Flip Or Flop - General Discussion

[Honey]

I really hope HGTV doesn't put that Candace Olsen on.  I cannot stand her....so boring.  Scott McG would be nice though.

This is pure speculation, but I wonder if Tarek liked those painkillers he was taking, just a bit too much.

Pete has his own wife and family, and has been friends with Tarek for a long time, so I can't see him "making a play" for Christina.

I hope that stupid xmas promo gets pulled.  Hate that.

[Rabbittron]

6 minutes ago, Songbird said:

This is really sad to hear, but it seems like every married couple that does a TV show together winds up getting a divorce. Are the Fixer Uppers next, I wonder....

Why can't the Duggars get a divorce?

[Maharincess]

I've always thought that she could barely stand him. The way she'd get that pissy look on her face if he dared to disagree with her didn't seem fake to me. 

I've always gotten a weird vibe from these people, never liked them at all.  It's sad because they have kids but I'm not at all surprised. 

Edited December 13, 2016 by Maharincess
Because pissy and pussy are not the same.

[chipsnsalsa]

I can't believe HGTV had no clue about this... which makes me question WHY would they ever put out that Happy Holidays promo for the shows they're running now??? 

Tarek and Christina live a a fairly public life. If TMZ didn't break the story, what was their plan? Keep up the charade?

Finally, I'm not convinced TMZ "broke" the story so much as they got a tip. I guarantee ratings will be up next episode.

Edited December 12, 2016 by chipsnsalsa
grammar

[Chai]

I am shocked. I had no idea. I feel like I was just watching her pregnant with their baby and.... now they've been living apart seeing other people??

 

The unreality of "reality" tv. Ha! It's more fake than a sitcom!

[suomi]

In her time apart from Tarek, who is also dating other people, Christina’s friendship with a fellow design industry professional has become romantic.

http://people.com/celebrity/tarek-el-moussa-christina-el-moussa-had-been-living-separately-seeing-other-people-before-split-source/

[Maya]

Probably one or both was seeing the other person long before the split. 

[BBDi]

It makes me sad.  They've been through a lot the last year or so, what with Tarek's thyroid cancer and back problems, having another child, and whatever pressures come with their TV show. Hope he's getting help and that they can keep things fairly amicable. 

[millennium]

52 minutes ago, chipsnsalsa said:

I can't believe HGTV had no clue about this... which makes me question WHY would they ever put out that Happy Holidays promo for the shows they're running now??? 

 

I just saw an article -- eonline, I think -- that said Tarek and Christina were bickering so much they had to be kept apart during filming breaks.  HGTV must have known.

[millennium]

1 hour ago, GracieK said:

 

Also.. it seems a little fast for them to both be seeing other people already.  

I thought so too.   When a relationship goes sour the last thing you want to do is jump right into another -- unless the other was already under way as the first relationship was crumbling.  

It all kinda taints the show and how I see it now.

[okerry]

I would suspect that somebody was already seeing another person and just got caught. Oftentimes when there's a problem in the relationship, people just try to surreptitiously make up the difference with somebody on the side. They don't really intend to leave and sure don't intend to get caught - but they always do, and that's when the marriage gets destroyed.

Then everybody acts like they don't know what happened, when the truth is they've already been seeing someone else but want to pretend that's just a coincidence. Or that it didnt' start until later. When it actually started a lot earlier. And that's most likely what happened here. Too bad for the kids.

[Honey]

1 hour ago, GracieK said:

Well maybe at least until they've divorced?  Or at least filed?  IMO it's incredibly selfish to be involved with new people already when you've got young children who will still be dealing with the separation and new circumstances of their parents being apart.  

There is no reason to introduce someone new to the kids at this point, but I see no reason they should be alone after 7 months.  That's just my opinion.

[Mu Shu]

17 minutes ago, BBDi said:

It makes me sad.  They've been through a lot the last year or so, what with Tarek's thyroid cancer and back problems, having another child, and whatever pressures come with their TV show. Hope he's getting help and that they can keep things fairly amicable. 

Me too.  I like them both.  

[HeySandyStrange]

1 hour ago, Honey said:

There is no reason to introduce someone new to the kids at this point, but I see no reason they should be alone after 7 months.  That's just my opinion.

