Reasons Christina Haack And Joshua Hall's Marriage Was Too Strange To Ever Last

In a shocking turn of events, news broke in July 2024 that Christina Haack's marriage to Josh Hall had ended. According to TMZ, Hall filed for divorce, listing July 8 as their date of separation while citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split. In his filing, Hall requested alimony and asked the court to block Haack from seeking spousal support. Although the couple didn't sign a prenup, Hall requested that their marital assets be divided equally and sought all rights to HGTV/Discovery Network shows produced during their marriage. In her counter-filing, Haack waived spousal support, asking that Hall's request for alimony be rejected.

A source close to the couple told US Weekly that Haack had tried to make their marriage work before deciding to end it. "Christina was trying, but things happened, and it just wasn't working," the source said. "Christina was done when she filed the papers. It's hard, but she's doing great."

News of the couple's split came shortly after the HGTV star shared the secret to her happy marriage with Hall. Speaking to E! News just days before the divorce was announced, Haack credited their successful marriage to communication, adding that they always made an effort to spend time together. Despite their seemingly blissful marriage, however, there were always aspects of their relationship that inspired speculation that Haack and Hall's marriage wouldn't last.

Well before Joshua Hall, Christina Haack first walked down the aisle in 2009 when she said "I do" to real estate agent Tarek El Moussa. Together, the couple went on to welcome two kids, daughter Taylor Reese and son Brayden James, before confirming their separation to People in 2016. "During the process, we are committed to our kids and being the best parents we can be," the couple shared in a joint statement. "We will continue to work through this process civilly and cooperatively, and plan to continue our professional life together." Their divorce was finalized in 2018, and since then, Tarek and Haack have worked at maintaining a cordial co-parenting relationship.

But while the former couple has their own personal relationship, Tarek also has a surprising connection to Hall. Hall is the younger brother of Jessica Hall, who is friends with Tarek's second wife, Heather Rae Young. "It is true. My girlfriend Jessica, we've been friends for like over 10 years and it's just a fluke. You know, it was nothing that was planned. It just happened," Young confirmed to People. Young also seemingly publicly showed her approval of the lovebirds, revealing that Hall, whom she had met "a few times" in the past, seemed happy with Haack.

After her divorce from her second husband, television personality Ant Anstead, Christina Haack surprised fans with a new romance with Joshua Hall. The pair's relationship, confirmed in July 2021, immediately sparked interest. "They recently started dating each other and it was an immediate, real connection," one source told People before adding that the couple had enjoyed "getting to know each other one-on-one without outside noise." At the time, another source confirmed to US Weekly that Hall and Haack first met years before, but had only reconnected earlier that year.

Despite Haack and Hall's apparent happiness, some fans disapproved of the budding romance, with many criticizing the "Flip or Flop" star for moving on too soon. "She seems to have babies and then dump the man ... maybe she should concentrate on herself for a while," one user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Responding to the backlash on Instagram, the "Flip or Flop" defended her feelings for Hall, and gave insights into their deep bond. "The synchronicities hit us so hard and fast they were impossible to ignore," she wrote in the since-deleted post (via US Weekly). 

Haack also reflected on the challenges of navigating a new relationship in the public eye, admitting that she tried to shield Hall from the scrutiny. "I felt immediately crazy protective over him and wanted to keep him for myself and get to know each other before the tornado (media attention) hit," she continued.

In September 2021, only two months after news of their relationship went public, Joshua Hall and Christina Haack got engaged. Taking to Instagram, Haack posted a carousel of pictures, flaunting her engagement ring while also sharing a glimpse of the romantic proposal in Los Cabos, Mexico. While the exciting news was met with well wishes from some fans, many others disapproved of the couple's quick engagement. "A marriage every other year????.....get real," one person quipped. "Maybe she needs to slow down. She gets a new husband the way people buy a new car," another tweeted.

However, those close to Haack and Hall were not surprised by how fast the lovebirds decided to move things. "Christina loves love and enjoys being in a committed relationship," an insider explained to ET. "She is having a great time with Josh and they are so in love and excited about this next chapter. They love experiencing new things together, traveling, and going on adventures."

Meanwhile, Haack's ex husband Tarek El Moussa, who was already engaged to Heather Rae El Moussa at the time, was reportedly unfazed by the news. "Tarek moved on from Christina long ago and is on cloud 9 with Heather," another source told ET. Tarek was said to be happy for his ex, as the insider reiterated that the former HGTV star was completely enamored by his new beau.

