Tarek El Moussa had a full meltdown at his ex-wife Christina on ‘Flip or Flop’

Tarek El Moussa, Christina El Moussa  at the 44th Daytime Emmy Awards - Press Room, Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, CA 04-30-17

When Tarek El Moussa and Christina El Moussa (now Christina Haack) first split up, there were widespread stories about how toxic it had gotten on the set of their wildly popular HGTV show, Flip or Flop. Tarek seemed to have a hair-trigger temper, and he was apparently yelling at Christina constantly and threatening her often. It got so bad that the crew was trying to keep them apart. Months and years passed and Christina and Tarek seemed to work out their sh-t. They both moved on with other partners, they continued working together on the show and on their house-flipping business, and they coparent their children. Except that Tarek still has a hair-trigger temper. He apparently got into it with Christina last week:

Tarek El Moussa flipped out on his “Flip or Flop” costar and ex-wife, Christina Haack, for letting him know it was time to film … sources close to the show tell TMZ. According to our production sources … Tarek’s eruption went down on the set of the popular HGTV series last Wednesday, after he apparently didn’t like the way she signaled to him that she and the crew were ready to begin shooting.

We’re told Tarek immediately lost his cool and went on a verbal tirade directed toward Christina … which allegedly included him comparing her to his fiancee, Heather Rae Young, and saying Heather is hotter and richer than Christina. Our sources say Tarek boasted that he “made” Christina and called her a “washed-up loser,” and exclaimed that he enjoys watching her fail.

We’re told he also yelled “Look at me, look at me, look at me. It’s called winning” and capped off his rant by screaming at her … “The world knows you’re crazy!”

According to our sources … this isn’t the first time Tarek went on a tirade against Christina on set. We’re told after the latest incident, production stopped filming them together for the rest of the day … and simply shot their scenes separately.

A source close to Tarek tells us his anger toward Christina stems from her recent admission she smoked toad venom — before meeting her new boyfriend — and his main concern is for the safety of their two children. At the end of the day, both Tarek and Christina are show execs, and our source says there’s going to be tension from time to time, this was one of those incidents.

We reached out to reps for Tarek, Christina and HGTV … so far, no word back.

[From TMZ]

Sounds like Tarek had a full meltdown/tantrum. Christina had likely been short with him or maybe she even teased him a little and this was what happened. Gross. I’ll admit to being surprised that there haven’t been more incidents like this – there is a very strange post-divorce energy around Tarek and Christina on their show, and it’s not just the editing. One of them should buy out the other person and just run the business on their own. They’re both “stars” on HGTV and if they had separate shows and separate house-flipping businesses, it wouldn’t be the end of the f–king world.

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72 Responses to “Tarek El Moussa had a full meltdown at his ex-wife Christina on ‘Flip or Flop’”

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  1. Renee says:

    I don’t like either one of these people. I hope all of their shows are cancelled. They are so fake.

    • Vavavoom says:

      I remember seeing this show when it first came on and wondering how the heck they got a show. I mean she is gorgeous, hands down, but they don’t even do anything creative. It’s a total nothingburger of a show. BLAHHHH

      I agree! Cancel them all! LOL

  2. Bettyrose says:

    I always found their show troubling when they were married. Christina would routinely smile simperingly and basically repeat what Tarek had just said. I feel bad for having at the time assumed she lacked substance, when now it’s clear she was afraid to set him off. I wish she could cut all ties other than co-parenting.

    • terra says:

      My parents watched this show and my grandmother still does. I, myself, have only seen snippets of it on one of their televisions, but I’ve seen enough to know that dude creeps me out and always has.

      There’s something very unsettling about his eyes. I grew up with a mother who could snap at any moment and he has the same energy about him. People like that are who the phrase “walking on eggshells” was coined for. It’s nerve-wracking to wonder what is going to set them off this time, you’re anxious absolutely all the time.