I mean, if they truly barely tolerated each other towards the end it isn't so surprising that they have both already moved on. 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. On top of how this might affect the kids, there is the fact that Tarek and Christina probably haven't taken any real time to work on themselves and settle the situation.

Hey, they are adults and they can do what they feel is best, but it does smack a little of immaturity on both their parts. Then again, I always thought both came off as a bit entitled and on the shallow side, so I'm not too surprised.

[Amethyst]

My first thought was that someone cheated, but the guns...that's just scary.  

Still, it's sad.  I definitely thought these two were happy, and they just had another baby, which makes the situation sadder.  Also, this was one of the few HGTV shows that I still watched, criticisms aside.  Chip and Joanna are nice, but I hate their decorating style.  Christina might but a lot of people, but I like the aesthetic she uses when she decorates.

I hope they can be amiable with each other.  But I don't see the show continuing.  Part of the appeal is seeing them work together to make the design choices, and even if they can get along in the future, it might be too weird to see them hooking up with their new spouses/partners.  I'm wondering if they'll break them up and do a "Kate +8" kind of thing.

[ByaNose]

Who will get custody of Izzy the contractor?

[7-Zark-7]

9 hours ago, Ohmo said:

I think the show relies on them being able to work together moreso than them being a couple...if they can still manage to work together and successfully co-parent

 

It's been my experience that recently split couples aren't exactly fun to be around, no matter how amicable they are. And those splits don't even involve gun waving.

Quote

Why can't the Duggars get a divorce?

This is the only thing that would get me to watch that show. I'd just have to know all the weird shit that went on there.

Edited December 13, 2016 by 7-Zark-7

[booklvr]

5 guns????? An AR-15????? Children in the home???? WTH is the matter with people and their friggin' gun obsession? I will NEVER understand.

[Bastet]

17 hours ago, Amethyst said:

 I definitely thought these two were happy, and they just had another baby, which makes the situation sadder.

They certainly wouldn't be the first couple to opt for a "Band-Aid" baby, as if having a kid fixes a struggling relationship, rather than adding more stress -- and as if it's a good to bring a kid/another kid into a relationship that shows signs it may very well implode in the immediate future.  (I obviously have no idea if that's what they did, but based on his age and the time of year they took up separate residences, that means the time between that kid's conception and their split makes it entirely possible they already knew the marriage was having some serious issues when they decided to have another kid.)

As I've said several times, I can only watch this show sporadically, because the fact they're renovating for immediate resale means the design choices are all similar - and pretty boring, to my taste.  If they can, indeed, continue to work together, I'd probably continue to tune in occasionally, because I just watch for the housing, not them -- but the fact Tarek has an arsenal, in a home with kids, and opts to head out in public with one of those guns, doesn't exactly endear him to me, so I'd just as soon watch someone else renovate.  (Not those Fixer Upper people, though; I know nothing about them, but they give off a vibe I find creepy, so much so that I cannot watch the show.)

Edited December 13, 2016 by Bastet

[saylubee]

Back when Christina was trying to get pregnant with Brayden, she was pretty open about the IVF treatments that she had to go through.  I know she was also on bedrest for awhile before Brayden was born.  She's also given a few interviews about how hard the c-section recovery was and about post-partum depression she had after Brayden.  I kind of got the impression from some of those interviews that Tarek wasn't as involved with the kids as she would like.  

Couple that with the Success Path lawsuit, Tarek's cancer, Tarek's back surgery, working together every day, and the flipping business in general and it's easy to see how they'd despise each other over time.  Any one of those things alone could lead a couple to divorce and they seemed to hit all of them in the last few years.

[GracieK]

I wonder if his thyroid removal was a contributing factor to this bizarre gun incident.  If his thyroid levels were off or way out of whack it could seriously have affected his ability to cope with whatever it was that set off that incident.  I'm hypothyroid and I know when I was diagnosed or when my levels have been off it's had serious effects on my ability to handle stress and can even cause behavioral disturbances (I personally have never been violent or off waving a gun.. but I've definitely suffered with anger and confusion at times).  Thyroid levels are so easily manageable that many people don't realize how serious it can be when they're not in normal range.   