Eight months after their engagement — and less than a year since they began dating – Christina Haack and Josh Hall quietly tied the knot in California. Though the exact date of their wedding was not initially revealed, a source confirmed to TMZ in April 2022 it had happened sometime "over the last 6 months." TMZ also obtained a copy of Haack's real estate license, showing that she had adopted her husband's last name, Hall.

Predictably, the news of Haack and Hall's secret nuptials was met with backlash from fans who criticized the HGTV star for moving too fast in her relationships. "She moves on really fast apparently, who will she marry next year?" one X user quipped. Hall, was however not having it with the critics. In a heartwarming Instagram post, he defended his wife, writing: "This woman I get to call mine is nothing short of incredible. No one or no thing will keep her from achieving happiness/success. She doesn't need anyone's validation and certainly doesn't let anyone's disapproval affect what she does with HER life."

Later in the year, the couple celebrated their love with an intimate Hawaiian wedding ceremony. Haack shared dreamy pictures of the special occasion on Instagram (via People), calling it as "an amazing night filled with love."

In a candid July 2023 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Christina Haack and Josh Hall sparked concerns about potential marital woes. While answering a question about their celebrity crushes, things got a bit weird after Hall mentioned a few famous names, including Margot Robbie and Audrey Hepburn. Haack on the other hand did not give an answer, explaining that she did not know celebrities by their names. "I have no idea what celebrities are what. And second, you know I'm way too jealous to answer that question," the HGTV star confessed.

The interview seemingly took yet another awkward turn when Haack and Hall opened up about the level of romance in their relationship. When asked of the more romantic one between them, Hall sheepishly replied: "I'm kind of embarrassed to even have to answer this because I am not a romantic by any means. You are definitely the romantic." The real estate agent also recounted the couple's first time spending Haack's birthday together, describing it as one of the most romantic things he had done. Responding to Hall's admission, Haack quipped back, accusing him of pretending to be a romantic at the beginning of their relationship just to win her over.

Despite trying to downplay their interaction, fans were not convinced, with a few expressing concern about the state of Haack and Hall's relationship. "Her laughs after his answers are so contrived and fake. Their incompatibility is very apparent," one fan observed in the comments section.

In May 2024, Christina Haack and Tarek El Moussa announced they would be starring in a new reality show called "The Flip Off" featuring their respective partners, Josh Hall and Heather Rae El Moussa. The reality show, set to premiere in 2025, was initially meant to show Haack and Hall competing against Tarek and Heather Rae as they show their real estate magic. "Now, the exes are back — along with their new spouses — for a throwdown competition to see who can find, buy, renovate, and flip a house for the biggest financial gain, and the chance at bragging rights," a statement reported by US Weekly read.

Things however took an unexpected turn in July 2024 when news of Haack and Hall's divorce broke. US Weekly confirmed that Hall, initially slated to be a cast member had been dropped from the show. "They are in production of 'The Flip Off' without Josh. They're moving forward with the show without him," an insider confirmed to US Weekly.

Haack and Tarek previously gained fame as cast members on HGTV's "Flip or Flop," which premiered in 2013 and enjoyed a ten-season run until its conclusion in 2022. Despite their joint brand as reality stars, however, the former couple has since gone on to pursue television ventures, with Tarek hosting "Flipping 101," and Haack headlining shows like "Christina on the Coast" and "Christina in the Country."

During their marriage, Christina Haack opened up about the worst parts of working with Josh Hall. In an exclusive July 2024 interview with US Weekly, the reality star, who has a history of working with her romantic partners on-screen, confessed that working with Hall had been tough.

"I don't take things too seriously and I feel like this is something that I really talk to Josh about a lot is like, who I am, like day-to-day is different than who I am on camera," she explained. After getting used to making decisions by herself, Haack struggled to take Hall's suggestions while filming "The Flip Off," their joint reality show with the El Moussas. "It is challenging to work with your spouse, especially if they're not used to being on TV," the HGTV star added.

Haack's comments were particularly surprising, given her previous remarks about enjoying working with ex-husband Tarek El Moussa. In a December 2018 interview with People – the couple's first following their divorce — the "Christina on the Coast" star discussed their decision to continue filming "Flip or Flop," even after their split. "It's part of who we are and what we do, and for us to just throw everything away, it just wasn't worth it. It's just easier to work together and get along," Haack shared.