The Tragic, Real-Life Stories Of HGTV's Biggest Stars

HGTV is one of the most wholesome channels out there. Since the mid-'90s, Home & Garden Television has delivered enough shows focusing on home renovation, home improvement, and well, anything to do with homes to last some people a lifetime. For decades, these programs have followed a similar format that knows how to hook an audience: Start with a building that needs some TLC, put at least one charismatic person up to the task, and follow through with beautiful results in the end. 

Most of HGTV's biggest stars share the same defining characteristics that make them so sought after by viewers: a humble attitude, a relatable early life, an emphasis placed on family, and, of course, an impeccable eye for design. From beloved couples to standout personalities flying solo, these people have strong social media presence that usually screams rainbows, butterflies, and everything nice. Behind all the cameras and facades, however, some HGTV personalities have lived some shockingly tragic lives.

"Flip or Flop" star Tarek El Moussa was diagnosed with two types of cancer in 2013. After a concerned viewer initially spotted a lump on El Moussa's throat and emailed HGTV's production team, he went to the doctor and learned he had Stage 2 thyroid cancer. During this time, El Moussa had limited contact with his family. "Because my body was going to give off radiation during and after the treatment, I had to stay away from my wife and 3-year-old daughter for about two weeks, then limit my time with them when I came home," he wrote for Patient Resource. El Moussa was declared cancer-free after his thyroid and some lymph nodes were removed.

This good news didn't last long for El Moussa, however. Almost immediately afterward, the HGTV star learned that he also had unrelated testicular cancer. After more treatment and surgery to remove the cancerous growth, El Moussa was given the all-clear and has remained in remission since. "Sharing that I had testicular cancer was a little more challenging than initially sharing that I had thyroid cancer because it's a more personal thing," he wrote for Movember in 2020. "For other men who might be facing a cancer diagnosis, follow your doctor's instructions, eat healthy and take care of yourself, and do everything you possibly can to stay positive and keep fighting."

Tarek El Moussa was married to "Flip or Flop" co-host Christina Haack when he was diagnosed with cancer. They tied the knot in 2009 and welcomed two children in 2010 and 2015. In December 2016, the then-El Moussas made headlines when TMZ broke the news that they were separated. TMZ reported that their relationship began to break down when El Moussa got caught up in a police standoff seven months earlier. That May, after an argument, El Moussa fled their marital home with a gun; police were called, and after everything was said and done, they removed multiple firearms from the home. The then-El Moussas told TMZ that the ordeal was an "unfortunate misunderstanding" and that they wanted to "continue to work through [the separation] process civilly and cooperatively."

In 2024, El Moussa finally gave more insight as to what happened in 2016 and how the police encounter became the catalyst for his and Christina's marriage breakdown. In an exclusive interview with People, El Moussa said that after the out-of-control fight, "Everybody gave up on me: the magazines, the outlets, the network, nobody believed in me," and that he initially believed they would reconcile. In the end, El Moussa admitted, "I hold nothing against Christina. I understand why she did what she did. We had a lot of hard years through my sicknesses and my mental health struggles from the testosterone [injections]."

Although Chip and Joanna Gaines' relationship has plenty of red flags, they're also one of HGTV's most beloved couples as the faces of "Fixer Upper." The Texas-based couple lives quite a lavish lifestyle, including a 40-acre farmhouse. With their dozens of animals, including cats, dogs, horses, and cows, among others, the Gaineses and their staff are no strangers to taking care of livestock. Sadly, tragedy struck the land in June 2016: People and other outlets reported that two goats were shot multiple times in the middle of the night; they were discovered the next morning. At the time, Sgt. Patrick Swanton with the Waco Police Department described the slaughters as "a senseless, cowardly act."

The Gaineses released a public statement through Country Living (via MySA) after the news broke. "We're saddened and shocked by this senseless crime, and at the same time, so grateful for the outreach and support from our community," the couple stated. Chip also wrote on Twitter, "Have you ever had a rough couple of days ... And for no real reason craved a [Big Red]. ... #RIPgoats." Although the Waco Tribune-Herald published a $50,000 reward notice for information related to the event in February 2020, the perpetrator(s) were never caught.

As one might be able to tell from the death of her goats, Joanna Gaines' life isn't all glitz, glamour, and riches. There's a lot that HGTV fans don't know about Gaines on a personal level, including the fact that she's lived most of her life with a bad back. In her youth as a high-school cheerleader, Gaines was injured during an attempted basket toss: the move requires a cheerleader to be thrown into the air by several teammates on the ground. Gaines underwent a microdiscectomy in 2001 to remove inflammation from a herniated disc. 

