Tarek El Moussa just broke his silence on the Las Vegas incident that left him with a since-cleared battery citation.
“It was just a really unfortunate incident,” the HGTV star told Entertainment Tonight in a video interview posted on Tuesday, September 16. “I was put in a really weird situation where I had to defend my dad. Luckily, everything is OK, and I think everything is gone now and done now.”
His wife, Heather Rae El Moussa, added, “Yes, cleared up.”
Tarek went on to note that “everyone’s OK” and that he “didn’t get in trouble with the law by any means.” As Heather put it, “It’s life.”
She continued, “We’re on TV, so everything is shown a lot more. But, you know, fights happen, unfortunately.”
Back in June, Tarek was cited for battery following a physical altercation during a trip to Las Vegas with his and Heather’s parents. At the time, TMZ reported that Tarek stepped in to defend his father after a man began harassing him at The Palazzo at The Venetian Resort. During the incident, Tarek allegedly knocked out the man by hitting his head with his knee.
Heather Rae El Moussa / Instagram
Per the outlet, no arrests were made, and both parties refused to receive medical care. Tarek and Heather’s ET interview also included footage of Tarek and his dad being held in a room following the incident.
“I put my chest to his chest, and I said, ‘Hey, is there a f**king problem? This is my dad,’” Tarek, who could be seen wearing a ripped shirt, appeared to tell officials in the clip.
People later reported that Tarek was cleared of his battery citation by the Justice Court of Las Vegas Township on August 5. According to his disposition notice and judgment, the citation was dropped after Tarek underwent counseling and managed to stay out of further legal trouble.
Amid the citation drama, Tarek and Heather’s HGTV series, The Flipping El Moussas, was canceled by the network. The show is one of several HGTV shows to meet the axe since June, including Bargain Block, Married to Real Estate, Izzy Does It, Farmhouse Fixer, Battle on the Beach, and Christina Haack‘s Christina on the Coast.
Despite the cancellation news, Tarek and Heather will soon return to HGTV with Haack (Tarek’s ex-wife) for season 2 of their series, The Flip Off. The show follows the trio as they go head-to-head in a competition to earn the biggest financial gain for their respective house flips.
The show’s debut season, which premiered earlier this year, earned the title of HGTV’s highest-rated freshman series since 2022, drawing in nearly 14 million viewers on cable and streaming combined, per an August HGTV press release. Season 2 is set to premiere next year.
The Flip Off, Season 2, 2026, HGTV