Christina’s Divorce Hell

EXCLUSIVE Twitter taunts. Cheap shots. Endless bragging. How Tarek El Moussa is still making ex Christina suffer

Tarek El Moussa was on a roll. First the Flip or Flop star gushed about how much he’s enjoying the single life amid his ongoing divorce from HGTV co-star Christina. “I’m just a free spirit. I love going on dates,” he said on June 1, adding that he’s juggling a few women at the moment. “I like meeting girls, [and it’s] a lot easier than it’s ever been.” A week later, he boasted about his player lifestyle again. “I think I’m taking a break from blondes. I think maybe I’ll dabble with brunettes for a while,” Tarek said on Andy Cohen’s June 7 Siriusxm radio show. Every time Tarek brags about his active love life, his ex feels like it’s a shot at her. “It’s like he’s going out of his way to push her buttons,” says a Christina insider. “And it’s getting to her. All she wants to do is move on.”

But Tarek won’t let her. He’s been making life hell for Christina since their explosive split last year, hurling insults and taunts while also having angry outbursts. Tarek has been doing everything from asking for spousal support in divorce papers to taking what many perceived as a cheap shot at her mothering skills. He’s also harassing her dates with online comments and photos while obsessing over her every move. And while Christina has tried to be discreet talking about her own postsplit dating life ( In Touch has learned exclusively that she’s now dating retired car dealer Doug Spedding, 55; see sidebar on next page), Tarek can’t seem to say enough about his. “It’s outrageous,” the Christina insider tells In Touch. “If she did that, Tarek would be livid.” His embarrassing and disturbing behavior is taking a toll on Christina, who’s struggling to cope with Tarek’s antics in the wake of a breakup she initiated. “Christina puts on a good front, but she’s broken down in tears over the stress of dealing with Tarek and is trying to keep it all together,” says the Christina insider. “She tries to be strong, but behind the smiles, there’s heartache and tears. He’s putting her through hell.”

Tarek just keeps lashing out. In May, he posted an insulting message on Instagram that referred to the explosive marriage-ending fight he had with Christina, 33, a year ago. It led her to call 911 after he grabbed a gun and disappeared into a state park before police tracked him down with a helicopter. The photo showed Tarek, 35, under a sign that read, “No guns, weapons of any type” — to which he added the words “or helicopters,” a middle-finger emoji and Christina’s tag. He later deleted the post. “He almost seems to have no control over

himself,” says a production source. “He’s angry, and it shows.”

He took what appeared to be another swipe at Christina just days later. Tarek posted an Instagram selfie at a school event for daughter Taylor, 6 (son Brayden is 21 months), writing “Single #dadlife Kid’s open house,” along with the word “mom’s” and a thinking-face emoji. After getting fan backlash for seemingly insinuating that Christina skipped their daughter’s school night, he offered an excuse, writing, “there was NO jab at Christina. I was

referring to lots of moms for a single dad as a joke at an open house.” His critics pounced. “Not buyin it,” one wrote on Tarek’s Instagram page. “Suuuuuuuure,” commented another. Yet another asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

Christina has wondered the same thing. One reason Tarek has come off so bitter in recent weeks, says the production source, is because Christina is now making a lot more money than he is (see box, right). “If it weren’t for the money, Christina would never work with

Tarek — this is far from an ideal situation for her,” says the production source. “She would have preferred to move on and do her own show, but the network felt they were worth more as a couple.”

It was clear early on that this would be the breakup from hell when Tarek demanded spousal support in his January divorce filing. Court records confirm there has been no adjustment to his filing since. “Christina isn’t surprised Tarek is going for spousal support. It’s how he rolls,” says the production source. “It’s revenge for Tarek to go for Christina’s money.”

Another reason Tarek’s putting her through hell? He just can’t let go. Though he insisted to Andy Cohen on June 7 that “I just really don’t want to know what’s going on with her personal life,” he actually cares deeply, multiple sources tell In Touch. “He still checks on her through family and mutual friends,” says the Christina insider. “Tarek’s also obsessed with her Instagram, checks it regularly, sees who she follows and who follows her. And if he’s not happy about something he sees or that she posts, he will immediately let her know about it. It’s a lot to deal with.”

He’s developed a reputation for cringeworthy behavior on social media. In March, Tarek made a cruel joke about Gary Anderson, 58, whom Christina had quietly been dating for a few months. After the wealthy contractor’s daughter posted a photo from her dad’s birthday celebration on Instagram, Tarek — who didn’t even follow her public account — snarkily commented, “Thank God those heart attacks didn’t kill him… he may make it to 60.” Then, after Christina started dating hunky NHL player Nate Thompson a few weeks later, Tarek went to an April 6 Anaheim Ducks hockey game, shot video of Nate on the ice and circled him, adding the message, “Love hockey!!” before posting it online. Explains the Christina insider: “Tarek says he doesn’t care about what Christina does anymore or who she dates, but that’s not true.” Tarek’s recent boasting about his active dating life — which sources speculate could be in retaliation for learning that Christina is now seeing Doug, whom she dated before meeting Tarek — is mortifying to her. “It’s Tarek’s way of looking like he has a life, that’s he’s a player,” says the Christina insider, “when the reality is that Christina knows the truth: Tarek would take her back in a heartbeat.”

He treated her badly during their marriage, so it’s no surprise that he’s acting like this now. Stories exclusively reported by In Touch this spring revealed Tarek’s outpatient rehab stint last summer and his verbally abusive on-set behavior, which included eyewitness accounts of how he made Christina cry and even joked he would “rape her.” (He’s refused to address the specific allegations while Christina has never denied the shocking claims and refused to comment for this article). Now In Touch has learned that Tarek also talked openly on set about how he and Christina first hooked up while he was living with someone else. “Tarek has bragged on the set of Flip or Flop about how their relationship started out as an affair,” says a Flip or Flop insider. “Tarek explained to crew members once how he was in another relationship and living with his then-girlfriend when he started cheating on her with Christina, and how it lasted for a year. Christina was standing right there and wasn’t thrilled he was sharing it.”

There seems to be no end to Tarek’s insufferable behavior. “Christina would love to move on without Tarek. But she realizes they are a business, and if she walks away from Flip or Flop eventually or insists on her own show, she could lose everything,” says the production source. It’s a miserable way to live. “He’s definitely putting her through hell,” says the Christina insider. “Don’t let that big, bright smile fool you. There’s a lot of pain behind it.” ◼

‘‘ Christina has no choice but to keep up appearances with Tarek because of their children, and she still has to do Flip or Flop with him” — A CHRISTINA INSIDER