Controversy seems to follow Tarek and Christina El Moussa like a bad smell, as the couple, co-stars of HGTV’s “Flip or Flop” have separated after a domestic dispute in May at their California home. Reports from TMZ and other sources say that the police were called to the couple’s home for a “possibly suicidal male with a gun.” Additionally, as Jon Anderson reported, the El Moussas attracted widespread criticism after lending their names to get-rich-quick seminars that reeked of bait-and-switch, high-pressure tactics.
But in a strange twist, both Tarek and Christina will continue to produce “Flip or Flop” despite their marriage hitting the rocks. As if real estate investing wasn’t already a challenge, they’re going to press on despite calling it quits after 7 years of marriage. From People:
“Like many couples, we have had challenges in our marriage,” the pair said in the statement. “We had an unfortunate misunderstanding about six months ago and the police were called to our house in an abundance of caution. There was no violence and no charges were filed.”
The El Moussas said they sought counseling to “sort out” the relationship but have since decided to separate while evaluating “the future of our marriage.”
“During the process, we are committed to our kids and being the best parents we can be,” they said in the statement. “We will continue to work through this process civilly and cooperatively, and plan to continue our professional life together.”
Of course, for just as many couples whose relationships crumble under the pressure of work and family life, there are success stories. Take Jenni Stolarski and Val Haskell for example. Stolarski, a VP at Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s, has worked with Haskell for 14 years, and though working together while flipping properties sometimes takes a toll on their marriage, they have found balance.
“My thoughts are fairly simple — no relationship is without its difficulties. And rarely is the love/trouble spectrum visible to the naked eye,” Stolarski said. “Working with my spouse on home renovation is a privilege, AND it brings a whole ‘nuther level of stress to our life.”
While the results from these two speak for themselves — catch a glimpse of their latest project on Windomere via Jenni’s blog — it’s interesting to get a look at how the process of flipping really works. Stolarski and Haskell have renovated and sold several homes in the North Oak Cliff area, and they are both very honest about the process. Of course, it’s difficult to see all of the small moments that go into a huge project, but they are chronicling it with their “Wednesdays on Windomere” webisodes. It’s a big departure from “Flip or Flop” and HGTV’s brand of slick production. It’s real life.
“I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had to call timeout on house project discussion ‘for just one meal’ or ‘just one day.’ ” Stolarski said. “Lucky for us, after 14 years at this, we have finally found our sweet spots. We are able to divide and conquer better than ever. But it’s never perfect. This work can consume every spare minute of your day and I’d never do it with someone I didn’t love.”