In 2022, Gaines announced on Instagram that she had undergone another microdiscectomy in early December, this time to help another section of her back. Accompanied by photos of her in the hospital and subsequently recovering at home, Gaines wrote, "I was a bit stressed bc of the timing of it all with the holiday season," but that, in the end, she was left with gratitude. "It has been a gift to simply stay put, stare at the wonder all around, and just be still," Gaines told her followers.

Christina Haack's divorce from her first husband, Tarek El Moussa, sent shockwaves through the HGTV fan base. After their marriage was officially dissolved in 2018, Haack remarried less than a year later, this time to television presenter Ant Anstead. Unfortunately, Haack and Anstead divorced in 2021, and with a son born in 2019 thrown into the mix, the pair did not separate amicably. The former couple threw shade and full-on accusations against one another for years; during their high-profile custody battle, Anstead tried to claim that Haack was an absent parent. 

Three months after her divorce from Anstead was finalized, Haack tied the knot once more to Joshua Hall, a real estate agent. Third time was not the charm for Haack, and the couple split in July 2024. Throughout their divorce proceedings into 2026, Haack and Hall traded blows in the press; Haack, for instance, told People in October 2025 that she was "grateful for [her] mistakes." Although things with Hall didn't work out, Haack has moved on in several respects: She enjoys a solid co-parenting relationship with Anstead after they platonically reconciled, and has been in a relationship with Christopher Larocca since late 2024. 

Christina Haack hasn't just had to deal with several hot-topic divorces throughout her HGTV career, but also a number of health scares. In December 2022, Haack revealed on Instagram (via E! News) that she had mercury and lead poisoning, as well as small intestine bacteria overgrowth; Haack told E! News a month later that she was feeling largely better with a new diet, as well as "hyperbaric chambers and IVs." At the time, Haack also said that she was thinking of removing her breast implants.

In a now-deleted Instagram post from 2022 (via People), Haack also revealed that she was diagnosed with Raynaud's syndrome, Hashimoto's disease, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) — Raynaud's affects blood vessels and the subsequent body parts involved, Hashimoto's mainly affects the thyroid, and PCOS creates hormonal imbalances that can affect menstruation and other functions. In June 2025, Haack updated her Instagram followers (via TV Insider) with some good news: She said that her blood work was "the best it's ever been" since 2018 and that her "inflammation & autoimmune numbers are great."

Heather Rae El Moussa, also known by her maiden name, Heather Rae Young, officially joined the HGTV family upon her 2019 nuptials to Tarek El Moussa. Although the El Moussas' marriage has some glaring red flags, they've remained a strong, loved-up unit, especially after the birth of their son, Tristan, in January 2023. El Moussa was an open book on Instagram throughout her pregnancy, particularly when it came to the complications that popped up along the way. In her third trimester, El Moussa was put on bed rest for severe pain. "I'm not doing very good," she said in an Instagram Story (via Page Six). "I'm hoping this goes away soon. I definitely cannot feel this for the rest of the pregnancy."

The El Moussas announced their son's birth in February 2023 in a joint Instagram post. The caption, written by Heather, explained that she was rushed to the hospital after Tristan's due date passed. "Tristan's heart rate was dropping very low every time I'd push & was staying low. Which was terrifying," she revealed. "I had 4 more pushes and to give it my all ... or otherwise we would have to do an emergency C-section ... I pushed so hard all the blood vessels broke in my face and chest."

Alison Victoria Gramenos (known on HGTV as Alison Victoria) burst onto the scene with the home renovation series "Windy City Rehab," which she co-hosted with business partner Donovan Eckhardt. Although the show started out on a high note, it didn't take long for controversy to arise. Victoria and Eckhardt were sued twice, in 2019 and 2020. The plaintiffs in both cases alleged that they purchased million-dollar properties with multiple points of structural damage. 

As if high-profile lawsuits aren't enough, "Windy City Rehab" went down in flames when Victoria and Eckhardt's partnership crashed and burned. During the second season of the HGTV series and amid the court cases, Eckhardt was accused of misappropriating funds and working on nearly a dozen properties without official permits. Eckhardt denied the allegations and later filed a defamation lawsuit for $2.2 million in 2021. "Windy City Rehab" went on for a few more seasons after Victoria severed ties with Eckhardt, but its inescapable past meant the show was never the same.

Page Turner, known for taking over for Hilary Farr on "Love It or List It," as well as "Fix My Flip," is the epitome of a hard worker: This HGTV star isn't just a solid host but a real estate broker, businesswoman, personal trainer, and author. Turner has a bustling social media presence and updates her Instagram frequently, so when she took a short hiatus between May and July 2024, people noticed. In late July, Turner confirmed that she had experienced a busy couple of months and provided all the details in a lengthy Instagram caption. 