[answerphone]

I'm surprised I haven't seen a comment regarding their Instagram account. Only a few weeks ago, Tarek posted a picture of himself at a shooting range, aiming his rifle. I was so surprised by that picture! It was very different from their usual happy, smiling family pix. I read today he'd removed that picture from Instagram. I guess we now know why.

And I feel so bad for their young kids. As for their show, it's become so scripted and phony, I seldom watch anymore.

[Artsda]

They're both dating others already while still trying to portray themselves happily married on HGTV? How long did they expect this charade to go on? It's a shock TMZ didn't find out sooner or even instantly when the gun waving incident happened. 

I wonder if Christina's new guy is famous too? Since HGTV is claiming production will go on as scheduled, I don't see how that is possible unless one of them bows out. 

[GracieK]

People reported that Christina is now with a fellow design industry professional.. a friendship that has turned romantic. 

Rumors on the internet are that she was cheating with that person, Tarek discovered it, and that's when the gun thing happened.. obviously to be taken with a grain of salt.  Even though if it's on the interwebs it must be true :)

[jcbrown]

No private citizen needs an AR-15. This has changed my feelings about them, but not because they are separated and/or dating. It's the gun-nut thing. I would not live with someone with so many weapons in the house, especially with small children.

[pythonite]

Christina needs to take those kids and get away. I don't trust people who use guns to express their rage. I don't want to read about a murder / suicide of another family. Happens too often. You don't know people through the TV. 

But still, Christina needed to quit with the white sparkle quartz.

[Sharon]

Just read with my morning cup of tea that Tarek and Christina have separated.  Saying they have decided to separate so they can evaluate the future of their marriage.  They plan to continue working together on the show....Sad.

Edited: Never mind.  It's' being discussed in the episodes thread.  For a day or 2 now...

Edited December 13, 2016 by Sharon

[Cranky One]

I always liked them together and they seemed to like each other, unlike Scott and Amy from Flipping Vegas, so I was surprised.

I was following them on Instagram and their handle was always Tarek and Christina and then it was changed to just her name. Tarek is in some of her pics since the split, but only for some promotional ones that were HGTV reposts.

When will married people learn that being on a reality show is the kiss of death? However, for the sake of their kids, I hope they are amicable with each other.

[Honey]

I could have still watched their show, if Tarek hadn't told the police he was just going to blow off some steam, by shooting a rattlesnake or a mountain lion.  That's sick and it pisses me off.

Done with the show.

[Chai]

Someone has way too much time on her hands. Or should I say the nannies hands? What mother of a 1 year old baby and 5/6 year old daughter has time to be out trolling for a man while also hosting flipping renovation tv show? 

Most moms are too wrapped up in being a mom and trying to get their old bodies back. Which I guess isn't a problem when you put your husband and kids in the back seat, and focus on yourself. 

[hottesthw]

On Friday, November 18, 2016 at 9:19 AM, Bossa Nova said:

I watched a marathon of their shows this week too. Besides the houses....

Christina really needs a "make under" ! Yes, she is a pretty girl but she always has too much "going on". The false lashes, the heavy eyeliner (yes, I know you need a little extra on the eyes for TV), then the pink frosted lipstick, the hot pink nails, the layers of bracelets, the oversized earrings, oversized handbags with fringes, the over sized sunglasses (which really look dated and out of style), often the big banana curls in her long hair,  busy printed clothes. I know her aesthetic is youthful and funky, nothing wrong with that. But she often looks slightly tacky and cheap. Because she has that natural California blonde look, a make under would do wonders for her. Plus cleaner lined clothing and simpler accessories, or just less of them. 

My husband watched with me. He and I also noticed her voice. There's a little vocal fry going on there and something else that we found grating. We are east coast, so is it a slight valley girl tone?

 

I totally agree! Have you ever noticed she never turns her head and always looks at him with her eyes sideways? Makes me nuts! Someone must have told her once she looks cute smirking at him and looking at him sideways so it stuck with her. And while watching older episodes, before she had her "new" bright and shiny teeth put in she didn't have the lisp she has now. I think it's sad when average, pretty people alter themselves so badly in an effort to be "perfect". I rarely watch this show because I can't stand to listen to her speak. 

[Chai]

Someone has way too much time on her hands. Or should I say the nannies hands? What mother of a 1 year old baby and 5/6 year old daughter has time to be out trolling for a man while also hosting flipping renovation tv show? 