      There’s not enough money in the world to convince me to put myself in a position of having to live like that again. If I were her I’d beg, borrow, and steal to get out of my contract and stick to co-parenting only – and distantly co-parenting, at that.

      • minx says:

        I’ve always thought he was strange looking, not attractive. And a huge douche.

      • terra says:

        @minx Very off-putting, yes. Kind of weasel-esque, maybe? It’s like his whole body is clenched in either rage or displeasure all the time, even his face.

      • Sigmund says:

        I’m surprised there haven’t been more issues like this one. Tarik had a huge meltdown where he was threatening himself with a gun around the time their marriage ended. He has some serious anger issues.

    • BnlurNforever says:

      The energy that @terra mentioned is why I couldn’t never watch the show. It would come on and I would be interested in the particular set up, are they going to win the bid on the house? Will it be worth what they paid sight unseen? I never could get past how uncomfortable watching them together made me, so I would end up switching the channel. I can’t remember ever getting through one of their episode for this reason and I’ve never really figured out why until now, that awful energy.

      • terra says:

        @BnlurNforever Reading this has just helped me figure out that I think the aforementioned energy he gives off triggers my hair trigger fight-or-flight response.

        It’s like how dogs know a storm is coming. Instead of pacing and trying to hide under the covers like my dog does when she senses thunder, I get antsy and nauseous while goose bumps break out all over my arms when I sense someone is about to start yelling.

    • superashes says:

      He’s awful. I have no idea why HGTV still has this show going. He was abusive to her on set constantly, threatened to rape her in front of other people, just awful stuff, and this was when they were still together. I think this is just a ticking time bomb, honestly.

    • Lee says:

      Watch Dr. Ramani, a clinical psychologist specializing in narcissism, on YouTube. She has plenty of videos explaining the roots and signs of this type of behaviour, and the damage to victims. He seems to exhibit classic narcissistic behaviour – probably the grandiose, malignant variety. His ex wife is a victim, no matter how likeable or not she is, and their children are victims as well. He’s not fixable or curable, but she could have therapy to heal and learn to avoid narcissistic people in the future.

  3. Astrid says:

    the continuation of the show with both of them seems weird and unnecessary

    • Sam says:

      I agree. I used to watch the show but cut cable years ago and hadn’t watched it since they split up. Recently I was at my parents’ house and they were watching. There was a scene between them at a coffee shop or restaurant and I literally said out loud “Look at her trying to pretend she doesn’t hate his guts”. It was such a weird vibe and you could see in her eyes she was deeply uncomfortable in the conversation.

  4. Joanna says:

    I can’t imagine spending that much time with your ex. I’ve had a couple boyfriends propose going into business together but it ain’t happening. I can’t be around my significant other all the time. I need some alone time to appreciate the time we have together.

  5. Lemon says:

    I watched that show and he just seemed whiny and toxic and someone I would avoid. Not surprised vat all by this energy. What a man child!!

    Their flips are mundane and predictable.

    • North of Boston says:

      He’s like that on other HGTV shows, as well, alternating between whiny, hostile and parading around like he’s all that and a gold plated box of crackers.

      If he was someone I knew IRL I’d avoid him as much as possible.

  6. Amy Bee says:

    I get that this show makes a lot of money for HGTV but it would have been right to cancel it when they got divorced. Continuing after the divorce never made sense to me.

  7. Jayna says:

    I can understand blowing up at her if he felt she was dismissive to him (these things happen in life), but the things he said, if true, were abusive. That’s what I find disturbing.

    • North of Boston says:

      He was at work. He could hold his temper if she was dismissive or tell her to knock it off. Launching into a ragey rant where he throws insults and acts like he’s a “big man” is unprofessional and asinine, and makes the entire crew have to deal with his toxic BS.

      If someone pulled that ish at my workplace they’d be out the door.

      They’ve got a weird dynamic and individually they are annoying as all get out, but he’s got serious anger issues.

