The Rumors And Scandals HGTV Tried To Keep Under Wraps
HGTV is supposed to be all about the pretty gardens and reupholstered loveseats, right? Wrong. We all know that this station is as much about making fun of couples who are too picky about home decor and following the personal lives of our favorite HGTV hosts.
HGTV tries to keep the focus on the homes and gardens featured on their network, but we can't help it if we're here for the drama. Keep reading to find out all about the latest HGTV scandals.
Tarek And Christina's Relationship Was Worse Off-Screen
Flip or Flop's Tarek and Christina El Moussa seem to have the perfect relationship on camera. Life hasn't been perfect for them behind the scenes, though.
In 2016, reports started circulating about the couple getting into heated arguments around the Flips or Flop production team. On May 23, 2016, Tarek took his handgun and went off on the hiking trail in Chino Hills behind their Orange County home. A frightened Christina called the police, who reported him as possibly suicidal. No charges were filed and Tarek said that he was just trying to blow off some steam.
Tarek And Christina Broke Up
We already know that Christina and Tarek had their fair share of ups and downs in their relationship, but in 2016, they decided that they didn't want to be together anymore and they decided to formally separate. Their divorce was finalized in 2018, and Christina is now remarried to a man named Ant Anstead.
Seasons of the show were airing after Tarek and Christina decided to split. Now they both have their own solo shows on HGTV.
Christina Dated The Contractor
Ugh, no... why? It turns out the couple officially split back in May, after the gun incident, long before the tabloids got a hold of the news. Sometime between spring and the holidays, when the couple announced the separation, Christina El Moussa began to date their contractor, Gary Anderson. Not only was that a stab in the back for her former husband, but Anderson didn't have the cleanest track record himself.
The contractor, who helped the El Moussas on a backyard renovation project, had two messy divorces himself, fighting his ex-wives in court over money and custody of the children for over a decade. Turns out, it was Anderson who was the one to call the police when he saw Tarek take off with the gun. HGTV can't be happy with all of this drama landing on the covers of weekly magazines.
The Property Brothers Got Into A Bar Fight
How much trouble could two handsome interior designers get into when they're out on the town. Apparently, the answer to that question is— a whole lot. In 2016, Jonathan Scott got mixed up in a bar brawl in Fargo, North Dakota. The fight was so bad that Jonathan had to be escorted out of the bar.
One of the staff members even told police that Jonathan pulled the "Don't you know who I am?" line.
Alison Victoria Completely Destroyed A Building
Alison Victoria of Kitchen Crashers started working on a project that involved her renovating a building in the city of Chicago. While she was attempting to knock down a wall in that building, her demolition crew ended up accidentally knocking down the whole structure.
Alison got in a lot of trouble for failing to adhere to the rules of the city. You know what they say, measure twice, demolish once. We just hope that Alison learned from her mistake.
Carter Oosterhouse Accused Of Sexual Misconduct
While Carter Oosterhouse got his start on TLC, he later scored a show on HGTV titled Carter Can. However, he was accused of sexual misconduct in 2017 by Kailey Kaminsky, a former makeup artist on his show. She claimed that he coerced her into sexual situations as far back as 2008 and that her claims led her to be fired and eventually hospitalized for depression.
Oosterhouse denied these accusations and said that the two had a mutual relationship at the time and that Kaminsky was the only crew-member he was ever involved with. He has been married to actress Amy Smart since 2011 and the two share a daughter.
Rehab Addict Had A Secret Baby?
The host of Rehab Addict, Nicole Curtis, recently revealed that she not only had a secret baby but she also had a secret custody battle as well. In her book, Better Than New: Lessons I've Learned from Saving Old Homes (And How They Saved Me), she revealed that she kept her pregnancy with her second child a secret.
The child, a boy named Harper, is now over a year old and she is engaged in a custody battle with his father, Shane Maguire. She hid her pregnancy on the show by only shooting from the shoulders up, and even strategically placing things in front of her belly, like a giant mirror. Nicole told People Magazine, "Having my newborn child's face plastered all over social media on a Facebook post where someone could cut and paste it and make it a meme, that wasn't for me."