Most moms are too wrapped up in being a mom and trying to get their old bodies back. Which I guess isn't a problem when you put your husband and kids in the back seat, and focus on yourself. 

[hottesthw]

16 hours ago, GracieK said:

Given that they were running those holiday promos, and there are only a few weeks until the New Year, it seems strange that they decided to announce the split now.  Like what precipitated the timing of this announcement when they've been apart for months away.. why not wait until after the holidays?

Also.. it seems a little fast for them to both be seeing other people already.  

A story I heard yesterday was that they found out someone was about to "out" the gun story from public records somewhere so they knew it was inevitable then that the rest would follow. So they were in essence jumping the gun preventing some tabloid exposing them first.

Not saying I believe that, but that's what "they" said.

[Chai]

Now that she threw her marriage away with both hands lets hope she 's not  on a new show saying "I'm a single mom" every 5 minutes the way Kate Gosselin is. I hear that and say, whose fault was that? You were the one who didn't want to be married anymore and took up with the body guard. Now Christina too, with whoever she was with.

It's a shame no one wants to work on marriages anymore. It's too easy to get a divorce. Especially with such young children. Did you get those fertility treatments so you could expand your family for the next 3-4 months you were together? 

[Frost]

We don't actually know these people so speculating on who's at fault for their marriage troubles or who's moral character is deficient based on tabloid reports seems like a rush to judgment.  I long for the old days when we really didn't hear about the personal lives of any of these people and we could just watch shows without intrusion from real 'reality'.

[saylubee]

I don't think it's fair to solely blame the divorce on Christina, even if she did cheat emotionally or physically.  Obviously Tarek has some anger management issues and we have no idea how some of the outside forces they dealt with changed their marriage.  We also don't know how the dynamics of a second kid changed their marriage.  Tarek was also the first to admit very proudly in interviews that when push came to shove, Christina was the one to sacrifice in name of their finances or family.  That always gave me the impression that Tarek never sacrificed an equal amount.  Very few women and men wake up one day and decide to cheat when their marriages are 100% perfect.

[GracieK]

2 hours ago, Honey said:

I could have still watched their show, if Tarek hadn't told the police he was just going to blow off some steam, by shooting a rattlesnake or a mountain lion.  That's sick and it pisses me off.

Done with the show.

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...

[Lovecat]

17 hours ago, Rabbittron said:

Why can't the Duggars get a divorce?

Because of God. (~Sally Albright, When Harry Met Sally)

[LegalParrot81]

1 hour ago, Saytura said:

Very few women and men wake up one day and decide to cheat when their marriages are 100% perfect.

I've rarely seen a 100% perfect marriage, every marriage has it's good times and rough times.  In the end, it's pretty simple, don't date while married.  If one party or the other just has to date, end the marriage first.  

[LizDC]

1 hour 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...

That was my interpretation too. 

[LazyToaster]

Wow, this is really sad.  Sigh.  Everybody has shit...

[iMonrey]

Quote

I think the show relies on them being able to work together moreso than them being a couple.  I can see a new title sequence having to be created, but if they can still manage to work together and successfully co-parent, I don't think they have to be spouses or live in the same house for the show to succeed.

Sure it's possible HGTV will try to salvage the show by changing up the format and premise, but I'd say it's highly unlikely. Much like Fixer Upper, this show is really about Tarek and Christina. It more or less presents them as an idealized young couple in business for themselves with two beautiful children and a successful marriage. This news is going to hurt their brand, no two ways about it. 

This isn't like Property Brothers, or Love It Or List It. If the hosts of those shows were fighting nobody would really care because they're not married to each other. But when a show is based around a married couple and they split, you just don't have the same show anymore, and I don't know how much confidence the network would have in trying to sell it as something else that people would still watch. Presumably, HGTV knows people watch this show because of Tarek and Christina, not because of the flips. 

[Angeltoes]

Quote

People reported that Christina is now with a fellow design industry professional.. a friendship that has turned romantic. 

Rumors on the internet are that she was cheating with that person, Tarek discovered it, and that's when the gun thing happened.. obviously to be taken with a grain of salt.  Even though if it's on the interwebs it must be true :)

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.