In her update, Turner revealed a terrifying piece of news: While driving with her mother in Canada, the pair narrowly avoided the fast-flying remnants of a hit-and-run accident. "A car accident on the OTHER side of a wide intersection ... sent this tire flying across & coming right for us," Turner wrote, explaining that the tire "bounced off our hood, over another two lanes & landed on the sidewalk ACROSS the street." Turner uploaded photos of the cars affected with the additional quip, "No weapon formed against me or my Mama shall prosper!!"

When Page Turner isn't working, fans of the HGTV star can expect to see her either with her partner, Mike Hill — the ex-husband of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" cast member Cynthia Bailey — or her family. Turner has three daughters who all look just like her: twins Quincy and Qai, and their older sister, Zaire. In September 2025, Turner celebrated Quincy and Qai's birthday on Instagram with a slew of photos and videos. "From day one, I raised you as a single mommy, but never alone," she revealed in her birthday message. "[E]very auntie, uncle, cousin, and dear friend who poured into us, you both two grew into the most beautiful, gentle, yet most relentlessly determined women I know."

Turner has never stated who the father of her daughters is, although she's said multiple times that she raised all of them with no child support or other parental help. In May 2023, Turner told Yahoo Life that her mother moved in to help raise the girls in lieu of his absence. "I don't even know where that man is, to tell you the truth," she said. "It's just me, my girls, and my mom."

Ben Napier and his wife, Erin Napier, found fame in the mid-2010s renovating Mississippi houses on "Home Town." Over the years, Ben has undergone a full transformation that includes a significant amount of weight loss. While this HGTV couple isn't exactly living in poverty, thanks to their HGTV success — their combined net worth is approximately $5 million — Ben's childhood was marked by tragic details. Growing up, his parents faced financial insecurity and uncertainty. His father lost his farmland not once, but twice.

In 2025, Napier explained on the "WHOA That's Good Podcast" that at the time, his dad had "this weird bank loan situation that is actually an illegal loan. They can't do them anymore." Around the same time, he told Country Living that his father sold their family farm to become a preacher. "I've been down in my life at times where if I didn't make it to the free lunch that I was going to get at the cafeteria, then I was not going to eat that day in college," he said.

Carmeon Hamilton, an interior designer from Tennessee, shot to HGTV fame when she won the competition series "Design Star: Next Gen." After her victory, Hamilton hosted her own show, "Reno My Rental," and has remained a strong figure ever since. In 2006, long before her TV days, Hamilton met her future husband, Marcus Hamilton, while they were students at the University of Central Arkansas. They married sometime in 2011 after welcoming a son, Davin, in 2008. 

Sadly, tragedy struck the Hamilton family on August 28, 2021: That afternoon, Marcus was struck by a car while riding his motorcycle in Memphis, Tennessee, and died from his injuries. Hamilton announced her husband's death to her Instagram followers on August 29. "I can't bring myself to figure out Davin's and my next step, because there shouldn't be a need for one," she wrote. "Thank you all for being one of the best parts of our love story and loudly encouraging us to be the passionately flawed humans we were, living a life well lived."

Nate Berkus and his husband, Jeremiah Brent, joined the list of well-known HGTV couples with their feel-good series "The Nate and Jeremiah Home Project." The couple, who tied the knot in 2014 and share two children, also hosted another short-lived program, "Nate and Jeremiah: Save My House." Before Berkus met his now-husband, he was in a relationship with Fernando Bengoechea, a photographer. Sadly, the duo found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time in 2004: They were vacationing in Sri Lanka when the infamous Indian Ocean earthquake/tsunami struck. 

Bengoechea went missing in the ensuing chaos and was eventually declared deceased, although his body was never found. Several times over the years, Berkus has spoken about the terrifying ordeal and how Bengoechea was swept away by the tsunami waves. "I had a minute where I just didn't know what the right thing to do was," he recalled to Oprah in 2005. "Should I actually leave, or should I continue looking [for Fernando]?" In 2024, Berkus recounted the events again to People and said, "I wasn't eating, I wasn't sleeping ... I wasn't able to maintain a conversation."

At first glance, "Fixer to Fabulous" couple Dave and Jenny Marrs look like they have it all: a nice home, five beautiful children, and a loving marriage, complete with an estimated net worth somewhere between $2 and $5 million. In actuality, however, the Marrses have suffered several tragic losses, especially in 2025; Jenny has documented her family's trials and tribulations on social media extensively. In April, Jenny revealed in a post that they "unexpectedly lost someone very dear to our family," and almost canceled their 20th-anniversary party because of the grief. 

After that initial post, the losses piled up for the Marrses in quick succession. In July, Jenny announced the death of their 18-year-old dog, Dolly, in another post. Two months later, in September, Jenny wrote on Instagram that their neighbor and good friend, Jill, passed away. A few weeks later, the Marrses were hit with the loss of Dave's mother, Donna. "I haven't slept well the last two weeks. Grief seeps in at night most acutely, once I slow down from the day's activity," Jenny wrote in an October post.