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Flop stars Tarek and Christina El Moussa portray the chipper, nearly
perfect all-American couple on TV but we’ve learned they’re now separated …after
a scary incident involving guns and a feared suicide attempt.

Their ordeal
started, at least publicly, in May when deputies responded to “a call of a
possibly suicidal male with a gun” at the couple’s Orange County home. According
to law enforcement, a massive presence showed up — 11 deputies and a
helicopter.

Witnesses told
cops they saw Tarek grab a gun from his safe, run out the back door and flee
down a hiking trail. Shortly after, Christina was seen running out of the house
crying and shaking.

Within
minutes, the helicopter spotted Tarek on a trail and deputies told him to drop
his weapon. Tarek complied and told deputes he had no intention of hurting
himself. He said he wanted to “blow off some steam,” and only brought the gun
for mountain lions and rattlesnakes.