Her Mom Testified Against Her Nicole Curtis
Curtis presents a pretty clean image on TV, but it hasn't all been roses and sunshine behind the scenes for her family.
In August 2016, Nicole's mother went to court to request a personal protection order against her own daughter. She accused her of yelling and threatening her in "mental fits of rage" over the phone and in person. I hope Curtis is a better mother to her own child that her mother was to her.
Nicole Curtis Was Threatened With Jail Time
I promise this is the last bit of information about Nicole Curtis. This lady has just been involved in a lot of scandals.
The issue with her mom wasn't the only time she ended up in court. In 2016, a judge threatened her with a jail sentence if she didn't pay outstanding attorney fees to her son's father. The judge didn't rule in Curtis' favor, so Curtis accused her ex of exposing her son to "extreme violence and danger" by taking him to a Black Lives Matter event.
Rehab Addict's Biggest Flop
Rehab Addict star Nicole Curtis is famous for renovating old houses in Minnesota and Michigan. There was one house she bought in Minneapolis for just two dollars in 2012 that she promised to renovate, but it's still unfished years later.
Curtis hasn't paid all of the necessary taxes on the house, and she didn't pay a contractor for his work. The city of Minneapolis might take her to court and even take the house.
Fixer Upper Uses Fake Furniture
Chip and Joanna Gaines host the show Fixer Upper, on which they fully transform a person's home a fill it with absolutely stunning furniture and decor.
Most of the furniture they use on the show is from the Gaines' own Magnolia Market which Joanna runs in Waco, Texas. That furniture comes with a hefty price tag, which is probably why the guests on the show don't actually get to keep any of that furniture (unless they pay for it).
The Pair Was Sued for $1 Million
Chip and Joanna got into some hot water when a former business associate of theirs claimed that they engaged in some unethical profiteering. John Lewis and Richard Clark sued the Gaines for $1 million in damages in April of 2017. The four used to share ownership of Magnolia Realty, based in Texas, but the Gaines bought them out of their share while the beginnings of their HGTV show Fixer Upper were in the works.
Clark and Lewis claimed that Chip and Joanna knew the company was about to grow exponentially due to the show.
Love It or List It Was Sued by Homeowners
The reality show features interior designer Hilary Farr and real estate agent David Visentin as they renovate featured homeowners' current homes, while also shopping for a new home to potentially buy. At the end of each episode, they choose to "love it or list it." One couple on the show, however, wasn't so happy with their home after it was renovated by the HGTV reality show.
Deena Murphy and Timothy Sullivan put down $140,000 for the remodeling of their home, but claim that the show only put $85,786.50 back into it, and spent the rest on production costs. Not only that, but windows were painted shut, while other sections of the home were left not painted at all, and some of the flooring had holes in it. Needless to say, the couple was furious and filed a lawsuit against the show's producers.
A Scripted Show?
Aside from the lawsuit, Deena Murphy and Timothy Sullivan put Love It or List It on blast, calling out the cast and crew for shooting a phony show that has no real merit to what it portrays on television.
The couple states in the lawsuit against the show's production company, "The show is scripted, with roles and reactions assigned to the various performers and participants, including the homeowners. These characters are actors or television personalities playing a role for the camera, and in this case, none of them played more than a casual role in the actual renovation process." Ouch.
A Contestant From Ellen's Design Challenge Stole Intelectual Property
Ellen loves interior design so much that she decided to produce her own show on HGTV called Ellen's Design Challenge. Apparently, the winner of the first season of the show got into some trouble when it was revealed that he didn't come up with all of his "original" ideas on his own. Contestant Tim McClellan was found to have stolen his design ideas from a European designer named Simon Schacht.
McClellan was stripped of his winning title and the show's runner-up, Katie Stout, got to claim first place.
