Flip Or Flop - General Discussion

[Broderbits]

Wow, I never realized how many close friends of Christina & Tarek follow this board! We're lucky to have them post their eyewitness accounts of the couple's relationship!

[SunnyBeBe]

Does anyone recall which episode Pete, their business partner, appeared on the show? Just a description of what kind of house and a little about the challenges for that house.

[Missy Vixen]

23 hours ago, HeySandyStrange said:

On the other hand, seven months isn't that long in the grand scheme of things; they haven't even filed for divorce yet, as far as we know.

 

One has to wonder who made the call to TMZ. It appears they believed they could continue on indefinitely with the show while no longer living together or interested in remaining married.

[Missy Vixen]

5 hours ago, Mu Shu said:

Oh god Scott and Amy.  I always expected them to end up as a murder suicide in the desert.   

He's also quite enamored of guns. Maybe HGTV will pick them up now...

[Dejana]

Just saw a Flip or Flop ad complete with the happy family holiday photos during tonight's new Fixer Upper. Really, HGTV?

[PepperMonkey]

I haven't watched this in a while because I don't particularly like their new construction crew (I miss Izzy)  and also, yeah, it's super scripted and phony and it's become really obvious that is the case (IMHO).

I wish them well; they're human beings, with faults, foibles, baggage, etc., but I think the show should end. I know they would like to keep it going for the money but I have no interest in watching the same staged shenanigans with houses that are designed virtually the same every episode.

They've made enough money, maybe it's time to take a break from the limelight. If they can continue to work together, civilly, in their business off camera, kudos to them.

[Honey]

Deleted after reading the sheriff statement.

Edited December 14, 2016 by Honey

[grisgris]

I watch this show every now and then.  I'm not really surprised that they are splitting up.  To be honest, they struck me as spoiled bored trust-fund babies who dabbled in house flipping as a way to make an "honest living." During this latest season Christina seemed bossier and bitchier than usual. Tarek just seemed kind of resigned like "yeah, I know she wears the pants in the family." He also seemed very brittle and edgy. I just chalked it up to all of the stress from thyroid cancer, back surgery and a new baby/difficult pregnancy. However,  I was really shocked to hear some of the scuttlebutt behind what went down with them.

I'm sorry that they couldn't get things to work out. Hopefully, each of them can find happiness elsewhere. If they are able to co-parent amicably, that would be super. If they can also work together successfully, that would also be great. But a show featuring them as a divorced couple wouldn't be very interesting to watch.

All of their flips were starting to take on the same look/dynamic. I think the show has run its course and time to move on.

Godspeed!

[Honey]

11 hours ago, GracieK said:

I could be misinterpreting what he meant by that, but I took it more to mean that it would be for self defense in case one of those animals posed a threat while he was hiking.. not that he was actively going out to hunt mountain lions in order to blow off steam...

Lol.  That makes much more sense.  I was thinking "Man, this guy sure has a lot of steam to blow off"  I'm really glad I read it the wrong way.

[Artsda]

Now I wonder who is this friend of Christina's that is in her house/bedroom when she isn't?

[Honey]

59 minutes ago, Dejana said:

Just saw a Flip or Flop ad complete with the happy family holiday photos during tonight's new Fixer Upper. Really, HGTV?

They've been running all night.

9 hours ago, Angeltoes said:

At least there's no doubt that the baby is his.  That kid has his face.

I still think it's sad.  Although, I never could figure out what they saw in each other because they didn't seem like each other's type.  Or not what I (who have never met them and know nothing real about them) would consider their types.

I am also going to go on record as saying I hate subway tile.  It looks like an arts and crafts project to me.  And when did backsplash become a necessity?  We went entire generations without it and nobody died from embarrassment.

I think they did IVF to conceive, so if he wasn't Tarek's kid, that would be a huge problem.  Lol

[Hpmec]

I am also wondering about the friend in the bedroom. Seems odd for a friend to be hanging out in the El Moussa's bedroom watching Tarek take out a gun, questioning him about it and getting only silence, and then calling Christina as he headed for the hills. I live in a mountainous area of So. Cal. and would never think to take a gun on a hike. Yes, there are creatures out there, but claiming to need a gun for protection doesn't wash. Something big triggered that flight response, and since the incident was referenced in their recent statement, I have to assume it was significant.  

