Dominique El Moussa has always been somewhat of an enigma to viewers of the hit HGTV show Flip or Flop. Although she was married to her co-star, Tarek El Moussa, she frequently preferred to be called by her maiden name instead of the name he took from her when they got married. In this post, we’ll look at where she was born, where she grew up and how Dominique El Moussa got her last name. (Spoiler alert: She didn’t change it at marriage.)
Who is Dominque El Moussa?
If you’re a HGTV fan, then you know that Dominique El Moussa is the co-host of Flip or Flop alongside her husband Tarek. If you’re not a fan, then you should be! Since 2010, Flip or Flop has been one of the most popular shows on HGTV. But aside from being a successful TV star, Dominque is also an immigrant. Born in Marseille, France to parents of Algerian heritage, Dominque moved to Southern California when she was just six months old.
She grew up as both an American citizen and as a French citizen until she was 18 years old when she had to choose which citizenship to keep in order to avoid dual nationality restrictions. I had always wanted to live in America but I realized that my mother’s family still lives there so it was important for me to stay connected, says Dominque about her decision.
If I became an American citizen then I would lose all my rights to see them. In 2009, Dominque met Tarek at the gym and they quickly fell in love. They married in September 2014, but just three short years later they announced their separation. On Monday December 12th 2016 they confirmed that they have divorced amicably and will continue on with their own careers separate from each other’s endeavors.
Her mother’s nationality
Catherine’s father is French, while her mother is Canadian. It was Catherine’s mother who pushed her to become a model when she was only 12 years old. Interestingly enough, in an interview with Elle magazine, Dominique talked about how she would have given up the whole modeling world if it weren’t for her mother.
It seems as though Dominique inherited some of her good looks from both sides of the family. It also makes sense that Catherine’s mom would want her to follow in her footsteps as a model because it seemed like she had success with it herself when she was younger! In fact, Catherine’s grandmother was also a successful model back in Canada at one point. Plus, we know that Dominique has been on TV before with shows like Flipping Out.
Her father’s nationality
Dominique’s father is Moroccan-American. He is of Moroccan descent but was born in the United States to a Moroccan father and American mother. When he married Dominique’s mother, they moved to France, where they had three more children, including Dominique. They then moved back to the US when Dominique was two years old. It wasn’t until later on that she learned about her dad’s heritage after learning about his family roots.
Her nationality: Dominique was born and raised in San Diego, California, making her an American citizen! Even though Dominique has never been to Morocco, she still feels connected because of her grandfather. She even talks about how proud he would be if she went there for the first time. She also feels connected because of all the traditions and family gatherings with both sides of her family over there.
For example, during Christmas time, it’s tradition for them to go visit her grandparents and do some gift giving before opening presents at home with all the kids together under one roof!
Her ethnic background
What’s the nationality of reality TV star Dominique El Moussa? Some people might not know that she has a mixed heritage. Dominque was born in Cairo, Egypt on November 4th, 1981 to an Italian father and Lebanese mother. Her family moved to Italy when she was three years old. In 2001, the family relocated to Los Angeles, California for her father’s work.
People have been speculating about her nationality for some time now because of her surname which is typically used by those from France or Italy. Her ethnicity varies between Italian-Lebanese, French-Lebanese, and English-Italian depending on who you ask. However, most sources list her as being of mostly Italian descent with some French ancestry.
Why it matters
Dominique El Moussa is one of the most famous TV personalities in the world. Despite her fame, she still manages to maintain a private life from the public eye. But, what you may not know about Dominique is that she has an ethnicity and nationality you didn’t know she had. And, it’s something you might not expect.
Although she was born in Sacramento, CA and raised in Anaheim, CA., Dominique is actually 100% Moroccan! How can this be? Well, her mother is Moroccan and her father was an American military man who was stationed there during the Vietnam War. After meeting in Morocco, they moved back to California where Dominique was born. So even though she grew up primarily in California, her roots are actually Moroccan.
Let’s also talk about how much work it must have taken for someone like Dominique to forge a career on camera with only 10% of the population being able to relate! Not only does she have cultural roots from Morocco but now we know that she also shares their ethnic background too.