The "Classic Fourth of July Table Setting Ideas" Disaster
In the summer of 2013, HGTV released a special segment titled "Classic Fourth of July Table Setting Ideas." In the episode, they made a rather crucial error when they thought it was a good idea to use an actual American flag as a tablecloth.
To add insult to injury, the show claimed that the flag was used "so spills can be easily wiped off and the flag can later be hung with pride on a flagpole." Obviously, this offended countless viewers who took to the Internet to rebuke the show. HGTV then released a formal apology for using the flag in such a manner.
Fixer Upper Couple Fined by EPA
Chip and Joanna Gaines' TV series Fixer Upper focuses on their company Magnolia Homes renovating old houses around Waco, Texas. Some of the houses they work on are decades old, and many are built before 1978 when lead-based paint was banned from being used on homes.
The Environmental Protection Agency investigated Magnolia Homes' handling of lead-based paint after a few episodes that aired raised questions over whether the Gaines were properly getting rid of the toxic paint. The EPA found 33 properties that Magnolia Homes worked on to be in violation. The couple is paying a $40,000 fine and completing $160,000 of lead abatement work to resolve the issue.
Chip And Joanna Weren't Always Rolling In Dough
Now Chip and Joanna are big shot HGTV stars, but before they made it big, they had some hardcore financial problems. In 2012, they were sued by the city of Waco and the local school district for failing to pay nearly $25,000 in property taxes.
They also owed McLennan County about $3,500. After getting at least one extension, the debt was paid off in 2014. Now that their HGTV show is doing well, this couple is in a much better spot financially.
Chip & Joanna Gaines Finally Address A Controversy
In November 2016, a rumor began circulating that the married hosts of HGTV's show Fixer Upper, Chip and Joanna Gaines, are "staunchly" anti-gay. The debate started because of the Gaines' ties to an evangelical church whose pastor openly stands against gay marriage.
In response to the controversy, HGTV quickly released a statement avowing that the network does not discriminate against any members of the LGBT community. The Gaines, however, did not comment publicly until more than a month later when Chip blogged, "Joanna and I have personal convictions." He then went on to say "Our family wants to fight for a world that knows how to lovingly disagree." He did not address the anti-gay controversy directly in his post. Many interpreted the delay in responding and the seeming refusal to specifically deny the claims as evidence that the couple does, indeed, have homophobic leanings.
Jonathan And Drew Are Clowns At Heart
Drew and Jonathan Scott, AKA The Property Brothers, really are a pair of clowns. Before Drew and Jonathan Scott ever picked up a hammer or matched a rug to wallpaper, they worked as clowns at children's birthday parties. It started out as a hobby, and then it turned into a pretty great part-time job.
They got really into it and Jonathan even learned a few magic tricks. Drew thinks these magic tricks are the reason why nobody wanted to date them back in the day.
House Hunters Is Fake
In 2012, it was alleged by a blog that House Hunters is a fake show. The blog, Hooked on Houses, said that HGTV only cast participants on the show if they had already purchased a house. One participant named Bobi said that the producers "scrambled" to find houses to show and pretend like they were considering even though that actually already bought a house.
The properties weren't even for sale, they were allegedly homes of friends, according to blog writer, Bobi. Entertainment Weekly later sought to verify Bobi's comments, and she kind of backed out saying her experience wasn't "the norm." HGTV also released a statement but didn't really confirm or deny the truths of Bobi's comments.
HGTV Show Canceled Not Being "Woke"
Twin sons of the evangelical Christian minister and ring wing protester Flip Benham starred in the HGTV series Flip It Forward for four weeks before it was pulled off the air by the network. Twin brothers David and Jason Benham claim that HGTV knew of their beliefs against gay marriage before they were signed on to the show, but saw that they were good people, and looked past it.
David had previously led anti-gay prayers outside of the Democratic National Convention in 2012 and wrote a blog post comparing the push for legalizing gay marriage to the Nazi regime. However, once it was brought to the attention of the media that the Flip It Forward hosts had made anti-gay and anti-Islam comments in the past, production was put at a standstill, and the show was quickly canceled.
