Scandals That Erupted Behind The Scenes Of HGTV's Flip Or Flop
In March 2022, HGTV's fan-favorite series "Flip or Flop" came to an end after a 10-season run, with a source revealing that the behind-the-scenes dynamic between the show's hosts contributed to its demise. Former couple Christina Hall and Tarek El Moussa hosted the California-based renovation program, continuing to star on the show even after their divorce was finalized in 2018. Their separation was one of the biggest scandals to rock HGTV, with an altercation in May 2016 preluding their eventual divorce.
As reported by Us Weekly, 11 Orange County Sheriff's Department deputies were dispatched to the couple's home in response to reports of a "possibly suicidal male with a gun." After a disagreement between the two HGTV stars, El Moussa ventured out into the hiking trails near his house with a gun while Hall was visibly shaken by the altercation. Following their separation announcement, the couple addressed the incident in a statement.
"We had an unfortunate misunderstanding about six months ago and the police were called to our house in an abundance of caution," said the statement. "There was no violence and no charges were filed. We chose to get counseling to sort out our relationship. Together, we have decided to separate while we reevaluate the future of our marriage." While this pre-divorce disturbance was a dark moment for the former couple, with the aftermath of their divorce being sadder than we realized, it's not the only time "Flip or Flop" was faced with a behind-the-scenes scandal.
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The former couple was sued for unpaid wages
Back in 2017, Christina Hall and Tarek El Moussa were sued by a North Carolina man alleging that the couple's company, Next Level Property Investments, failed to pay him for work he provided in 2016. The plaintiff, Jonathan Schmier, explained that he was hired to find homes for the couple to flip in North Carolina cities, as the show reportedly planned to expand its services to the East Coast.
In the court documents obtained by E! News, the realtor claimed that he was owed "back wages in the amount of $12,800" and "commission in the amount of $25,000" after working 1280 hours. As reported by Radar Online, Scripps Network and HGTV requested that the lawsuit be dismissed "because the requirements of diversity jurisdiction are not met and no other grounds for federal jurisdiction are apparent." Meanwhile, a source close to Hall and El Moussa told E! News, "It's an absurd claim, and has no merit. Tarek and Christina have never met him. They've never even done a house in the Carolinas. They've only done houses in California."
Christina Hall and Tarek El Moussa were named in a FTC lawsuit
In 2019, Christina Hall and Tarek El Moussa were named in a restraining order filed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Utah Division of Consumer Protection (DCP) against Zurixx, LLC. The now-shut-down company offered educational services about real estate investment, promising customers free seminars on how to quickly "flip" houses for a major profit.
These reportedly free events were actually used to advertise their costly products and services, aiming to convince attendees to spend thousands of dollars on products and services. In addition to these predatory practices, the company's workshops encouraged customers "to obtain new credit cards or increase the credit limits on existing cards" and "give card issuers income information that is significantly higher than the attendees' current income" (per FTC).
Hall and El Moussa were mentioned in the restraining order for their endorsements of the company, named alongside other TV personalities like Peter Souhleris and Dave Seymour of A&E's "Flipping Boston" and Hilary Farr of "Love It or List It." While they didn't personally comment on the incident, HGTV did deny any connection to the company in a statement obtained by Fox.