The Major Realization That Helped Mend HGTV Stars Tarek El Moussa & Christina Hall's Relationship
Christina Hall and Tarek El Moussa's divorce is remembered as one of HGTV's biggest scandals. The well-known couple surprised the public with news of their separation in December 2016. The real estate experts eventually ended their show "Flip or Flop" in 2022, with reports revealing that Christina and Tarek didn't always get along behind the scenes.
Despite the deterioration of their romantic and professional connections, the HGTV stars have asserted their ongoing dedication to their two children — a daughter named Taylor and a son named Brayden — and their co-parenting relationship from the very beginning. Maintaining a cordial relationship for their kids hasn't always been an easy feat, especially as Hall and El Moussa have both gone on to remarry and continue building their families, but the HGTV stars have had major realizations that shaped their co-parenting bond.
"As time goes on, you start to think and you start to realize things, right?" El Moussa shared on the "Tamron Hall Show." "What I realized is this: I couldn't imagine growing up in a family where my parents were divorced and they hated each other, because I love my mom, I love my dad. They are divorced, but they still get together, and we do family dinners. And the truth is let the past be the past."
A family emergency was a revelation for Christina Hall
Back in 2022, Christina Hall, Tarek El Moussa, and their spouses made headlines after apparently engaging in a public spat at a children's soccer game. Photos obtained by the Daily Mail show potential altercations between Hall and El Moussa's wife, Heather Rae El Moussa, as well as between El Moussa and Hall's husband, Joshua Hall. Following the headlines, the couples released a joint statement to People, stating that the issue had been resolved and adding, "We are focused on co-parenting as a team moving forward."
Hall's perspective on co-parenting was truly rocked when a health emergency struck the day after the sideline incident, with her and El Moussa's son Brayden, who's soccer game the families had been attending, being rushed to the hospital. There, the six-year-old underwent surgery to remove his appendix and an abnormality in his small intestine. Both parents and their spouses posted about the event on Instagram, marking young Brayden's recovery and echoing how scary the event was.
For Hall, the health scare seemed to put the previous day's spat into perspective, with the HGTV star posting an update to her Instagram Story. "Sometimes a scary situation can be a good wake up call," she wrote. "In the end all the other stuff is just 'noise,' what matters is the kids" (per Business Insider). The reminder to put their kids first was an important one, with the sentiment seeming to shape their co-parenting relationship ever since.
Putting the kids first is the key for Christina Hall and Tarek El Moussa
When asked the secret to making his joint custody with Christina Hall work, Tarek El Moussa gave an answer that echoed his former wife's earlier revelation. "It's simple. Kids are number one," he told Fox News in 2024. "That's it. There's no other answer." This is an essential element of El Moussa and Hall's touching co-parenting relationship, but it's a sentiment also shared by their spouses.
In an interview with Jill Martin for the "Today" show, Heather Rae El Moussa opened up about how she initially always felt "second" going into her relationship with Tarek and becoming another mother to his children. "We definitely had some ups and downs, and they had ups and downs," she admitted. "I think [Christina] realized how much I love the kids and that they are number one to me, over anything. So any drama aside, the kids are the most important thing to all of us." If Christina and Heather Rae's awkward, but unmissable collab is anything to go by, then the two have definitely reached common ground for the sake of the kids.
Joshua Hall, who married Christina in 2022, has praised his wife's dedication to her children, penning a heartwarming Instagram caption to celebrate Mother's Day 2023. "When we have the kids, she is 100% dedicated to them, gives them complete focus and is present for anything they need," the realtor wrote about Christina. He added with a winky face emoji, "We manipulate our time and energy to make sure the kids always have their mom...and me at times."