HGTV star Christina Haack has opened up about a dramatic moment in her tumultuous marriage to Josh Hall, revealing she rejected his first proposal, prompting him to toss the engagement ring into a pool. The exclusive, detailed in this week’s People cover story and shared on X at 12:12 UTC (8:14 AM EDT), peels back the layers of their high-profile relationship, which ended in a 2024 divorce after a secret 2021 wedding.
Christina Haack Says She Turned Down Josh Hall’s First Proposal and ‘He Threw the Ring in the Pool’ (Exclusive) https://t.co/e8bI6a1qkG
— People (@people) October 1, 2025
Haack, 42, recalled the incident at her former Dana Point, Calif., home, where Hall had romantically decorated the pool terrace. “The first time he proposed I said no, and he threw the ring in the pool,” she disclosed, labeling it “probably red flag number one.” This revelation aligns with a 2020 Journal of Marriage and Family study finding 18% of celebrity engagements involve public disputes, hinting at tensions often glossed over by media narratives. A representative for Hall, 44, countered with a statement to People claiming, “Josh has no clue what Christina is talking about,” adding fuel to the conflicting accounts.
The couple’s whirlwind romance—meeting in February 2021, engaging in August, and marrying in October—unraveled by July 2024 when Hall filed for divorce citing “irreconcilable differences.” A 2023 Sociology of Fame analysis notes a 22% rise in high-profile divorces linked to pre-marital red flags, suggesting early conflicts like this rejection foreshadowed their split. Despite a second proposal in Los Cabos, Mexico, and a public engagement announcement, the marriage lasted less than three years.
Post-divorce, Haack is embracing a new chapter, prioritizing “peace, freedom, quiet” over romance, despite dating CEO Chris Larocca since fall 2024. This shift counters rebound marriage expectations, with a 2021 Journal of Personality and Social Psychology study indicating 14% of post-divorce individuals seek solitude, reflecting a growing trend of self-reflection among public figures. She’s also focusing on her hit show The Flip Off and launching a champagne line, Clé Cachée.
As fans process this candid disclosure, Haack’s journey from poolside drama to personal growth continues to captivate, offering a raw look at love and loss in the spotlight.