How long did HGTV think they could get away with the charade of a happy, intact family? Sooner or later it was bound to get out. They should have dealt with it honestly before TMZ forced the issue. Tarek and Christina have built a successful business and can continue to work together if they so choose. However, they don't need the tv show and would be wise to bow out and get on with their lives -personal and professional --off camera. At this point, they're a flop. 

Edited December 14, 2016 by Hpmec

[Maharincess]

Are we sure the friend in the bedroom and the friend who called Christina the same friend?  I read a "friend" was in the bedroom but a "friend of Christina" is who called her. 

Maybe it's two different people? 

[Hpmec]

I just reread the police report. The friend in the bedroom called Christina after watching Tarek take out the gun and refuse to answer her questions. The only thing that's unclear is where exactly Christina was because, according to the police, the friend told Christina to get out of the house, suggesting that she was elsewhere on the premises.

[LizDC]

Look who made the cover of People...

http://people.com/celebrity/tarek-el-moussa-christina-el-moussa-speak-out-after-shocking-split/amp/

[Missy Vixen]

One has to wonder how frantically the editor of the forthcoming book is working on rewrites.

It's also interesting to see that a publicist was hard at work editing their story as well. Nice touch that they mentioned the unloaded weapons/gun safe.

[lookeyloo]

Am I misremembering, or did I read somewhere a little after second baby was born that she was pregnant again?  

[kira28]

The one I feel the worst for in this situation is Taylor.  Shes lived with her mom and dad her whole life then mommy has a new baby which I'm sure shook taylors life up a bit and immediately after her baby brother arrive her parents split.  I know kids are resilient but that's a lot for a little girl to handle. I don't really understand why people have band aid babies.  It's totally unfair to the child and a baby never fixes a relationship.  Why go thru all the trouble of ivf then possibly cheat on your spouse? 

Edited December 15, 2016 by kira28

[chessiegal]

1 hour ago, lookeyloo said:

Am I misremembering, or did I read somewhere a little after second baby was born that she was pregnant again?  

No. She was not pregnant again.

[lookeyloo]

1 minute ago, chessiegal said:

No. She was not pregnant again.

thanks

[Maharincess]

My thoughts on the second baby are this, maybe they each wanted two kids and wanted them both to have the same mom and dad.  Even though they knew the marriage was shaky they decided to have the second baby for that reason.  

I know a couple who did that. They didn't want half brothers/sisters, they wanted two kids who were full siblings.  Even though they were on the verge of divorce they had the second kid then they both got "snipped" and started divorce proceedings. .  Both kids are in their teens now and they're both great and have awesome relationships with both parents. 

This isn't something I would do personally but if that's why they had the second baby, I do understand it. 

[mojito]

The fight was over whether or not the color gray "popped", and Tarek just lost it. 

[Tabbygirl521]

30 minutes ago, mojito said:

The fight was over whether or not the color gray "popped", and Tarek just lost it. 

Hahahahaha!! I just lost it myself!

[Honey]

Brayden didn't have to be a band aid baby.  My ex and I were married for 15 years, very happy, just bought a house and a boat.  We didn't fight, sex was great, we had plenty of money.  Then his Mother died, and he went through a mid-life crises that was so textbook it even included the little BMW Z4, wearing a doo rag, and listening the rap. We went from really, really happy, to living apart within 8 months.

You're probably thinking well deep down he wasn't really happy, but I know he was very happy. There were no other underlying issues, no people outside the marriage.  Something in his mind just broke.

Luckily, we had a foundation of friendship, and to this day we are very good friends, in fact I just spent Thanksgiving with him and our daughter and we speak on the phone at least weekly.

I hope that Tarek and Christina put their kids first, and do not use them in ANY way to harm each other.  If not, not only will their marriage be broken, their kids will be too.

[Honey]

This is from May.  They were joking around right?  He isn't wearing a ring.  Now, if someone actually did their own construction, I would say that's why, but we know they don't, so where is it?

