Fans Support Christina Haack as HGTV Releases ‘Hard to Watch’ Exchange With Ex Josh Hall

Fans are rallying around longtime HGTV star Christina Haack after the network released a stunning new promo for its upcoming competition series “The Flip-Off.” Posted to social media on January 2, 2025, the promo features footage of Haack riding in a car with her then-husband, Josh Hall, pressuring her to do “whatever it takes” to win the show.

Reactions to the footage were swift, with fans’ descriptions of Hall’s behavior toward Haack ranging from “very rude” to “abusive.”

Before the couple filed for divorce in July, they had just begun filming the new home flipping show, scheduled to premiere on January 29. They were set to compete against Haack’s first husband and former “Flip or Flop” co-star Tarek El Moussa and his wife of three years, Heather Rae El Moussa. But after their contentious split, Hall stopped filming the show and Haack called on a range of friends in the industry — including her second husband, Ant Anstead — to help her continue on the show.

The new footage was released one day after Hall posted his reflections on 2024, calling it a “hard year.”

Josh Hall Says Christina Haack is ‘Pissing Me Off’ in New Clip, Shocking Fans

In the preview clip HGTV shared, Haack is seen staring straight ahead in the passenger seat as Hall tells her, “This is a competition, we gotta pull out all the stops. Whatever it takes to win, I’ll do it. Halls rule.”

“(You’re) supposed to say it with me or repeat it, or something that shows that you’re with me,” he continues, growing irritated as Haack looks down at her lap. “Remember, you’re a Hall now.”

When Haack sighs, Hall says, “Don’t get confused in this competition about what your last name is. You’re rude.”

When Haack replies, “I don’t overtalk,” Hall snaps, “Yeah the [expletive] you say and I’m just like, ‘I wish you’d shut up already.’ My wife’s pissing me off already.”

“Are we there yet?” Haack says, before the clip shifts to previously-released footage of Tarek arriving at her house as she emotionally shares that “Josh and I officially split up.”

Fans quickly flooded the post with reactions, with most stunned by the way Hall spoke to Haack.

One viewer wrote, “Wow. That was rough to watch. Abuse comes in many different varieties. That was 100% abusive behavior. Good for you Christina for getting out of an abusive relationship!”

Someone else chimed in, “If he spoke that way to her in front of a camera & the person operating it, imagine it when they were alone. 😢”

“Couldn’t agree more,” another fan wrote. “I was in shock that he told her to shut up. 😤”

Another commented, “This is hard to watch. 😢 The way he speaks to her hurts my heart. Sending @thechristinahall so much love. ❤️❤️❤️❤️”

Even Heather Rae weighed in, “Not everyone makes the cut—and that’s the real reality 🤷‍♀️”

Josh Hall & Christina Haack Post Dueling Ocean Views on New Year’s Day

HGTV’s release of the preview clip for “The Flip-Off” came a day after Hall posted a rare update on Instagram, in which he wrote that 2024 was a “tough year but it’s taught me a lot.”

“It helped me grow and be stronger than I’ve ever been,” he wrote in the caption of a photo of him in an infinity pool, looking over the ocean. “Sometimes the tough situations can change you. You end up becoming a different person. A better version of yourself. You learn things about yourself you didn’t know before. It has opened my eyes to many things.”

“Even though it was tough,” he continued, “I know that it taught me many lessons and for that I’m grateful. I always tell myself that God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers.”

Many of Hall’s followers offered their support, including one who wrote, “Good for you, Josh…rise above and be stronger. Wishing you a better 2025”

Hours after his post, Haack shared her own ocean view photo in her Instagram Stories, taken at the home of attorney friend and frequent Fox News pundit Brian Claypool.

“Thank you @brian.claypool for letting me stay at your beautiful home,” she wrote over the photo. “Starting 2025 at my favorite place on the 🌎. This is gonna be a good year!”

“The Flip-Off” premieres on HGTV on January 29 at 8 p.m. Eastern time, and will be available to stream on Max the following day. HGTV said it plans to release a “Part 2” of the preview it shared on January 2 ahead of the show’s premiere.