Back in December, several media outlets reported that Flip or Flop hosts Tarek and Christina El Moussa were separating after a bizarre confrontation that included a gun and an alleged suicide attempt.
Usually, in high-profile celebrity splits at least one side is eager to set the record straight.
However, Christina and Tarek have been tight-lipped for one simple reason:
They want to continue making their show, and no one wants to watch lighthearted HGTV real estate porn knowing there’s real darkness bubbling just beneath the surface.
As a result, we have that rare situation in which something decidedly messed up happened, the celebrity spouses are calling it quits in hostile fashion, and yet both sides are doing damage control with equal defensiveness.
“Neither of us was involved in a romantic relationship with any third party prior to our separation, or believes the other was,” a statement issued by the El Moussas last week reads.
Unfortunately, they’re not rich or famous to the point that they can pay off or threaten to rub out anyone who blabs to the press, so anonymous “insiders” are coming out of the woodwork.
Now, a report published by In Touch has rounded up all the latest allegations, making it clearer than ever that this was not a case of two married business partners reaching the mutual decision to amicably go their separate ways.
Ons source says that the stories about Christina cheating on Tarek are true, specifiying that he caught her sending explicit text messages to a man named Gary Anderson, a contractor previously employed by the couple.
In the fight that ensued, Tarek reportedly pulled a gun on Christina.
Even after word of her infidelity got out, however, very few who knew the couple blamed Christina for the dissolution of their marriage.
Sources say Tarek made a habit of demeaning his wife in public and seemed to enjoy chastising her at work.
“When she said the wrong thing and they had to do a retake, he got pissed. He often made her cry,” an insider told In Touch.
Sadly, it seems such treatment was no uncommon, and crew members simply learned to look the other way.
“Tarek found humor in humiliating his wife in repeated verbal attacks,” one source close to production claims.
“Some of his bad behavior was even caught on camera [in footage that never aired]. Tarek called Christina a ‘whore’ on set many times.”