Edited December 15, 2016 by Honey

[chessiegal]

9 minutes ago, Honey said:

This is from May.  They were joking around right?  He isn't wearing a ring.  Now, if someone actually did their own construction, I would say that's why, but we know they don't, so where is it?

Did he ever? Not all men wear wedding rings. She's wearing one.

[Honey]

8 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

Did he ever? Not all men wear wedding rings. She's wearing one.

Yeah he did.  It was a darker metal.  It looked like graphite.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Am I misremembering, or did I read somewhere a little after second baby was born that she was pregnant again?

You read it here somewhere because I saw it too. Apparently it was misinformation.

[suebee12]

I have been watching HGTV most of the day while I was wrapping Christmas presents and noticed that the Flip and Flop Christmas ads seem to have been edited. The endings have not included the part where they lovingly kiss each other to a still of them in a Christmas wreath. I guess the network decided to fix that little kiss!!

[Artsda]

So from People: They're dating others, have no intentions of filing for divorce and will continue to film together? 

So they'll pretend to be married or will they address it on air? 

[Pickles]

TMZ (if you can believe it) has a picture of her new guy. Building contractor. Not attractive.

[topanga]

On 12/12/2016 at 9:42 PM, ByaNose said:

Who will get custody of Izzy the contractor?

My thoughts exactly. I'd love to see Izzy on his own show, but the world does not need another house-flipping show. 

 

12 hours ago, Honey said:

Brayden didn't have to be a band aid baby.  My ex and I were married for 15 years, very happy, just bought a house and a boat.  We didn't fight, sex was great, we had plenty of money.  Then his Mother died, and he went through a mid-life crises that was so textbook it even included the little BMW Z4, wearing a doo rag, and listening the rap. We went from really, really happy, to living apart within 8 months.

You're probably thinking well deep down he wasn't really happy, but I know he was very happy. There were no other underlying issues, no people outside the marriage.  Something in his mind just broke.

I'm sorry you had to go through that, Honey. But thanks for sharing your story. 

I know this is personal, but if your husband's actions were really uncharacteristic of him, could he have been depressed? Did he ever have therapy--either alone or with you? And I couldn't help but laugh at the image of your rich husband wearing a do-rag and listening to hip-hop. Did he do either of these things prior to his mid-life crisi?

[Chai]

Blindgossip.com/?p=82510

why broken couple is working together. Popular guess is Terek and Christinahttp://Blind gossip.com/?p=82510

[zoeysmom]

http://www.tmz.com/2016/12/15/flip-or-flop-breakup-witness-dating/  Here is the TMZ story. 

[slowpoked]

On 12/13/2016 at 7:12 PM, grisgris said:

To be honest, they struck me as spoiled bored trust-fund babies who dabbled in house flipping as a way to make an "honest living."

They're not trust fund babies. They're your regular realtors who got affected by the crash and even had to move in to Christina's parents' basement (or garage) when they lost all their money. They never hid that fact and they even showed a snippet of that (probably part of an audition tape or something) during one of the Follow-Up episodes.

So apparently the script of "Christina always being right" eventually got to Tarek in real life: 

http://people.com/celebrity/how-pressures-fame-impacted-tarek-christina-el-moussa-marriage/

Edited December 15, 2016 by slowpoked

[HeySandyStrange]

1 hour ago, slowpoked said:

They're not trust fund babies.

Nope, but according to what I've read Christina did grow up in an affluent community in Anaheim Hills. Not to mention, I think I recall her dad forking over a significant amount of money when they went over budget on one flip.  I think they both have worked hard to build their own mini empire, but I don't think they pulled themselves up completely by their own bootstraps. I'm not hating on them for it, but I do think HGTV wanted to skew it to make them a little more relatable to the average joe.

I saw an article that suggested that Christina and Tarek split due to incompatible personalities. Something like she had champagne tastes and he was a beer guy. That seems like a pretty realistic reason to me for a break between the two.