      • Tiffany :) says:

        It is so weird to hear abusive behavior described by the source in the article as “tension”. North, I totally agree that him being at work is a big deal. This is wrong in any situation, but especially at work.

    • (TheOG) Jan90067 says:

      This sounds a lot like the Chet Hank piece from yesterday, where he went off on his (ex?) gf because she “didn’t respect him as a man”. What garbage! What insecure, CONTROLLING, pieces of crap these men are.

      • FeedMeChips says:

        Because the first thing that should come to mind when one is afraid for their child’s well being is to publicly scream about how their current partner is so much hotter and richer than their ex.

    • Vavavoom says:

      It is very disturbing. I remember there was a whole story years ago about him barricading himself or her in the house or something and then he went missing with a gun .. and she called the police to find him, fearing he was suicidal.. I don’t remember. It was all just so bizarre. I’m going to look for the article because I sound confusing LOL

      ETA: https://people.com/celebrity/tarek-christina-el-moussa-flip-flop-stars-split-alarming-gun-incident-details/

      • Detnow359 says:

        And because of this history it makes his behavior even more scary. I wonder if he’s even been physically abusive to her. I wouldn’t be surprised especially with threats of raping her in front of the crew. Who says that?

        I’ve had two cousins killed in domestic situations, one was an ex-husband and the other was her current husband. This is a very serious situation. Hopefully no harm will happen to Christina and her children but this behavior is very frightening.

  8. Christina says:

    He is obsessed with her and angry that they didn’t make it, and that she won’t take his shit. He still sees her as his possession. He wants to blame her for his anger. Asshole.

    Christina is no saint, but this is typical paternalistic bullshit. I read somewhere that men are smart because they got the world to normalize male anger. Women can’t be sarcastic to an asshole without risking male anger and what comes with it.

    • Cacec04 says:

      Wow,Christina, what you said about male anger…if that ain’t the truth!

    • Kathleen says:

      YES to this! I so completely agree.
      And maybe it’s been mentioned (I’ll apologize if so) but she does have her own HGTV show. Can’t she just walk away from this asshole and not subject herself to this anymore?
      Get a cut throat lawyer lady, get out of whatever contract they have you under!

    • incognito08 says:

      You hit the nail right on the head. The comparison between Heather and Christina was totally unnecessary. It signals to me that Tarek isn’t over her and likely wanted her to regret making the decision to leave him. He wants to punish Christina for re-taking control of her life and having a semblance of happiness. When her marriage to Ant fell apart, I distinctly recall him saying that he supported Christina and thought that her new marriage was doomed from the start. Now that she has a hot new guy and appears to be happy, his outbursts have resumed. Tarek is such a tool.

      • Ou812 says:

        100 percent truth

      • deezee says:

        I believe this. For a while I was following Heather on IG but her photos with him and the kids are so performative and sometimes I think they’re directed at Christina. Well everything she posts is, really. But she looks a lot like his ex which I have always found to be odd. Not just a “he has a type” thing, but as in him trying to show up Christina with a younger look a like.

    • Tiffany :) says:

      “men are smart because they got the world to normalize male anger. Women can’t be sarcastic to an asshole without risking male anger and what comes with it.”

      Wow….I’ll be thinking this over for a while.

    • Otaku fairy says:

      Too true.

    • Golly Gee says:

      Yes! And he can be as f*king angry as he likes, but that doesn’t give him the right to talk to her like that. Like his supposed worry about his children justifies his behavior. I agree with incognito08 that this has more to do with her new boyfriend then about the children. That’s why he included comparisons with Heather in his rant.

  9. Golly Gee says:

    “We’re told he also yelled “Look at me, look at me, look at me. It’s called winning” and capped off his rant by screaming at her … “The world knows you’re crazy!”
    Um… who’s crazy?

    • North of Boston says:

      Holy Shades of Charlie Sheen, Batman!

      I wonder if there are some substance abuse issues there.

