Tarek El Moussa Faces Backlash After US Weekly Interview – Fans Call Him “Entitled Jerk”

Tarek El Moussa, the well-known real estate investor and television personality, is facing a significant backlash and being labeled an “entitled jerk” following a recent interview in US Weekly. The controversy stems directly from his seemingly out-of-touch and arrogant responses to questions about his daily life, leading to widespread criticism from the public, particularly on platforms like Reddit.

Tarek El Moussa rose to prominence as the co-star of the popular HGTV show Flip or Flop, alongside his then-wife Christina Hall (formerly Anstead). The show documented their journey of buying, renovating, and selling distressed properties. After their divorce, Tarek continued his television career with shows like Flipping 101 with Tarek El Moussaand The Flipping El Moussas with his current wife, Heather Rae El Moussa.

Beyond television, El Moussa has expanded his brand into real estate investment funds (TEM Capital) and real estate education courses (Homeschooled by Tarek), where he aims to teach others his investment strategies. His public persona has often been that of a self-made man who started from humble beginnings, living in a garage, to achieve significant wealth.

The recent controversy erupted after an interview with US Weekly where Tarek El Moussa’s answers to seemingly innocuous questions about his personal life came across as highly privileged and disconnected from the reality of most people. The Reddit thread, titled “Did anyone see this post about Tarek in US Weekly?”, quickly became a hotbed of criticism, with users expressing their dismay and labeling him with harsh terms like “entitled jerk,” “mega douchenozzle,” and “massive dick.”

The specific Q&A that ignited this outrage includes:

• When was the last time that you did laundry?
  • “[I think] 2016. We have people that do the laundry.”
• What was the last thing that you waited in line for?
  • “At the airport. It was the short line, though. It was a special line, but it was a line.”
• What was the last item that you ordered online?
  • “I don’t order things online. My assistants do for me.

Why and What Happened: A Deep Dive into the Comments

The core of the outrage lies in El Moussa’s perceived lack of humility and his casual flaunting of wealth and reliance on assistants for everyday tasks, as explicitly revealed in the above answers. While the exact questions he was asked in the US Weekly interview aren’t explicitly stated in the Reddit thread, the comments clearly indicate responses that suggested he rarely, if ever, performs basic chores or mundane activities.

Here’s a breakdown of what people are saying, with exact comments and elaboration:

• “He doesn’t sound like he remembers how most of society lives.” (TNMoonshineMama) and “Very out of touch. Wow.” (urrrkaj): These comments immediately set the tone, highlighting the perceived disconnect between El Moussa’s lifestyle and that of the average person, precisely because he openly admitted to not doing laundry since 2016 or ordering online. The implication is that his wealth has made him oblivious to common struggles.

• “From living in a garage circa 2009 to now, servants doing all his menial tasks 🙄” (mare1679): This comment specifically points out his rags-to-riches story, which he often emphasizes. The irony, according to this user, is that he now seems to have forgotten his humble beginnings and embraced a life of extreme privilege, outsourcing basic tasks like laundry.

• “I am going to have my assistant post my thoughts on this… \s” (Herding_Katz_68) and “My assistant would respond for me but, she doesn’t have thumbs on any of her paws.” (TREEEtreee123): These sarcastic comments directly mock El Moussa’s reliance on assistants, suggesting he delegates even the most basic actions, or perhaps even his thoughts and public statements, a direct jab at his “My assistants do for me” response regarding online orders. The humor underscores the absurdity of his perceived answers.

• “Mega douchenozzle.” (K_MAN32), “He sounds like a massive dick.” (Extra_Fondant_8855), and “Whaddadouche.” (Pretty_Fold3946): These are direct and blunt insults, indicating the strong negative emotional reaction his comments provoked. The intensity of these labels reflects a sense of betrayal or disappointment from viewers who might have previously admired him.

