Flip or Flop's Tarek El Moussa Reveals the Reasons for His Divorce

On Monday's episode of the health talk show The Doctors, Flip or Flop star Tarek El Moussa discusses his battle with testicular and thyroid cancer and how it contributed to his split from wife Christina. He said that a lack of communication during their sudden success and his health problems drove them apart.

"I feel like if we had better communication, we would have had a better relationship," he said. "I think as time went on, as you get busier and busier. It was like overnight, businesses, TV, all these things happened overnight, then the cancer, then the cancer, and the back surgery. It just kind of started pushing us apart from each other."

He reiterated that the firearm situation that required police involvement was a misunderstanding, and noted that he had his licensed handgun with him to protect himself from animals while he was hiking.

Flip or Flop's Tarek and Christina break their silence on dramatic split

When asked by panelist Rosie Mercado how he gets through the challenges of his private life being so public, El Moussa answered, "I would be lying if I said it was easy. But like anything, there's ups and downs and you have challenges, but at the end of the day, we're just normal people. What's most important is the family and the kids. It's really important that we stay positive."

The good news for Tarek is that he's finally cancer-free and feels good for "the first time in a long, long time."

The El Moussas are filming another season of Flip or Flop while in the midst of their divorce proceedings, but the future of the show is in doubt after that. HGTV has commissioned five Flip or Flop spin-offs set in cities around the country, so the original might not be necessary anymore.

Check your local listings for when The Doctors airs.