What You Never Knew About HGTV Star Heather Rae El Moussa

With over 3 million Instagram followers and her every move covered by tabloids, it is safe to say that Heather Rae El Moussa has captured the public's attention. It is not hard to see why, as the star has both a bubbly personality and a sweet demeanor that make her perfect in front of the camera (her gorgeousness doesn't hurt, either). Heather's high-profile marriage and the ever-changing, odd dynamic between her and her husband's ex-wife, Christina Hall, have only increased the fascination people have with her life. But there is plenty that those who are not diehard fans may not know about Heather, no matter how often they watch her on television — and we're here to fill you in on the details.

Heather was not widely known until "Selling Sunset" hit Netflix, making stars out of its cast of leggy models and their two much-shorter bosses, the Oppenheim twins. Though Heather (who went by her maiden name, Young, at the time) was a key part of the series for the first few seasons, she started fading into the background and was eventually demoted before leaving the show entirely after Season 7. After appearing on her husband Tarek El Moussa's existing programs, HGTV gave the couple their own series in 2023 called "The Flipping El Moussas," followed by another titled "The Flip Off," which co-stars Christina Hall. Here's a look at what you may not know about Heather.

Most people only discovered Heather Rae El Moussa when "Selling Sunset" debuted in 2019, or perhaps even later when she hit HGTV.  So, they are forgiven if they totally missed the star's acting career. Her credits are minimal, but El Moussa spent four years training to be an actor and was giving it a real shot before reality television came calling. This is a common story amongst cast members on lifestyle-focused reality programs — including the stars of "Selling Sunset." Chrishell Stause is the biggest example, but Christine Quinn, Bre Tiesi, and Vanessa Villela have all had the acting bug at some point.

El Moussa's first role was a small guest spot in a 2010 episode of "'Til Death," a sitcom starring lovable nepo baby Joely Fisher and "Everybody Loves Raymond" star Brad Garrett. She accumulated seven other small credits between 2011 and 2016, although a few of them were roles so tiny that her characters were not given names. For example, she was "Exotic Dancer #2" in "The Internship." Other credits include "Christmas in Compton," "Mafia," and "Love in the Time of Monsters." 

"Mafia," which stars Ving Rhames and Pam Grier, was El Moussa's first movie role. Of her experience working alongside the seasoned pros in 2010, she tweeted, "This has taught me so much. It's an amazing feeling." The star returned to acting in 2023 with the film "Malibu Horror Story" and then appeared in a 2024 film called "Clint," which is based on the life of Clint Eastwood.

Heather El Moussa was circling the entertainment industry for years before she became a household name. Though there are some reports she started modeling at 18, the star herself has said that she actually began at 21. "I've always loved being in front of the camera. My focus and work shifted when I started doing real estate. But they went hand and hand, I met so many contacts through modeling and some of my first clients were from that time in my life," she posted to Facebook in 2020.

El Moussa's biggest shoot was a spread for Playboy, which she credits with changing her life and propelling her career forward. She appeared as a Playmate in February 2010 and has said that modeling allowed her to travel the world as well as make crucial connections in Hollywood. "I don't regret anything I've ever done. I'm proud of my life. Everything I've done has got me to where I am today," she said in a 2021 interview with The Sun. "I channelled that into real estate and using my contacts. I sold over nine million dollars' worth of real estate within my first four months." El Moussa modeled for Playboy multiple times after her first centerfold spread and even appeared in a couple of Playboy TV series, including "Playboy's the Antiviral Show." Beyond modeling and acting, El Moussa has had a few other jobs. She was a ring girl for boxing matches in 2017 and at one point taught Pilates.

When she was still on the show, Heather Rae El Moussa spoke highly of "Selling Sunset," even in interviews where she bashed then-villain Christine Quinn. "I am big on loyalty, I'm big on friendships and trust, and I do not trust her. I don't think she's a loyal person," El Moussa said about Quinn to The Sun while promoting Season 4 of the series. But she was quick to clarify that, despite the very real drama, the office was not a horrible place to work. "Most of us are very supportive of each other, we try and lift each other up. There is obviously fighting but we're not mean for the sake of it," she said.

Call it sour grapes or call it coming out with the truth now that she is no longer employed by Netflix, but El Moussa has sung a very different tune in interviews since departing "Selling Sunset" in 2023. The clearest example of this was on an episode of "The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast," on which El Moussa appeared in April 2024. She critiqued the production's last-minute scheduling and long shooting days before moving on to the general "toxic" atmosphere on the show and the stress it created. "You're around a bunch of women that everyone wants to be stars on the show, number one. And they'll kind of do anything," she said.  Elsewhere in the interview, she recalled, "I came home to [husband Tarek El Moussa] crying from the stress."