Property Brothers Aren't Into Tiny Houses
Drew and Jonathan Scott like their houses regular sized. They threw some serious shade at another HGTV show when they spoke to the Omaha World-Herald about Tiny Houses in July 2016.
Drew said, "The problem is, tiny houses don't conform to code. It's fine if you want something that's kind of a travel camper, something like that, but to actually think about living in a tiny home, it's not feasible for most families." Those are fighting words...
Nicole Curtis' Fishy Facebook Post
Curtis was the victim of a robbery while visiting her hometown in 2015. At first, she posted about the incident on Facebook saying that she was carjacked.
Later, she deleted everything about a carjacking, and then deleted the entire post. Then she blamed the police for the misunderstanding. We may never really know what really happened that day.
Tarek Talked Publically About His Divorce
Fans of Flip or Flop didn't know the exact details of what led to the couple's divorce. But then in March of 2017, Tarek El Moussa finally spoke to US Weekly to shed some light on the split, while filming of the show went on. "It was a gradual thing over time. We were both very busy people with health issues and kids. We didn't fight, we just grew apart."
Tarek had a cancer scare, while his ex-wife Christina dealt with the aftermath of a miscarriage, and fertility challenges. (The couple has two children together, six, and 17 months old.) Despite the divorce, the show must go on. "We'll be together for the rest of our lives because we have kids. We need to get along for the kids and for our sanity. Now we say, 'Hi, good morning.' We film together and talk about houses and the kids."
Losing HGTV Dream Homes
Since 1997, the HGTV program Dream Homes has given away a new home worth $1 million every year. Unfortunately, for the starry-eyed winner, HGTV does not help you out with the taxes that accompany such a majestic abode. Almost every winner with the exception of two has sold their homes because they were unable to afford the taxes.
The 2005 winner of the Lake Tyler house, Don Cruz, actually wanted to rent out the master bedroom suite on a nightly basis in order to try to pay the taxes. However, the City of Tyler rejected his proposition. He then realized that the house had an even higher value than what he thought so he sold the home. Perhaps, HGTV should make some sort of arrangement for helping winners pay the taxes on their new abode.
Flip or Flop's Christina's New Show
Two years after Flip or Flop costars Tarek and Christina El Moussa split up, Christina announced that she was getting a solo show. She also got remarried in a surprise wedding! She wed Wheelers Dealers host Ant Anstead in a secret "winter wonderland" wedding at their Newport Beach home in 2018. And in March of 2019, the couple announced that they're expecting!
As for the new show, called Christina on the Coast, it follows her as she renovates homes in Southern California. "Design is my favorite part of the house-flipping process and I can't wait to be able to now work directly with clients and create a space they've always dreamed of having," Christina said.
Fake Flip Or Flop Courses
Back in 2016, it was discovered that Flip or Flop fans paid to attend a three-day seminar hosted by Tarek and Christina El Moussa. Supposedly, they paid to receive advice on how to flip homes on their home as well as have access to exclusive investors. However, those who signed up had been lied to with more than a dozen people claiming that Tarek and Christina El Moussa never even showed up for the classes.
Instead, the participants were shown a pre-recorded video because Terek and Christina were "too busy" to attend. Apparently, the course gave little no advice except encourage the participants to sign up for more HGTV classes.
Some Of Fixer Upper Is Staged
Much like House Hunters, it was revealed by third season participant David Ridley that the beginning of the show is entirely fake. In a 2016 interview, Ridley revealed that to even apply for the show, you have to have already purchased a home.
He stated that "You have to be under contract to be on the show. They show you other homes but you already have one. After they select you, they send your house to Chip and Joanna and their design team." Basically, the entire fist half of the program is unnecessary and staged.
One Property Brother Just Got Married
After getting engaged in 2016, Drew and his longtime partner, Linda Phan got married in Italy. The ceremony was absolutely gorgeous.
