Top 7 HGTV Scandals and Controversies

Find out what happened to these HGTV stars…

The stars of My Big Family Renovation may have appeared to have the perfect family on screen, but behind the scenes Jen Hatmaker’s husband Brandon was secretly having an affair. In her memoir, Awake, Jen shared that she found out Brandon was cheating when she caught him sending intimate texts to his mistress. The couple, who married as teens and share five children, had already been going through marriage counseling -- but Jen immediately threw him out of the house. 

Following the release of Jen’s memoir, Brandon spoke out to defend himself, admitting that the book “has stirred the pot quite a bit” -- especially as he had already made amends in his personal life. 

“The lowest moment of my life was my very public affair five years ago. I caused so much pain, so much humiliation, and I brought so much confusion into the lives of many people that I loved. It was the culmination of a three-year personal spiral in which I had lost my anchor, felt no hope, and was the loneliest I've ever been in my life,” he wrote, saying that “while that was the lowest moment of my life, a very close second, is having to relive it today.”

Flip or Flop stars Tarek El Moussa and Christina Haack had been married for several years when they began filming their HGTV show. While they were picture-perfect on screen, things at home weren’t going as well. In 2016, the couple were involved in an incident with the police following an intense argument. While it’s unclear exactly what happened, authorities were contacted about a “possibly suicidal male with a gun.” While Tarek has denied those claims, Christina later told People that it all made her “realize that us being separated was healthier for both of us.”

In late 2016, the couple announced that they were going their separate ways amid “challenges” in their marriage -- and while they continued on with their series, things came to a head in 2021. While taping the show, Tarek allegedly went on a verbal trade, lashing out at Christina. They decided to end the show less than a year later. Tarek later entered rehab for addiction.  

While the couple have had their ups and downs, they’re now on good terms as they co-parent their children. They also teamed up for a new show, The Flip Off, and during the premiere, they reflected on the struggles they’ve gone through since their divorce and ultimately reached a place of forgiveness.

While The Flip Off initially featured Christina and Tarek’s new spouses, Josh Hall and Heather Rae El Moussa, one couple didn’t make it to the end of filming. In the middle of the show’s first season, Christina and Josh decided to go their separate ways. Christina shared the news in an emotional moment on The Flip Off, explaining that things had been bad “for a long time” and she had reached a breaking point after a “blow up” fight. Even her children told her that she should leave the marriage.

“They told me he’s not nice to me. Why would I stick around?” Christina said on the show.

Josh did not return to filming, which Christina later said made the show “so much easier and so much better in every way.” But after filing for divorce, the couple were caught in a contentious legal battle -- with Christina making claims against Josh, including allegations that he stole $35,000 from her bank account and wanted $3.5 million in the split.

Amid their legal battle, Christina expressed regret over not getting a prenup, admitting she wished she hadn’t married Josh altogether. The couple finally finalized their divorce in August 2025, but that didn’t stop Josh from getting one more dig at Christina.

“Finally, legally divorced and a free man,” Josh wrote on Instagram. “I’ve always worked hard, kept what’s mine, and declined hand outs, and I’m keeping it that way. Lesson learned: don't marry someone who needs constant public validation and will use your personal drama for attention.”

In 2025, Jonathan and Drew Scott opened up about a rift they had been going through privately over how much money they were making on their HGTV show. Jonathan explained that he used to film much more than Drew but they were making the same amount of money. The brothers eventually went head-to-head about the fairness of the situation. 

“I used to film three times more than Drew because he would be there in the beginning, and then he would come back at the end of an episode, and I was there doing the work,” Jonathan shared on SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live. “And I remember after doing this for 10 years, because we’ve been on the air now for over 15 years, I remember I finally said to Drew, I’m like, ‘Should I maybe get paid three times what you get paid?’ And he’s like, ‘You’re never allowed to bring this up again ever.’”

While the brothers didn’t share how they resolved the issue, they did eventually come to an agreement about their salaries.

Fixer Upper stars Chip and Joanna Gaines found themselves in the middle of legal drama in 2017 when they were sued for $1 million. In the lawsuit, two former partners accused Chip of fraud after he bought them out of their business without telling them about his deal with HGTV.

According to the duo, they started Magnolia Realty with Chip in 2007. In 2013, they say Chip “initiated the buyout discussion” with his partners while withholding knowledge that “Magnolia Realty was about to receive nationwide advertising through HGTV’s Fixer Upper.” They added that Chip forced the sale of the business for a fraction of its true value by hiding the fact that “Magnolia was soon to receive nationwide advertising and branding.” The pair were paid just $2,500 after Chip told them there were “no assets” and that the company was “less than worthless.”

In response, the Gaines’ lawyer shut down the claims -- and Chip noted on social media that the two men had never tried to settle things privately. 

“We are confident that these claims will be found to be meritless, and it is disappointing to see people try to take advantage of the hard work and success of Chip and Joanna Gaines,” the Gaines’ attorney Jordan Mayfield told TooFab of the suit.

The lawsuit was eventually dismissed in 2020 but Chip countersued, alleging defamation. They reached an out-of-court settlement in 2023, per People.

After Rehab Addict star Nicole Curtis learned she was pregnant with ex-boyfriend Shane Maguire’s baby, she decided to raise the infant on her own. But when the little boy was six-months-old, Shane decided to assert his parental rights. He was awarded visitation and suddenly Nicole had to turn over her then-6-month-old son twice a week. As the infant had never been away from her and was exclusively breastfed, she says it was a “heart-wrenching” time. It began a vicious custody battle for the former couple’s two-year-old son. 

“He had never had a bottle before, and then all of a sudden that was his only option while he was with his dad,” she told People, adding that she was physically unable to follow a court instruction to pump enough breast milk in advance. “It’s so important that children have both of their parents. But [preventing] me from breastfeeding my child just so he can see the dad is not right.”

Amid their two-year custody battle, Shane accused Nicole of continuing to breastfeed the toddler in order to prevent him from getting time with his son. Eventually Nicole was legally granted the ability to breast feed the baby once a day during Shane’s visitations.

Amid the ups and downs, the former couple finally signed a custody agreement in 2018 to end the years-long legal battle, requiring them to “share equal responsibility and decision-making authority” in the child’s upbringing.

In 2016, cameras captured Property Brothers star Jonathan Scott in the midst of a scuffle with a bouncer. While it’s unclear what led to the altercation, sources told TMZ that he happened to get in the middle of other people who were arguing, but had nothing to do with the situation. Meanwhile, cops told the outlet that the bar was trying to get people out before the 2 AM closing time. Jonathan called 911 at 1:57 AM, claiming he was assaulted by the bouncer. In the end, no charges were filed against Jonathan, according to CBS.