Heather Rae El Moussa (née Young) is not here for the haters — especially when it comes to her son and stepkids.
“We close your ears to the pettiness,” Heather, 36, captioned an Instagram Story post on Thursday, February 15. “We strive for positivity only. My girl knows she’s my #1 gal.”
In the photo, Heather is hugging stepdaughter Taylor, 13, whom husband Tarek El Moussa shares with ex-wife Christina Hall (née Haack). Tarek, 42, and Hall, 40, also share son Brayden, 8, while Tarek and Heather welcomed baby Tristan in January 2023.
Heather’s Instagram Story post came after the Selling Sunset alum received backlash from Instagram followers after seemingly leaving her stepdaughter out of a Valentine’s Day social media post.
“Happy Valentine’s day to my boys T, T & B ❤️👼🏻 I have never felt so much love in my life,” Heather captioned a series of photos on Wednesday, February 14. “All 3 keep me on my toes but I wouldn’t want it any other way. I am so thankful to have you as my husband my best friend and my partner @therealtarekelmoussa.”
She called Tarek — whom she wed in 2021 — her “person” and “the best daddy.” Heather’s caption concluded: “I love you very much honey and I love you Tristan and Bray❤️.”
The comments section was immediately flooded with people wondering why Heather left her stepdaughter out of the post.
“You can wish a girl happy Valentines too. Sad to just say the male kids,” one Instagram user wrote. Another asked, “Is the stepdaughter chopped liver on vday?”
A third commented, “I cannot believe you chose to alienate Taylor on Valentine’s Day. That is SAD.”
While Heather didn’t respond to any comments, the Thursday Instagram Story post with Taylor appeared to be a response in itself. (Heather and Tarek coparent Taylor and Brayden with Christina, who wed Josh Hall in 2022.)
Heather previously spoke about the “strong relationship” she has with her stepkids during an exclusive interview with Us Weekly in June 2023.
“I don’t favor any of the children more than the others. They’re all important to me and I love them so much. And I wouldn’t be a mommy if I didn’t have Taylor and Brayden,” she said at the time. “The truth is we have them 50 percent of the time and I don’t see them as much. And when we have them, we are busy. I’m not thinking about taking photos and videos … we have sports, we have tutoring, we have a strict bedtime.”
She added, “People don’t understand my relationship with Taylor and Brayden. It’s OK. I know my strong relationship with them and how much we love each other, and I know what a devoted stepmom I am, and that’s all that matters.”