Jonathan Scott recently split up with his girlfriend, Jacinta Kuznetsov, after two years together, but before that, Jonathan was married to Kelsey, an airline crew scheduler. That marriage only lasted two years. Hopefully Jonathan finds his forever partner sometime soon. I know a lot of women who would appreciate his style and design abilities.
Joanna's Beef With Airbnb
Some of the homes Chip and Joanne have renovated have ended up on Airbnb, and the couple isn't too thrilled about it. They said that the show's contracts would become more strict about the issue in the future.
A spokesperson for Magnolia Homes explained, "We want to honor our national viewing audience. We want to do remodels for clients' homes. That's the true intent of our show, and we want to ensure that does not get lost in this new vacation rental trend."
Chip Gaines' Naughty Dog
Before Fixer Upper became a success, Chip had a few run-ins with the law. In his memoir, he wrote that he got a ticket for letting his dogs run loose, but that the dogs never chased or attacked anyone.
Two people came forward to say that Chip's dogs really did attack them and left them with puncture wounds on their calves. Chip had to pay a pretty big fine and learn to keep his dogs under control.
They Don't Always Get To Keep The Furniture
The guests on Property Brothers get to keep the furniture and decor in their newly renovated homes, as do the guests on Rehab Addict.
Unfortunately, the guests on Fixer Upper have to purchase the furniture items separately from Joanna Gaine's store, Magnolia Markets. The same goes for the furniture on Income Property. It just goes to show that you can't believe everything you see on television.
The Final Results
This is especially true for Love It or List It. Sometimes the designers run into problems that slow the whole renovation down. They have to make things look good on camera quickly, but what looks good on camera isn't always real-life ready.
Sometimes, fabric isn't sewn onto pillows and furniture is positioned to hide flaws in the room that haven't been fixed yet. It's hard to get a house finished in such a short amount of time.
Designs Are Preplanned
According to a Wendy Pruitt, a homeowner on Curb Appeal: The Block, design decisions were made before anyone involved with the show had even stepped foot on her property.
This isn't the way interior designers usually work in real life, but when you're working in a tight time frame, you have to speed things along. I think we all secretly knew that this was happening. It just makes sense to plan ahead.
The Town Scenes Aren't Always Filmed In The Same Town
On shows like House Hunters, you see the potential homeowners wandering down a nice street with beautiful storefronts, cute dogs, and lovely greenery. According to a guest who appeared on Curb Appeal, the cameras were actually in an entirely different part of town when they filmed the establishing shots for her episode.
They wanted to show a neighborhood that was a bit brighter and nicer than the one she lived in.
Local Subcontractors Step In
Although there's always a featured designer on these HGTV shows, most of the actual work is done by local contracting companies.
Apparently, these workers aren't paid very well, but they do get to say that they worked for HGTV. I'm not sure whether that's a good trade-off or not. Just remember, there are always people working behind the scenes.
Scenes Are Sometimes Filmed More Than Once
Sometimes the scenes where the participants introduce themselves to us or discuss their feelings about different homes are filmed more than once. The homeowners (or prospective homeowners) are not actors, so it takes them a while to get a good take.
There have been times when a homeowner did something funny and producers asked them to recreate it so they can catch it on camera.
Participants On House Hunters Get Paid
Although they don't get paid very much, participants do get some money for appearing on House Hunters. One guest said that she was paid $500 for appearing on the show.
Also, the production crew treats everyone to lunch and snacks while the show is filming. That sounds like a pretty good deal. Most of the people who appear on this show are happy just to be on TV.
It's Not Easy To Get On Fixer Upper
Of all the HGTV shows, Fixer Upper is the hardest to get on. That's because it only films in Waco, Texas, so you have to be looking to buy a home within forty miles of the town.
You also have to have a minimum of $30,000 for renovations, fill out a lengthy application, and submit pictures of your family and the home you want to remodel.