Edited December 13, 2016 by Angeltoes

[zoeysmom]

2 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...

Here is a letter from the Sheriff's Office describing the incident:  http://heavy.com/news/2016/12/tarek-christina-el-moussa-police-incident-report-document-suicidal-hgtv-flip-or-flop-guns/  Christina was not even home, a friend, decided to call the authorities and kind of made up the suicidal stuff.  He was not hunting mountain lions or rattle snakes, he just took the gun along in the event he encountered one. 

It sounds like the gun incident was secondary to other marital issues.  I prefer the show to The Gaines, just because I don't agree with Joanna's design choices (please no open shelves in kitchens-dust/grease magnets) but the Gaines have a more empathetic motive finding a home for someone as opposed to pure profit sense.

[Mu Shu]

2 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...

Thats  how I took it.  

[GracieK]

15 minutes ago, zoeysmom said:

Here is a letter from the Sheriff's Office describing the incident:  http://heavy.com/news/2016/12/tarek-christina-el-moussa-police-incident-report-document-suicidal-hgtv-flip-or-flop-guns/  Christina was not even home, a friend, decided to call the authorities and kind of made up the suicidal stuff.  He was not hunting mountain lions or rattle snakes, he just took the gun along in the event he encountered one. 

It sounds like the gun incident was secondary to other marital issues.  I prefer the show to The Gaines, just because I don't agree with Joanna's design choices (please no open shelves in kitchens-dust/grease magnets) but the Gaines have a more empathetic motive finding a home for someone as opposed to pure profit sense.

Wow reading the actual police report clarifies a lot from what is being reported/summarized in the press and on the gossip blogs.  You're right, Christina wasn't even there, nor did Tarek say anything to indicate he was suicidal.  The witness at the house seemed concerned solely from seeing him take a gun with him as well as being quiet/not responding to the person's questions as to what he was doing.  Christina even states that he did not make threatening comments nor did he say he intended to hurt himself or anyone else. 

My take.. and of course I wasn't there.. is some people get super spooked when they see a gun.  It was probably Tarek's normal routine to take one when he went hiking in that area.  I myself own multiple firearms and see no issues at all with responsible ownership nor with carrying as a long as you have a CWP or it's legal in your area.  By reading that report, he did nothing wrong.  He probably should have responded to the spooked friend just to avoid the drama, but who knows what that dynamic was all about. 

[LegalParrot81]

After reading the sheriff's statement, it's clear that once again the media has twisted this story to meet their need for sensational journalism.  Facts aren't really necessary anymore, in fact, they hinder the story telling.

Edited December 13, 2016 by LegalParrot81

[WildPlum]

On 12/12/2016 at 9:18 AM, auntjess said:

OK, I see it is true. 
Meanwhile, I was shocked that they were using hot tar to waterproof the shower  I thought tar was strictly for outdoor use.
 

 

On 12/12/2016 at 9:47 AM, dleighg said:

I saw that too. We just redid our bathroom and they laid big sheets of black rubber type material. Seems much more robust than tar. 

That is very much a Southern California thing - I've never seen it elsewhere. It is called "hot mop". Likewise putting chicken wire under concrete to set counter tiles in to rather than using red guard and thinset like the rest of the world (although the rest of the world - including So Cal - has stopped using tile as a countertop material).

 

 

Also, though they frequently annoyed me, best wishes to them on working out their lives and the kid's lives.

[millennium]

6 hours ago, Chai said:

Someone has way too much time on her hands. Or should I say the nannies hands? What mother of a 1 year old baby and 5/6 year old daughter has time to be out trolling for a man while also hosting flipping renovation tv show? 

 

I don't think she has to do much trolling.   Blonde, famous, rich ... guys probably come on to her every day.  

2 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.

True, though my therapist feels that I developed an inferiority complex as the result of growing up in a home without travertine.

[Mu Shu]

7 hours ago, Cranky One said:

I always liked them together and they seemed to like each other, unlike Scott and Amy from Flipping Vegas, so I was surprised.

I was following them on Instagram and their handle was always Tarek and Christina and then it was changed to just her name. Tarek is in some of her pics since the split, but only for some promotional ones that were HGTV reposts.

When will married people learn that being on a reality show is the kiss of death? However, for the sake of their kids, I hope they are amicable with each other.

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