“Flip or Fop” stars Christina and Tarek El Moussa’s latest drama is unfolding in the legal system.
The HGTV stars are being sued by a man who claims that the El Moussas stiffed him after he helped the couple find homes to potentially flip in North Carolina.
In his suit, filed in federal court in North Carolina, Jonathan Schmier says that he was hired by the El Moussas’ Next Level Property Investments to secure homes for potential flipping in North Carolina.
Schmier says that he came through on five homes, but hasn’t yet been paid for his work. According to the suit, Schmier is owed more than $37,000 for his efforts — a $5,000 commission on each home he sent to Next Level, plus $12,800 in back wages for the work he says he performed.
“The Plaintiff worked for Next Level Property Investments finding homes for the Defendants Tarek and Christina El Moussa in NC from March of 2016 to October of 2016 and not one penny has been paid to the Plaintiff for the Plaintiffs [sic] work,” the suit reads.
TheWrap has reached out to the El Moussas’ spokespeople for comment.
The estranged couple, who rose to fame as the stars of the HGTV series “Flip or Flop,” gained further attention when they announced their split on Dec. 12, saying their decision to end their relationship largely stemmed from a domestic incident in May 2016 that involved a gun and resulted in Orange County police getting involved.
The O.C. Sheriff’s Dept. told TheWrap that Christina El Moussa was “crying and shaking” during the incident, while her husband was seen by witnesses to “run out of his back door, jump over his fence and walk northbound into the hiking trails of the Chino Hills State Park.”
Tarek El Moussa filed for divorce in January.
Though the couple’s marriage is en route to the dustbin of history, the El Moussas’ working relationship remains on track. In April, HGTV announced that “Flip or Flop” will be supersized to 20 episodes for its next season, which will premiere in December.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.