The seventh season of Selling Sunset hit Netflix this week, with all the familiar flair that made the show its most-loved reality series, continuing the drama that has kept viewers hooked since its premiere in 2019. One famous face, however, appears to be largely absent from the new season.
Heather Rae El Moussa (née Young) has been on the show since the very first episode, as a core member of the Oppenheim real estate empire. Over the course of the show, she has made a name for herself in the world of high-end homes, married fellow property mogul Tarek El Moussa, and documented her journey into motherhood, all while balancing work and family life – so why has she seemingly left the series?
Why did Heather Rae El Moussa leave Selling Sunset?
Heather Rae El Moussa confirmed her departure on Instagram on November 3rd, writing “It’s bittersweet to not be a part of SS anymore,” to her three million followers, as documented by US Weekly. “But I do know that good or bad I wouldn’t change the experiences I had.”
The reason for her exit, however, is not so clear. At the start of her new post, El Moussa hinted at some sort of factor that influenced her decision to leave and move on to pastures new. “Everything happens how it’s meant to 🤍,” the 36-year-old wrote. “And we all have a plan.”
El Moussa seemingly hinted that she had left the show last month, when she was absent from new promotional images for season 7, even hinting that something “pushed” her out of the cult reality series.
“Looks like I got pushed in the water … it’s a good thing I can swim,” she wrote on Instagram. “Congrats to my girls on S7! 💗You may see me in a few episodes. 💁🏼♀️.”
While perhaps a subtle comment that is up to interpretation, “a few” seemed to imply not all episodes, but the realtor’s comments are not entirely clear, even now.
El Moussa did state back in March that she would be absent for much of season 7 because she was on maternity leave. “Season seven is filming right now, but I’ve been off maternity leave and I’ve been excited to get back to work,” she told E! News at the time.
However, she did go on to say that she had not been asked to return to work as normal, adding that “so far I have not been called back, It’s been a little frustrating. So [I’m] not sure what’s been going on.” Perhaps this is what she meant about being “pushed” out of the new season.
Will Heather Rae El Moussa Return to Selling Sunset?
As noted by “see me in a few episodes,” Heather Rae El Moussa’s exit from Selling Sunset is not a clean-cut withdrawal from the show. So far, her season 7 appearances have been pretty sporadic, although typically brief.
Other cast members, such as Maya Vander, dropped down to a guest role after five seasons on the show, appearing occasionally. Others have been bumped up a grade in their role on the show. For example, Romain Bonnet jumped from recurring to main between seasons 1 and 2, before eventually becoming recurring once more after season 3.