matter of fact, Christina shared with US Weekly that he offered his congratulations when her new child was born. It would seem that they have achieved closure no matter how rocky their relationship had been in the past.
Now Looking Toward The Future
For The Show And The Kids
One of the most shocking things about the story would be the fate of the show. People assumed that Flip or Flop was going to get cancelled once the couple broke up. However, the network kept it with the exes still at the center of the show! Even though Tarek and Christina were no longer man and wife, they did build a business empire that was too good to give up. Even though they had misgivings in the past, the show remains a success! The two of them are still flipping houses, and fans cannot get enough of them. It looks like the two of them are finally on the same page about certain things. They clearly want the best for their kids and to move forward even if it means doing these things separately from now on. We are just glad that they now seem to be doing well!
For The Show And The Kids