'Flip or Flop's' Tarek El Moussa says fame made divorce more difficult

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'Flip or Flop' star talks public divorce

'Flip or Flop's' Tarek El Moussa admits fame made his public divorce more difficult

NEW YORK – When "Flip or Flop" stars Tarek and Christina El Moussa announced they were ending their marriage, the couple knew they would face public scrutiny because of their fame.

The formerly-married couple became one of reality TV's most popular couples through their hit home renovation show on HGTV. While the show focused on their house-flipping business, "Flip or Flop" also featured personal moments for the El Moussa family.

Tarek told Fox News he thinks their celebrity status made their divorce more difficult.

"Like any couple that's getting divorced it's very, very difficult obviously," he told us. "Half of the nation is divorced [but] because of who were are, being on TV, and people knowing who we are, it was a very public divorce and it's still a very public divorce. So I would say it has been a lot more difficult than it would have been if it was private."

The 36-year-old said he understands it was their decision to put their lives on TV.

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"Obviously, if you're on TV, you're in the public so our private life is completely open," he said. "Everybody knows everything about us.

The star added he finds it "very frustrating" to hear a lot of "fake news" about himself whether it's about his divorce or any aspect of his personal life.

However, Tarek said he recognizes that a big part of the success of "Flip or Flop" is due to sharing his personal life on TV.

"Today, there's like a hundred house flipping shows and I truly believe what makes our show successful is our dynamic as investors and as a family," he said.

Tarek was in his late 20s when the couple decided to film a reality TV show.

"When we first came on the air we were really young. We were a young couple that had everything we had on the line," Tarek continued. "I think... people were able to read that through the screen and they've watched us grow as a family. They've seen us have children and raise our children and move houses. And it's just been kind of not only a TV show about flipping houses, it's been a TV show about our lives as well."

Despite splitting up, Tarek and Christina have maintained a close friendship as they navigate parenting their two children and continuing to film "Flip or Flop."