Why Did Christina Haack And Tarek El Moussa Get Divorced? Inside The End Of The HGTV Couple

Christina Haack and Tarek El Moussa separated in December 2016, and in January 2018, finalized their divorce. The couple married in 2009, welcoming two children and creating a house flipping empire thanks to their HGTV hit show, "Flip or Flop." While they seemed like the golden duo, Christina and Tarek had a lot more going on behind the scenes that contributed to their split. They were facing extreme pressure to keep up with the show while raising two young children and navigating serious health issues.

Since then, both Tarek and Christina have moved on. Christina married Ant Anstead in December 2018, welcoming son Hudson. They divorced in June 2021; then Christina married Josh Hall in October 2021, and later filed for divorce in July 2024. Because of her experience, there are five relationship red flags we've learned to avoid thanks to Christina. And it's safe to say that she's undergone a full transformation since her HGTV debut, including changing her last name back to her maiden name, Haack. For his part, Tarek went on to marry Heather Rae El Moussa in October 2021, and they went on to welcome son Tristan Jay El Moussa. While the two women didn't get along at first, Heather and Christina have created a close-knit friendship, co-parenting together. Clearly, it's been a long road of growth and healing for everyone. While Christina and Tarek are able to raise their children and even work together now, things got pretty rocky by the end of their marriage.

There were several factors leading up to Christina Haack and Tarek El Moussa's divorce. The couple was under an extraordinary amount of stress from myriad places in their lives. Tarek was diagnosed with both thyroid cancer and testicular cancer in 2013. Simultaneously, Christina opened up about her fertility journey after being diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and suffering miscarriages. They were able to conceive their son, Brayden, but Christina had to go back to work, filming "Flip or Flop" only four weeks after he was born. "It was too soon for me," Christina told People. "I was overwhelmed. Tension between me and Tarek was high." Meanwhile, Tarek was taking hormones and recovering from a back injury. "I was a mess for quite a few years," he told E! News. "In 2016, my life imploded."

Sure enough, he and Christina reached a breaking point in May 2016. They got into an argument, and Tarek left their property in Yorba Linda, California, with a pistol. Christina feared that Tarek was struggling with suicidal ideations, and she called the police. "Christina left me, and it was heartbreaking," Tarek told E! News. "At the same time, looking back 20/20 hindsight, you know, I understand why she did." He admitted to feeling angry about her decision, but as the years have gone on, they've both looked back on all of it with more compassion.