HGTV star Tarek El Moussa is opening up about his divorce from ex-wife Christina Haack like never before.
The pair—who were married in 2009—remain close friends and coparents despite calling it quits on their marriage in 2016.
‘Divorce Story’
The “Flip or Flop” star took to social media on Wednesday, September 23, to share his story of divorce and recovery.
“I was married to Christina for about seven years, then my whole world came crashing down. At the time, I thought I was just living the dream. I had a beautiful family, a thriving business. I had a TV career that was just absolutely taking off. But behind all the glam, and all the cameras and all the fans, I was suffering with my health after fighting two different cancers and ultimately going through an awful back surgery,” Tarek said. “For years, I struggled to get my energy back and eventually turned to testosterone injections. But things got worse and I lost touch with myself.”
He continued, “My marriage fell apart, like many do. And it just forced me to take a good look in the mirror and really take responsibility for a lot of the [expletive] I did and make me realize what I wanted to become. And you know, the first step in that is becoming healthy. That’s the day I decided to check myself into a facility and take care of my mental and my physical health, which led me to getting some help at a random place. It was a halfway house, but it was the help I needed. Fixed my eating habits and slowly gained my strength back.”
In a positive life update, Tarek added, “That leads me to today. Today, I am a father, a happy husband and part of a huge modern family that I’m just incredibly grateful for.”
The “Flip Off” star added a note of inspiration to fans who may be going “through something” similar.
“This is your reminder that you can rebuild your life,” he said. “You gotta remember, you are no different than a house. It doesn’t matter how tired you are, how beat up you are, how angry you are. At the end, we could all use a remodel.”
Moving On
Following his divorce from Haack in 2016, Tarek spent years focused on himself and his health.
It wasn’t until after their divorce was finalized in January 2018 that the renovation pro found love again.
Tarek met “Selling Sunset” star Heather Rae El Moussa over the Fourth of July holiday in 2019. The pair were celebrating on nearby boats in Orange County when sparks flew.
Their relationship progressed quickly and, according to Tarek, they moved in together less than two weeks after meeting.
“First date and I knew I met the love of my life,” he shared in April. “Less than a week after, we moved in together and never looked back.”
Tarek and Heather tied the knot in October 2021, and went on to welcome their son, Tristan, in January 2023.
The couple — along with Christina — also co-parent his daughter Taylor, 16, and son Brayden, 11, whom he shares with his ex-wife.
