Christina Haack and Tarek El Moussa's Ups and Downs: Before, After Divorce

Christina Haack and Tarek El Moussa's ups and downs started well before they called it quits in 2016. The reality stars tied the knot in May 2009, four years before their HGTV series Flip or Flop catapulted them into the spotlight. Things took a turn when Tarek was diagnosed with two forms of cancer in 2013 after a viewer — who happened to be a registered nurse — brought a concern to producers' attention. "No joke, I thought I was going to die," Tarek exclusively told Us Weekly several years after his health scare. "I was like, 'Two cancers?' ... [But Christina] helped me out a lot. She made sure I took all my meds and she had to make certain meals for me." While Christina was by Tarek’s side during his cancer battle, they eventually filed for divorce in 2016. The exes who share kids Taylor and Brayden have since moved on romantically. Tarek wed Heather Rae El Moussa in 2021. Christina was married to Ant Anstead and later Joshua Hall. Scroll down for a closer look at Christina and Tarek's ups and downs:

The duo exchanged vows in May 2009 and welcomed their daughter, Taylor, the following year. Son Brayden was born in 2015.

In April 2013, the pair's house-flipping reality series premiered on HGTV — and fans couldn't get enough. It has since inspired a handful of spinoffs, including Christina On the Coast, which began in May 2019.

An HGTV viewer, who happened to be a nurse, contacted Flip or Flop's production team after noticing a lump in Tarek's neck. In 2013, he was diagnosed with both thyroid and testicular cancer, prompting the couple to try IVF to have their second child while he got ready for radiation treatment.

Christina was put on bed rest after two failed IVF attempts, and at the same time, Tarek was prescribed "large amounts of pain meds" during his cancer treatment.

He later recalled on the "Dr. Drew" podcast, "I lost 60 pounds, I was on Vicodin every day. On top of that, my hormones are off, I'm on pain meds and narcotics, and I'm filming and working. It was a really rough three, four years. ... It was a horrifying experience."

In May 2016, authorities were called to the real estate experts' California home, responding to a tip that there was a "possibly suicidal male with a gun" on the property. An eyewitness told police at the tine that Christina was "crying and shaking," while Tarek told the deputies that he "he had no intention of hurting himself." He agreed to "voluntarily relinquish all of his firearms" after the incident.

That December, the duo announced their split, telling Us in a statement, "We chose to get counseling to sort out our relationship. Together, we have decided to separate while we reevaluate the future of our marriage."

Tarek filed for divorce in early 2017, and Us confirmed that the proceedings were made final one year later.

"There's a lot of false stories and a lot of hype, but in the end, we're just normal, nice people who just want to be the best parents and coworkers that we can be," Christina told Good Morning America, confirming Flip or Flop would carry on despite the divorce. "Tarek and I are friends and we have a lot of support from our family."

Before season 8 premiered in August 2019, Christina explained that she and her ex-husband keep things strictly professional while filming. "Tarek and I don't discuss each other's personal lives," she told GMA. "It is what it is."

Amid her split from Tarek, Christina began dating Anstead and the pair tied the knot in December 2018. One year later, they welcomed son Hudson. A source told Us at the time, "Tarek is happy for Christina and he's moved on."

In September 2020, Christina and Anstead announced they were going their separate ways, finalizing their divorce in June 2021. Tarek, for his part, proposed to Heather in July 2020.

Six years after his diagnosis, the Tarek's Flip Side host revealed via Instagram in March 2019, "I'm cancer free and I'm healthier than ever!!!! This makes me so happy not for me but for my babies ❤️. I have to be healthy and alive for them!! ... They are my everything and they need their daddy! This news is so good because I’m alive to be here for THEM!!"

Though their marriage didn't work out, the costars continued to be a strong coparenting team. "Things are going better than they've been in a long time," Tarek exclusively told Us in January 2021. "That's great for us. You feel it on the set. The onscreen chemistry shows and I think this season's episodes are some of the best we've ever done. Who would have thought 10 years later the show is getting better?"

Christina, for her part, previously told Us that putting the kids first was crucial. "We all just are in it for the kids and whatever's best for them, so that's just how we make it work," she said in April 2020.

In July 2021, multiple outlets reported that the former couple got into a verbal tiff while filming Flip or Flop, with Tarek allegedly shouting at Christina and calling her a "washed-up loser."

Days later, Christina documented a "nice day" on set, seemingly throwing shade at the Flipping 101 With Tarek El Moussa star.