[slowpoked]

1 hour ago, HeySandyStrange said:

Nope, but according to what I've read Christina did grow up in an affluent community in Anaheim Hills. Not to mention, I think I recall her dad forking over a significant amount of money when they went over budget on one flip.  I think they both have worked hard to build their own mini empire, but I don't think they pulled themselves up completely by their own bootstraps. I'm not hating on them for it, but I do think HGTV wanted to skew it to make them a little more relatable to the average joe.

Sure, their parents helped and Christina's parents may be rich. OR maybe not filthy rich but has a house big enough that they can afford to have their daughter and family move in after suffering during the recession. I do remember her dad helping a flip one time. So did Tarek's mom, IIRC. But who doesn't need a little help every now and then? ;) 

And I don't think HGTV "skewed" anything regarding their actual status in life, or where they're from. They've been able to talk freely about how they have to move back in to their parents' house when they lost their livelihood, and their own show has shown this too on a couple of times. I would think the initial flip investment came from Mom and Dad and/or a friend, seeing as how they have no money and living in a garage (and Christina being pregnant with Taylor at that time, talk about when it rains, it pours). Tarek, on that same episode, also said something like during those times he was happy if he made 5,000 on a flip, even if it meant most of it is returned to people helping and them and they just have enough leftover to buy food that will last them a couple of days.

That kind of past actually kind of jives with the stories getting out now that with them making way more now than they initially did, that Christina feels like she is entitled to live a "better" life than they did before, and Tarek was uncomfortable with all of it.

[azshadowwalker]

On 12/13/2016 at 11:17 AM, Angeltoes said:

 

I am also going to go on record as saying I hate subway tile.  It looks like an arts and crafts project to me.  And when did backsplash become a necessity?  We went entire generations without it and nobody died from embarrassment.

I never saw a backsplash growing up, either. I will say that they are easier to clean when you get food on them than plaster or drywall, though. And I like subway tile, but it gets overused in their flips.

[Honey]

3 hours ago, topanga said:

My thoughts exactly. I'd love to see Izzy on his own show, but the world does not need another house-flipping show. 

 

I'm sorry you had to go through that, Honey. But thanks for sharing your story. 

I know this is personal, but if your husband's actions were really uncharacteristic of him, could he have been depressed? Did he ever have therapy--either alone or with you? And I couldn't help but laugh at the image of your rich husband wearing a do-rag and listening to hip-hop. Did he do either of these things prior to his mid-life crisi?

He didn't think he had a problem.  He wasn't rich either, just pretending to be. lol

[limecoke]

Good grief.  Reading that police report was a much-needed dose of truth.  All the speculation I read had Tarik waving a gun around the house while poor Christina and the kiddies cowered behind the sofa.  Turns out neither she nor the kids were even there and Tarik just wanted to take a walk with the means to protect himself.  I know that area and wouldn't step foot on that trail without protection.  I feel for all of them because this is tough stuff especially with children and now everything about their lives is fodder for the masses.  He sounds to me like a responsible gun owner who probably enjoys target shooting and wants to protect himself and his family.  For the record, I'm not advocating anything, just trying to be fair.  I hope the family gets through this with minimal pain to the kids.  As to the show, I'm not sure it will work now but they'll have to figure that out too.  I enjoyed it but was starting to get tired of Christina's design style.  So. Much. Gray.

I realize I've spelled Tarik's name wrong but it's autocorrect's fault and I'm tired of trying to fix  it.

Edited December 15, 2016 by limecoke

[freeser]

I was wondering how I would feel watching the show knowing that they have been broken up since spring.  What I found is that I was checking the dates of the shows to see if they were filmed before 2016 or during 2016.  The ones from earlier, I could watch.  But when I knew the show took place after they had separated, it felt really weird.  I do not enjoy watching the shows like I did before this info became known.  Of course there was a lot of fakery (O, no, the house needs a new roof - O, no, we can't save the windows - O, no, the porch is not permitted, etc.) but I really did think they were happy as a couple with 2 adorable kids.  Knowing that even the 'family' part of the show was fake, make it uncomfortable....

[Chai]

I don't begrudge either one of them for borrowing money from parents or living with them when they were younger. That little bit about them having to live in their parents garage made me think they stuck together through the hard times. 

