Flip or Flop‘s Christina and Tarek El Moussa have been slapped with a lawsuit from a former employee that claims the HGTV stars owe him $37,800.
Court documents, which were obtained by Daily Mail, show that Jonathan Schmier targeted Tarek, Christina, HGTV, and Scripps Network in the suit. Schmier accused the estranged reality stars of failing to pay him a promised $25,000 commission in addition to another $12,800 in back wages.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Schmier, who resides in Virginia Beach, says that he was asked to find homes in North Carolina that could be featured on the home renovation series. However, the past seven seasons of the show have been filmed in Southern California only.
The documents, which were filed on May 4, show Schmier claiming that he contacted Tarek and Christina’s business partner, Pete de Best. He says that he was then connected with a team member named Scott Rubzin. Schmier says that he and Rubzin struck a deal for him to find homes in North Carolina.
Up Next: Christina And Tarek El Moussa Officially Sign On For ‘Flip Or Flop’ Season 8
According to Schmier’s filing, he worked from March 2016 to October 2016 to find homes that could be featured on the show. He was allegedly supposed to be paid $5k per home, and Schmier says he located five different properties.
Schmier claims that he has not been given any money for the expected $25k commission and accuses the El Moussas and their business associates of stiffing him on the deal.
Before filing a lawsuit, Schmier says that he tried to contact the El Moussas and their staff on multiple occasions in order to discuss the situation. He says that they proceeded to block his phone number, email, and social media accounts.
A spokeswoman for HGTV said: “We are aware of the lawsuit filed in North Carolina but we don’t comment on pending litigation.”
Despite the pending legal troubles and highly publicized divorce, Christina and Tarek El Moussa have signed on for the eighth season of Flip or Flop.
MORE: Christina El Moussa Catches Some Rays In New Beach Bikini Pics
“Tarek and I have been working together for a long time and we look forward to continuing to work together on Flip or Flop,” Christina said in a statement.
Tarek El Moussa said: “From the beginning, HGTV has shown Christina and me tremendous support and we are excited to go out there and flip many more houses for Flip or Flop.”
Allison Page, the general manager for U.S. programming and development for HGTV, Food Network, and Travel Channel also spoke out about Tarek and Christina returning for more Flip or Flop.
“Tarek and Christina’s expertise and success flipping houses has made Flip or Flop an audience favorite on HGTV for many seasons,” Page said. “The series is so successful because it shows how real estate and renovation-savvy can lead to financial success.”
[H/T Daily Mail]