• “This is how he WANTS to appear. He wants to seem like he is UBER wealthy, because his brand (non-TV brand) requires him to be. His main business these days is TEM Capital, which is a fund he raises money (from large and small investors) for his own large real estate investment projects. People don’t give broke people money. Also Homeschooled, which is his real estate investment course offers to teach real estate investors how to do so. For this ESPECIALLY he needs to show that he is wildly successful to get people to shell out $20k for his course and mentorship.” (alfypq): This comment provides a critical and insightful analysis of El Moussa’s potential motivations. It suggests that his “out-of-touch” persona, exemplified by his Q&A answers, might be a calculated move to project an image of extreme wealth and success, thereby attracting investors for his TEM Capital fund and students for his expensive Homeschooled course. This perspective implies that his perceived arrogance is a strategic marketing tool.

   

• “He prob has someone wipe his ass for him too” (Nikkifromtheblock914): This highly exaggerated and crude comment highlights the extreme perception of his dependency on others, pushing the idea to a ridiculous and offensive level to emphasize the point, stemming from his revelations about laundry and online ordering.

• “So he has assistants but not a publicist? Who let him do this Q&A?!” (strawberryshortmum): This comment points to a perceived failure in his public relations strategy. Many users feel that a competent publicist would have advised him against such responses, or at least crafted them to sound more relatable, especially given the clear evidence of his reliance on “people.”

• ““We have people that do that” how relatable and likable…..” (readytogohomenow): This specific quote, directly from his laundry answer, is seen as the epitome of his entitlement and lack of engagement with everyday tasks.

• “You think he’d at least pretend to sound humble.” (RetiredHotBitch): This highlights the expectation for public figures, even wealthy ones, to at least appear humble and relatable. The criticism isn’t necessarily about having help, but about the tone and manner in which he discussed it, particularly his emphasis on “special lines” and “people.”

• “What’s your parenting style? We have people that do that” (CPolland12): This sarcastic hypothetical expands on the “we have people” sentiment, suggesting that his reliance on others might extend to even the most personal aspects of his life, like parenting, further fueling the perception of detachment.

• “This is comically self-important 🤣” (Amazing_Wolf_1653): This comment perfectly encapsulates the absurdity of his responses, viewing them as almost a parody of a self-important rich person, especially his “special line” at the airport comment.

• “Well, he comes across as a VOP. Very Obnoxious Prick.” (citymousecountyhouse) and “When was the last time you wiped your ass” “Oh, 2017, I have people for that now.” (citymousecountyhouse): These comments further cement the “prick” image and use humor to underscore the perceived extreme level of his reliance on “people,” clearly drawing from his laundry answer.

• “Saying, “We have people THAT do the laundry…” as opposed to saying “people WHO do the laundry…” tells me he considers the people doing his laundry as objects. It’s subtle, but telling…” (andrewdiane66): This is a particularly insightful and critical comment, focusing on the nuanced language used in his laundry answer. It suggests that his choice of “that” instead of “who” dehumanizes his staff, further contributing to the perception of arrogance and superiority.

• “What an entitled jerk!” (er1026): This comment, appearing late in the thread, serves as a concise summary of the overall sentiment.

• “Christina is reading this and laughing that you had to wait in line at the airport. She would never.” (Bumblebees2022): This comment draws a comparison to his ex-wife, implying that she might be more adept at maintaining a relatable image, or at least avoiding such PR blunders, especially regarding airport lines.

• “He lost a match of Rock, Paper, Scissors to his wife and he threw a chair. On the competition show he lost one week to Christina and stormed out of the house. Zero self-control.” (SkinnerFL4): Beyond the current controversy, some users recalled past incidents that reinforce his image as an “entitled jerk,” highlighting his perceived lack of humility and poor sportsmanship even in casual situations.

• “He posted on instagram a pic of him and Heather standing beside his sprinter with a caption “While most of you are worried about the economy” with big smiles on their faces…like he’s rubbing it in.” (mddeskins2468): This comment points to a pattern of behavior beyond the US Weekly interview, suggesting a consistent tendency to flaunt wealth insensitively, particularly in the face of economic concerns for the general public.