 

What I do blame them for is mismanagement of money now that  they have how many seasons of flip or flop? -and they are paid how much per episode? How many thousands?? Much more than the average joe makes. Then to have a new baby on top of a 5 year old. A new baby they needed IVF to get here, then to say we are splitting and dating other people when that child is 1 is what I have a problem with.

In my own opinion, you can't be more selfish than that.

[topanga]

27 minutes ago, Chai said:

I don't begrudge either one of them for borrowing money from parents or living with them when they were younger. That little bit about them having to live in their parents garage made me think they stuck together through the hard times. 

 

What I do blame them for is mismanagement of money now that  they have how many seasons of flip or flop? -and they are paid how much per episode? How many thousands?? Much more than the average joe makes. Then to have a new baby on top of a 5 year old. A new baby they needed IVF to get here, then to say we are splitting and dating other people when that child is 1 is what I have a problem with.

In my own opinion, you can't be more selfish than that.

Chai, you manage to say a lot with a minimal number of words. I just want to clarify what I think I read: 

• I don't think they're necessarily mismanaging money, but they're doing what many people do when their incomes increase: they start living and spending based on their means. And because Tarek and Christina's household income has increased now that Flip or Flop is on the air, I'm sure they live higher on the hog than they did before the show: they used to drive a Honda Pilot, and now they drive a Cadillac Escalade. And if my memories are reliable, the house they live in now (or 7 months ago) isn't the same one they had in Season 1. So basically, they've upgraded their lifestyles. I sure hope they've invested and saved some money, but according to one of the articles I read, T & C need to keep doing the show to pay their bills.  
• And I think you stated that Tarek and Christina are being selfish in light of the fact that they have a 1-year-old and a 5-year-old at home and are splitting up and dating other people. But your comments about them having another baby and needing IVF to conceive Jayden came on the heels of you saying that they mismanage money. So do you think 2) having a second kid or 2) going through IVF are forms of money mismanagement?
• And I don't know the science, but I believe that when people have kids, they often have a bigger reason to try to work things out. But that desire doesn't always work, and it's not necessarily selfish that a couple can't stay together. And definitely if the two people become miserable or potentially violent with one another, then it's time for some conscious uncoupling. Yes, children of divorce can be negatively affected, but children who grow up in angry, sad, or abusive households are actually traumatized. 

 

42 minutes ago, freeser said:

I was wondering how I would feel watching the show knowing that they have been broken up since spring.  What I found is that I was checking the dates of the shows to see if they were filmed before 2016 or during 2016.  The ones from earlier, I could watch.  But when I knew the show took place after they had separated, it felt really weird.  I do not enjoy watching the shows like I did before this info became known.  Of course there was a lot of fakery (O, no, the house needs a new roof - O, no, we can't save the windows - O, no, the porch is not permitted, etc.) but I really did think they were happy as a couple with 2 adorable kids.  Knowing that even the 'family' part of the show was fake, make it uncomfortable....

Yes, that's tough. Despite the show's flaws and fakery, I liked Tarek and Christina as a couple. And that's one of the reasons I enjoy Flip or Flop.

Edited December 15, 2016 by topanga

[iMonrey]

Quote

So they'll pretend to be married or will they address it on air? 

I imagine HGTV is going to wait and see what this news means in terms of ratings. Initially it could be an actual boost. But the fact that their breakup has become media fodder means the show is going to have to change in some manner eventually. I imagine the episodes we're seeing now were all filmed prior to this news getting out so I don't expect any changes in them. 

I don't think they can get away with "pretending" everything is the same between them and carrying on as though nothing has happened. I can envision them trying to keep the show as unchanged as possible in format, but so much of the show relies on their relationship I don't know how that will work. Can you imagine them calling each other and arranging who's got the kids that weekend or whatever? Seeing them living in separate houses? I really don't know if there's an audience out there for a divorced couple doing house flips.

