Feel-good content has an underbelly full of drama. At least that is the case for HGTV, which has a lot of behind-the-scenes drama between the network’s biggest personalities. From falling-outs to divorces, some of the best shows fall victim to on-set drama.
Today, we are breaking down some of the biggest rivalries, competition, and scandals to grace the stars of HGTV. Let’s get into it!
Christina Hall vs. Tarek El Moussa
Most of “Flip or Flop” host Christina Hall and Tarek El Moussa’s relationship played out on TV for fans. The two married in 2009, but fans of the HGTV series didn’t meet the couple until 2013. At the time, El Moussa and Hall had a toddler and would welcome their second child two years later.
The couple announced their separation in 2016 but continued to film their show together before announcing the end of the series in 2022. “I think we did a pretty good job and I’m excited for what the future holds for both of us and wish her nothing but the best!” El Moussa wrote on Instagram ahead of the series finale.
El Moussa Reportedly Called Hall a “Washed-Up Loser”
But this ending wasn’t as clean as El Moussa and Hall attempted to make it seem. TMZ reports that in July 2021 the co-hosts got into a screaming match on set, with El Moussa referring to his former spouse as a “washed-up loser” while comparing her to his new wife, Heather Rae Young from “Selling Sunset.”
“Flip or Flop” wrapped after 10 seasons, with Hall and Moussa going their separate ways with their new spouses.
Mina Starsiak Hawk vs. Cory Miller
“Good Bones” co-stars Mina Starsiak Hawk and Cory Miller had a falling out after their show wrapped in October 2023. On her “Mina AF” podcast, Hawk revealed that she and Miller, who acted as the project manager on the Indianapolis-based HGTV show, are no longer on speaking terms.
Hawk, who hosted “Good Bones,” and Miller have known each other for most of their lives, and this falling out came as a shock to fans.
There Are No “Good Bones” Between Hawk and Miller
According to Hawk, she and Miller are no longer speaking after filming eight seasons of “Good Bones.” “It’s a super bummer because I have, historically, had a great relationship with Cory,” Hawk said on her podcast. “And when things end particularly like they did, you know, people’s colors just show a little more, which is a blessing because then I have the choice to make a different choice. And so, that’s what I did.”
The statement confirmed fans’ speculations that the relationship had ended after the two unfollowed each other on Instagram.
Alison Victoria vs. Donovan Eckhardt
Alison Victoria and Donovan Eckhardt got into a whirlwind of drama during the filming of their show, “Windy City Rehab.” The Chicago-based show filmed Victoria hitting her breaking point with Eckhardt, who got his developer’s license suspended in 2019.
This incident put the show and the co-hosts’ jobs in jeopardy as multiple lawsuits piled up. The drama seemingly put pressure on Eckhardt and Victoria’s relationship.
Victoria Puts the Blame on Eckhardt
After the Chicago Buildings Department issued orders against developer Donovan Eckhardt and Alison Victoria to stop working after multiple building violations, Victoria couldn’t move forward with Eckhardt.
“This is the end with me and Donovan. He’s gone, by his own right, by his own doing,” she said at the time to People. “I have lost a friend and I have lost a business partner. But I do know this: This happened for a reason, and I know that I am strong, and I know that I will get through this.”
“Property Brothers” vs. “Fixer Upper” Co-Hosts
Speculations about a possible feud between Drew and Jonathan Scott and Joanna and Chip Gaines sparked in 2017. Many fans interpreted a comment Drew made to the New York Times about Joanna and Chip declining an appearance on a “Property Brothers” spinoff series as a dis toward the real estate twins.
However, Drew cleared the confusion, telling Fox News, “Our show started airing in 2011 and over that time we’ve met [Chip and Joanna] once or twice. They were really nice.”
The Lawsuit Against Chip and Joanna Gaines
Speaking of the “Fixer Upper” hosts and real-life couple Chip and Joanna Gaines, the two were hit with a lawsuit from former business partners John Lewis and Richard Clark. Lewis and Clark claimed that they were misled by the Gaineses and manipulated into selling part of their business before “Fixer Upper” became popular.
Chip believed the lawsuit had no merit, and claimed that he had never been contacted about the dispute before the lawsuit was filed, tweeting (via In Touch Weekly): “I’ve had the same cell number for 15 years. Same email for 20 years. No one called or emailed? Four years later ‘friends’ reach out via lawsuit — hum.”
The Truth Behind Filming “Fixer Upper”
However, the biggest scandal to hit the “Fixer Upper’ co-hosts was the revelation that guests on the show were told to buy a house before filming ever began. This information came to light when Season 3 guest David Ridley made a guest appearance on Fox News to talk about the filming process.
The show is filmed in a way that makes it appear that the guests have never seen the three houses, which supposedly included the one pre-purchased house.
The Show That Never Made It to Air
David and Jason Benham were about to become HGTV stars in their own right with their show “Flip It Forward.” Why doesn’t this show ring a bell to you? Because it never aired. After the Benham brothers’ father Flip was exposed for his extreme anti-choice and anti-LGBTQ beliefs, as well as David’s anti-queer comments made at a prayer rally outside a Democratic National Convention in 2012, the show was quickly canceled.
The Benham brothers are not the only HGTV stars to talk about their anti-LGTB beliefs, yet they are the only ones to have a show canceled for them.
This “Property Brother” Brawls Outside a Bar
To end this list are our favorite brother duo, the “Property Brothers.” While they are portrayed as sweet-natured on their show, reports surfaced that Jonathan Scott was involved in a bar fight in Fargo, North Dakota, in 2016.
After speaking at a design conference, Scott was one of the many who were annoying the staff of Dempsey’s Public House and was kicked out of the bard. This led to a scuffle in which Scott ended up in a chokehold before being escorted off the premises.
