Heather Rae El Moussa is pulling back the curtain on her decision to return to reality TV real estate alongside her former Selling Sunset costars — a choice that she says was anything but simple.
“You know, when they asked me to come back it definitely was a big decision,” Heather, 38, exclusively told Us on Saturday, July 25, while attending Karma Automotive’s exclusive evening produced by SLS Concepts at the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. “I’m really big with peace in my life and trying to have as much peace as possible.”
She continued, “And I already am filming another show, you know? Doubling up on two shows again with a toddler, with a 15-year-old and a 10-year-old, it’s a lot to balance. So, like, can I even do this?”
Heather confirmed back in November 2023 that she was exiting the hit Netflix reality series after season 7.
“Everything happens how it’s meant to,” she wrote via Instagram at the time. “And we all have a plan. It’s bittersweet to not be part of SS anymore. But I do know that good or bad I wouldn’t change the experiences I had.”
Heather — who shares son Tristan with husband Tarek El Moussa and is the proud stepmom to his eldest kids, daughter Taylor and son Brayden, whom he shares with his ex-wife, Christina Haack — later discussed why she decided to step away from the show, helmed by real estate moguls and identical twins Jason Oppenheim and Brett Oppenheim.
“In the beginning it was just all fun, not crazy drama. We were all friends. Any drama was just simple,” she recalled during an April 2024 appearance on “The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast” podcast. “Then it just got worse and worse and worse. They started adding in more girls. It just became out of control.”
She continued at the time, “They just want more and more, and you saw me on the show. I pretty much was levelheaded almost the whole time. I was kind of friends with everyone, and I kept things pretty chill in my life. Yeah, it’s very toxic. You’re around a bunch of women that everyone wants to be stars on the show, No. 1. And they’ll kind of do anything.”
Years later, Us exclusively confirmed Heather’s return to Selling Sunset, along with a few shocking cast exits. In addition to Heather, polarizing fan favorite Christine Quinn, who left the show in 2022, will also be back for season 10, while Chrishell Stause, Nicole Young and Chelsea Lazkani will not be returning.
When forced to ask herself if she could handle the drama and rigorous filming schedule of another reality TV show, Heather told Us that in the end she realized these opportunities just don’t last forever.
“I’s short-lived, coming up here as often as I am for the show, and I’m having a lot of fun,” she told Us on Saturday.” It brings me back to my late 20s. I’m enjoying it, but it is a lot on the emotional capacity that I can have.”
She added, “I was gone for a couple years, so I don’t think I was there for the heavy years. I think right when I left, it got heavier. The girls, we had a camaraderie. It was like we all started this together. We joined the Oppenheim Group, most of us, together, and then got a show and we kind of built that together. And it’s sad that they’re not there, but we have a lot of fresh faces. It feels fun, and I think we’re all building a relationship, which is really nice.”
As for whether or not she regrets her decision to return at a time of turmoil for the show, Heather told Us she knows what she got herself into.
“Oh, there’s drama. There is. Even at first I was like, ‘This is mellow,’ and then it just, like, boom, out of nowhere,” she said. “I am glad I said yes. I am. I’m enjoying it. I think that it’ll open a lot of really good doors, and I’m continuing to build my beauty brand and I feel like this helps a lot. And I’m really enjoying myself. I love being on TV. It’s part of my life.”
Selling Sunset is streaming on Netflix.
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