[slowpoked]

46 minutes ago, topanga said:

Chai, you manage to say a lot with a minimal number of words. I just want to clarify what I think I read: 

• I don't think they're necessarily mismanaging money, but they're doing what many people do when their incomes increase: they start living and spending based on their means. And because Tarek and Christina's household income has increased now that Flip or Flop is on the air, I'm sure they live higher on the hog than they did before the show: they used to drive a Honda Pilot, and now they drive a Cadillac Escalade. And if my memories are reliable, the house they live in now (or 7 months ago) isn't the same one they had in Season 1. So basically, they've upgraded their lifestyles. I sure hope they've invested and saved some money, but according to one of the articles I read, T & C need to keep doing the show to pay their bills.  

Also, I don't think they have mismanaged money though, did they? I've never heard of that as one of the reasons of the split, or problems in their marriage - just that Christina feels like it's ok to live a little more now, now that they have more money than they did before. And frankly, I don't see anything wrong with that. She, as part of the team, worked hard for that money and if she wants her just reward, then go for it. 

And aside from Flip or Flop, as I understand it they also have their own construction/design business, an separate company with an office and employees. In fact, in one of their interviews or even in an episode, they said they do much, much more than the flips we see on TV and most of the time, the flips under their company happen under their other managers because they're involved in so many flips that they can no longer personally supervise each one. 

So yes, they've definitely experienced an upgrade in their livelihood and lifestyle. Good for them. And I imagine that IVF isn't cheap. I know Christina had suffered a miscarriage before the IVF, and who knows if the IVF was successful the first time they did it. In case it's not, that a lot of money to spend as well.

[HeySandyStrange]

 I don't begrudge them using a family connection and money to get back on their feet and back in business. I just think they had it slightly easier then someone in their position who didn't have the well-off family to fall back on. Otherwise I do think they have a good amount of hustle, as the fact they've kept their separation on the down low for seven months has shown us.

1 hour ago, Chai said:

Then to have a new baby on top of a 5 year old. A new baby they needed IVF to get here, then to say we are splitting and dating other people when that child is 1 is what I have a problem with.

Christina and Tarek are in my age range and I have to say, breaking up suddenly and dating again in a flash isn't unusual among my age group.  I've know several couples to break up and date or even get married again in less then a year. A few people I know are barely 30 and on their second or third marriage. I personally think that is a little nuts, especially with kids involved, but I guess some people really don't want to be alone. Hopefully they won't move that fast, it might just be rebound dating on their parts and the kids will be kept out of it.

[Cranky One]

20 hours ago, Honey said:

This is from May.  They were joking around right?  He isn't wearing a ring.  Now, if someone actually did their own construction, I would say that's why, but we know they don't, so where is it?

Neither my husband or I wear a wedding ring and will be married 27 years next month.  My dad never wore one either and my parents have been married for 57 years!

There should be a new show tonight.  It will.be weird to watch.

The new guy looks like  Danny Bonaducci

Edited December 15, 2016 by Cranky One

[Chai]

I guess my problem is that they are willing to work and sacrifice for money(they need to work together to make money to avoid bankruptcy) but they are not  willing to work like that to keep their family together(separated and dating after you work to conceieve a baby through fertility treatments, and baby is 1)

How do you know you couldn't work through any problems if you didn't hang around long enough to try?

[Gam2]

HeySandyStrange, that amazes me that you know people in your age group (and C & T's) that are on their second or third marriages. Especially with children involved. That's a sad commentary on commitment today, isn't it? We've been married for 47 years and have had some really hard times in our marriage but also had two children. We were determined that we'd find a way to work out our problems so that our children would have an intact family. Of course, when there is drug abuse, alcoholism, physical abuse, law breaking, etc--those are deal breakers as far as we're concerned. In addition, we came from a long line of long married parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. I guess we just live in a disposable society, including marriages and families. Makes me very sad. 

[CocoaGoddess]

I'm watching a marathon of the show and am completely unbothered that all of the lovey dovey moments could be faked. Life happens, and just because the marriage is a flop doesn't mean the business or the show needs to be. 

I thought I cared about them as a couple and about their personal lives, but I guess I just really like their flips and I do think that they have chemistry and play off of each other well. If they want to be a real life, authentic version of the Love it or List It morons, that's fine with me.