    • Tiffany :) says:

      Yes, it reminded me of Victoria’s Secret Karen screaming “Get away from me!” while she chases someone. Total projection.

    • Otaku fairy says:

      Right?

    • KissMyA**23 says:

      If I were to guess, he’s coked out all the time. At least when I watch the show that’s what it seems like.

    • Amanda says:

      Yes, so much projection. Where is his conservatorship?

      • Sigmund says:

        If the roles were reversed and Christina were the one screaming, I’m sure there would be talk of one.

        But he’s a man, so.

  10. Ann says:

    Wow, I can’t believe he said that to her in front of people….or at all. I don’t care what is happening between you and your ex with whom you co-parent, you don’t demean them like that. She went through another divorce which was probably really hard, has another kid to take care of. I’m not crazy about her but she doesn’t deserve that.

    I say this as someone who has watched the show quite a bit. Ugh.

    • superashes says:

      Apparently he used to do it all the time when they were married. He even used to threaten to rape her in front of others and laugh because he thought it was funny. The production team operated with the goal of limiting down time as much as possible, because that was when things got bad. And she often hid in her car between takes. I’m surprised she is still on this show with him. I’m not sure if it is just that they had a bad contract or what, but that can’t be a pleasant situation for her.

  11. Lady Luna says:

    HGTV is awful for letting him create such a toxic environment.

  12. KBeth says:

    I don’t care for either of them. He has always struck me as twitchy & unstable, she’s annoying but appears mentally sound.

  13. TheOriginalMia says:

    Not a fan of their show or them for that matter. But…he’s an ass for saying that stuff to her. If he was truly concerned about his kids, then that’s a matter for family court, not their workplace. I agree with other posters that continuing their show with them as hosts is not necessary. She already has her own show. He could take over Flip or Flop on his own.

  14. Aud says:

    He’s obsessed with her. Idk why they’re still working together, they must be getting paid a ton

    • Carty says:

      Have you seen his new fiancée? I had a hard time telling her apart from Christina. Super creepy.

      • Aud says:

        Yes. I saw the creepy tattoo she got too.

        Heather has also gotten incredibly thin during their relationship.

        I really don’t think their relationship is healthy at all. Poor Heather.

  15. Missanthrope says:

    Am I the only one who remembers the incident before they officially divorced where Christina called the police because Tarek was having some outburst at their house and had a gun? Dude has always seemed unstable and explosive.

    • april says:

      I remember the write-up on that. He went way out on their property, had a gun, and threatened to commit suicide.

    • elle says:

      I remember that as well and was always mildly curious as to why there weren’t any repercussions / fallout.

  16. DuchessL says:

    It was written in the stars that it was to happen… split it.
    Do not work together anymore

  17. Liz version 700 says:

    God their poor kids. She is insipid as heck, but I have compassion for her because he is psycho and his temper is legendary. He is a giant NOPE

  18. KNy says:

    I don’t think Christina is so great, but OMG she’s the better one of those two. Tarek is obviously extremely toxic. I don’t know why he thinks he’s the star and she’s expendable.

    • Liz version 700 says:

      Exactly. He is terrifying. She is stable and protective of her kids, he is a tornado of abuse they never know when he will go off

    • april says:

      For some reason I don’t find her completely trustworthy with men. I think she is prone to cheating, whether physical or emotionally.

  19. Natters says:

    No wonder he was cheering on Ant Anstead’s new relationship with Reneé Zelleweger.

    • april says:

      Yes, to that.

    • Lena says:

      He was cheering his ex’s ex new relationship? How petty. It was weird when they decided to continue with the show after they split. I assumed they really were that desperate for money.

  20. girl_ninja says:

    Didn’t he do a whole sit down with “Dr.” Phil about his anger issues? He’s still not taken care of it and is NOT working on it. That fiancé of his better take heed and watch out.

