Heather Rae El Moussa celebrated the bond between her children with an adorable new photo.
The Selling Sunset alum, 36, shared a photo of stepdaughter Taylor, 13, cuddling with her younger brother Tristan, 13 months, on the family’s couch with their dad, Tarek El Moussa, seated beside them. “Tay Tay cuddles,” Heather wrote alongside the photo posted to her Instagram Story on Saturday, February 17.
This picture came after Heather faced backlash from Instagram followers for appearing to leave her stepdaughter out of a Valentine’s Day post on social media. The post, shared on Wednesday, February 14, was addressed to her husband, Tarek, son Tristan and stepson Brayden.
“Happy Valentine’s day to my boys T, T & B ❤️👼🏻 I have never felt so much love in my life,” Heather wrote in the caption. “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.”
Heather concluded the post by saying, “I love you very much honey and I love you Tristan and Bray❤️.” Tarek, 42, shares Taylor and son Brayden, 8, with ex-wife Christina Hall, who tied the knot with Josh Hall in 2022. Tarek and Heather welcomed Tristan in January 2023 after marrying in 2021.
Heather’s upload quickly received an influx of comments from followers asking why she had not included Taylor in her Valentine’s Day wishes. “You can wish a girl happy Valentines too. Sad to just say the male kids,” one commenter wrote. Another Instagram user said, “I cannot believe you chose to alienate Taylor on Valentine’s Day. That is SAD.”
In response, Heather shared a photo of herself and her stepdaughter embracing each other on her Instagram Story on Thursday, February 15. “We close your ears to the pettiness,” she wrote. “We strive for positivity only. My girl knows she’s my #1 gal.”
Heather has previously discussed the importance of her relationship with her stepchildren. In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly in June 2023, she emphasized that she never plays favorites when it comes to her kids (and that includes stepkids).
“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 told Us 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 said: “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.”
