His Violent Past Exposed

Christina El Moussa ignores the warning signs and falls even harder for new boyfriend Doug Spedding

Flip or Flop star Christina El Moussa looked smitten. She was beaming as she walked into Javier’s restaurant in Newport Beach, Calif., on the arm of her new boyfriend, wealthy retired car dealership owner Doug Spedding, on June 15. “It was obvious,” says an eyewitness, “that she wanted to flaunt her new relationship.”

Instead, Christina should be running, say people who know Doug. In Touch exclusively reported in midJune his ugly history, uncovering arrests including for domestic violence against Nicole Doucette (the mother of his 10-year-old twin daughters), breaking restraining and stay-away orders, and even meth possession (see right). Now the family’s babysitter, her mom and a source close to the situation have come forward with new bombshell allegations of violence and more with In Touch exclusively obtaining documents showing Doug’s constant run-ins with the law. Christina, 33, a mother of two — Taylor, 6, and Brayden, 21 months, with estranged husband Tarek, 35 — has told Doug’s daughters “she wants to marry him,” the source tells In Touch. “He’s very charismatic and manipulative. It’s bad.”

Things took a dark turn seven years ago when Nicole, 39, left Doug, 55, after 15 years of dating. He was often violent to Nicole. Rachel Swintek, a former roommate of Nicole’s and mother of her babysitter, Sarah, told In Touch: “He told me that he hit her one time. Just the one time. He said, ‘It’s not that big of a deal but you know how she is. She never shuts her damn mouth. She doesn’t know when to shut her damn mouth.’”

Doug was arrested for meth possession in 2011. Sarah believes he has done meth while the kids were home. “I’ve witnessed him go into the bathroom and lock himself in there for a good 15 to 20 minutes and put the sink on,” she tells In Touch. “I would go in afterward — the smell, it’s very distinct. That’s how I knew.” (Doug’s one felony arrest for meth possession was later dismissed after he completed a diversion program.) Until Nicole eased custody restrictions in early 2017, he could only see his girls “under supervision of a [re- tired] sheriff,” says Sarah, adding he was often late to visits or skipped them altogether. “Their most recent birthday [in March], they were waiting around for Dad [and he never showed up] and it broke my heart.” Rachel says Doug has verbally abused Nicole in front of the kids, cursing and calling her names like “whore.” ◼