Tarek weighed in on whether his ex-wife was possibly engaged after she sparked rumors after being pictured wearing a ring on her left hand amid her relationship with Hall.

“If a ring is on a girl’s finger and it looks like an engagement ring and she’s with her man, what does that mean?” Tarek exclusively told Us in September 2021. “I’m not a mind reader, [but] I’m just saying, they’re good together. I hope the best for them.”

After Christina confirmed her engagement to Hall, an insider shared with Us that Tarek and Anstead found out "from her social media post," adding, “They're both happy for her and wish her the best."

In March 2022, the duo announced that Flip or Flop would end for good with the season 10 finale. "Bittersweet news to announce, it’s the end of an era," Christina wrote via Instagram at the time. "Next week’s episode of Flip or Flop will be the SERIES finale. I’m filled with gratitude to have done 10 seasons of a hit show. I remember filming the pilot and thinking, 'wouldn’t this be crazy if is this actually made it to network tv?' And here we are, a decade later. ... It’s been a wild ride to say the least!!" 

Tarek, for his part, thanked fans for "following along" for the previous decade. "You guys have been with us through it all—you watched me beat cancer, you’ve watched the babies grow up into the most amazing little humans, and everything in between," he wrote via Instagram. "But I’m not going anywhere and I can promise that you are going to love what comes next!" 

Tarek thanked his ex-wife while celebrating the end of their HGTV show in March 2022, gushing via Instagram: “I think we did a pretty good job and I’m excited for what the future holds for both us and wish her nothing but the best!”

Photos surfaced in May 2022 of a series of seemingly tense moments between Christina and Hall and Tarek and Heather at a children's soccer game. In one photo, Tarek was seen pulling Heather away from Christina, while in another series of snaps, the Flipping 101 star is seemingly being separated from Hall.

“A personal matter was discussed and has since been resolved. We are focused on coparenting as a team moving forward,” Christina's rep told Us in a statement on May 10, 2022.

After Tarek and Heather announced in July 2022 that they were expecting their first child together, a source exclusively told Us that Christina was "happy for" the couple.

"She knew about the pregnancy and is letting them have their moment," the insider added, noting that "there haven't been any issues since the soccer game spat" months prior.

Tarek and Heather congratulated Christina on the "next chapter" of her life — the January 2023 premiere of her new HGTV show, Christina in the Country — in a joint Instagram post, which showed trailers for both her series and their own show, The Flipping El Moussas, in December 2022.

Tarek reflected on how his and Christina's divorce affected him during a February 2023 interview with Fox News.

“Hitting rock bottom in 2016, when my ex-wife decided that she wanted to end things, that’s when I had to dig deep and really figure out who I was and who I wanted to be and where I wanted to go and how I was going to get there," he recalled. "So, I did a lot of work on myself to get to where I am today."

In May 2024, news broke that Tarek and Christina would be costarring on HGTV’s The Flip Off with their respective spouses, Heather and Hall. However, after Christina and Hall split in July 2024, he exited the show. (Hall was part of the first episode, which debuted in January 2025.)

Christina remained on the series with Tarek and Heather, which they said brought them closer together. “We don’t fight. She picks on Tarek all the time, and then I jump in. But he takes it well!” Heather exclusively told Us in January 2025 of the show dynamic.

Christina agreed, adding, “Tarek loves to be teased. When he’s in a bad mood, if you tease him, it lightens him up.”

Tarek teased in April 2025 that he can see Christina getting married “at least [one more time].” He exclusively told Us at the time that he’d already met Christina’s boyfriend Christopher LaRocca.

“The double dates are actually fun,” Tarek said. “The new guy she’s dating, I really like him. He’s really nice.”

He continued, “Honestly, he just seems like a good guy. She’s going through a really tough situation and, based on my conversations with her, he’s supportive, he’s guiding, he’s experienced, and he is giving her good advice.”

Us confirmed in July 2025 that both Christina and Tarek’s shows were on the chopping block amid an onslaught of HGTV cancellations. A source exclusively told Us that Tarek and Heather’s Flipping El Moussas was “not coming back” for another season and that Christina’s original spinoff series Christina on the Coast had also “not been renewed.”

The source claimed that the trio’s The Flip Off, however, is said to be “back for a second season, but there is no filming date or air date yet.” The Flip Off’s premiere season delivered HGTV’s highest rating for a freshman series among adults since 2022.