  21. Amanda says:

    I just put the pieces together that he’s dating Heather Rae Young from Selling Sunset. I really hope she gets away from him if he’s as much of a toxic, violent person as he sounds like.

    I had an ex who would yell at me in public all the time if I made him upset in some way. It was bizarre and terrifying. Once he was angry, there was no talking to him. Just trying to block everything out while he yelled at me in the middle of a mall. Looking back, I’m so sad I put up with it, but a narcissist is dangerous because they’re also charming and smooth-talking when they need to be.

  22. Detnow359 says:

    Too bad the system brought Christina Aguilera into this. I see three related stories pulled on her instead of Christina Haack

  23. Isa says:

    Why is HGTV keeping him as an employee?

  24. The Recluse says:

    Never bothered with their show. I prefer Restored with Brett Watermann and the new show Bargain Block. They both approach their projects with determination and joy and the results are usually inspiring.

  25. Emily says:

    He says Heather is better than Christina … they look a lot alike for starters. He seems obsessed with Christina. Heather gives me LeAnne vibes with how much she wants to be mommy and posts the kids on social media.

  26. Lizzie says:

    ‘Christina had likely been short with him or maybe she even teased him a little and this was what happened. ‘.
    I’m not a fan of Christina’s but this kind of made me mad. Don’t make up something she did to blame his bad behavior. He is an ass full stop and he is the only one responsible for being an ass.

  27. SusanRagain says:

    Geez, he talked about raping her? Holy crap. That’s really outta line, who says stuff like that to anyone?
    Clearly, no amount of money would get me to work with him ever again.

    WTH would anyone agree to work with an ex-spouse?
    No one way I would watch this show. I have enough stress IRL.

    I hope this angry jerk ends up alone for decades.

  28. teehee says:

    So a guy screaming at a woman, saying the world knows SHE’S crazy- yeah well its really obvious who is unstable here and it isn’t her.
    The fact that men think they can still act like this and get away with it- that they can be unstable but get to call OTHERS unstable – that’s so cliche by now its nauseating.

    Sure, but he’s concerned SHE will scar the kids for life. What with her NOT throwing public tantrums and all.

    Yeah…

  29. Rae says:

    Shame on HGTV for not doing whatever it takes to get him out of his contract. I know the #MeToo movement was about sexual violence (mostly towards women, though in the case of Hollywood I remember a few male survivors stepping up with female survivors) but it could as easily be about abuse. Verbal, physical, emotional, mental, sexual…It happens to both men and women and tends to get buried when it’s inconvenient. And this is abuse. From what I’ve read, in his past, he’s used the possible threat of suicide (or violence? Not sure what the fun was about) to ask almost a way of guilting her, he’s threatened to rape her (and then called it a joke), he’s demeaned her in front of her co-workers, he’s attempted to crush her self-esteem with his words, and who knows what else! This is an abusive situation. Possibly a dangerous one as well. And HGTV is letting it happen, encouraging it even, by continuing a show that forces them together when it could just as easily cancel it, or install another couple as the show runners. Continuing to force them to work together just allows opportunity for for incidents like this. In fact, considering Tarek did this at their place of employment, that they employ him at all is an issue. That sort of behavior wouldn’t be tolerated by the HR of any other decent company. I imagine it’d be grounds for dismissal. By not only continuing to employ him on Flip or Flop, but in another show, it’s almost like approving of the actions he’s taken against Christina while working.

    Now I’m not saying Christina’s a saint. I can’t stand her personally.she’s more irritating than anything, and in public puts on a rather materialistic sort of persona; whether that how she actually is or not, or whether it’s all an act, I couldn’t say. But Tarek’s temper is dangerous. Or at least it could easily become dangerous, and his behavior is unacceptable. Especially at work. If HGTV had any sense they’d terminate his contract and drop him before it can continue and they’d get labeled because of his poor decisions. I would also think Christina should find and excellent lawyer, for her and her children’s sake, to hopefully keep them all safe.