Tarek El Moussa Reveals He Lived in ‘Halfway House’ After Split from Christina Hall: ‘Didn’t Trust Myself’

Tarek El Moussa is looking back at a difficult time in his life. The father of three was previously married to his now-ex-wife, Christina Hall, and they are parents to 13-year-old daughter Taylor and 8-year-old son Brayden and co-hosted the hit HGTV series Flip or Flop. 

After being diagnosed with two types of cancer in 2013, Tarek says his hormones were severely affected due to treatment. 

“All my levels were off. I was dealing with anxiety, panic attacks depression,” Tarek said in a recent interview on The Jeff Fenster Show podcast. “I had highs. I had lows. I was manic. I was happy. I was sad, all these emotions I was feeling. I was living in turmoil for years, and ultimately that turmoil led to my divorce. Looking back, I wasn’t the best husband. I wasn’t the best father. I wasn’t the best son. I wasn’t the best friend. I just wasn’t the best human.”

Tarek and Christina announced their split in late 2016 and finalized their divorce in early 2018. 

“When my ex left me, man, I went to some soul-searching places,” the realtor admitted. “I actually lived in a halfway house. This is my first time sharing that. Yeah, I’ve never shared that before.”

As for why he opted for a halfway house, Tarek said, “I didn’t trust myself to be alone. That’s how bad I was. The reason I ended up there is because I didn’t know where to go and I needed 24-hour care. I’d lost everything, it felt like overnight.”

Calling the time period his “rock bottom,” Tarek said, “I did not want to be alive.”

These days, Tarek has come back out on the other side of things with a new appreciation for his life. 

“Through all this hell and misery and turmoil and all this nonsense I’ve been through all these years, today I’m happier than I’ve ever been,” he shared. “I’m more excited about life than I’ve ever been.”

Tarek remarried Heather Rae El Moussa in October 2021, and the couple welcomed son Tristan Jay in January 2023. 

The reality star’s book, Flip Your Life: How to Find Opportunity in Distress — in Real Estate, Business, and Life, will be released Feb. 6. 

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