The Truth About Tarek El Moussa's Girlfriend Heather Rae Young

Flip or Flop's Tarek El Moussa surprised the world when he was first spotted with Selling Sunset star Heather Rae Young in the summer of 2019, as noted by House Beautiful. The two reality stars quickly became an item, and their love story unfolded in front of the world. It wasn't long before Young and El Moussa had moved in together and declared their love for each other.

Both El Moussa and Young are reality stars and real estate professionals, making them a seemingly perfect match. Young isn't just a sidekick to the better known (for now) El Moussa, though. She is also an established model and leads a fascinating life outside of her relationship with her boyfriend. Her connection with El Moussa may have brought her more attention, but Young is no stranger to the limelight. Just who is Tarek El Moussa's girlfriend? Here is the truth about Heather Rae Young.

Heather Rae Young may be in the big time now, but the recognizable television personality comes from far less glamorous roots. Tarek El Moussa's girlfriend grew up in a small town in California called Running Springs. Young told Super Street that the town, located in the San Bernardino mountains, "was an amazing place to grow up" and that she is grateful for the values that were taught to her in the tight-knit community.

Growing up in the mountains meant that Young was exposed to nature from an early age, and she took full advantage of this. She revealed that she would regularly hike, swim, and go sledding growing up, and she especially loved to ski.

While Running Springs sounds like a great place to spend a childhood, it wasn't without its drawbacks. Young said that there are a few things she doesn't miss about her hometown, like how far away she lived from the mall and being snowed in for days at a time in the winter.

Before she was a model, Heather Rae Young held down a string of less flashy jobs. She told Super Street that her first job was an after-school gig working as a server at a pizza place. After that, she got a job as a ticket checker at a ski resort, and then she worked as a video store clerk.

As much as she loved growing up in Running Springs, Calif. and thinks that her hometown "is a great place to raise a family," Young yearned for something bigger and ended up moving out in search of more opportunities once she turned 18. Young said she really felt like she "needed to move off the mountain," and it was clearly the right decision for her. She moved into an apartment with a high school friend in Redlands, Calif. Not long after, Tarek El Moussa's girlfriend launched her modeling career.

Heather Rae Young got into modeling after attending a casting at the Playboy mansion where she got a callback. After that, she got an agent and a manager, and she began to book modeling gigs. Tarek El Moussa's girlfriend revealed to Super Street that she had admired Playboy models since she was 14 years old. "I thought Playmates were the most beautiful women in the world," she said, adding that she "wanted to be glamorous and sexy like they were." Young finally got her wish in February 2010, when she became Playboy's Playmate of the Month, which she called an "honor" and one of her "lifelong dreams."

Modeling for Playboy came naturally for Young, who said she "love[s] being naked" and isn't "self conscious at all." While she may be comfortable modeling with her clothes off, she said that her dad isn't quite on board with it. While she told her family that she was modeling for Playboy, Young said that her dad "doesn't like to think about" it.

Even though Tarek El Moussa is more well known than his girlfriend thanks to his show Flip or Flop, which has been on the air since 2013, Heather Rae Young is quickly building her own star power. She began starring on the Netflix show Selling Sunset in 2019. While Flip or Flop focuses on fixing up and then selling homes, Selling Sunset is more about the real estate end of things and focuses on a team of realtors at The Oppenheim Group, including Young, who sell expensive homes in Los Angeles.

Young isn't just making her mark in real estate on Selling Sunset — she's also part of El Moussa's HGTV show Flipping 101, which premiered in March 2020. El Moussa seems thrilled to share the spotlight with his sweetie, announcing Young's debut on his show in an Instagram post in which he wrote, "She was so cute on camera I couldn't stop smiling!"

While it might be what Heather Rae Young is best known for (aside from her relationship with Tarek El Moussa), Selling Sunset is far from the only television credit under the reality TV star's belt. Young has actually appeared in several shows and films, including 'Til Death, Christmas in Compton, Love in the Time of Monsters, and The Malibu Tapes.

While it seems like Young has had some success in her acting career and could probably pivot to becoming a full-time actress, it's not something that is likely to happen anytime soon — but not for lack of talent. As Young explained to Women Fitness, she was "basically thrown into acting," but it's not her "passion." She did seriously study acting for a few years and "had some fun with it," but it looks like her heart is with reality television, real estate, and, of course, El Moussa.

It's hard to believe now, considering what an adorable couple they make, but Heather Rae Young wasn't always so smitten with Tarek El Moussa. In fact, she actually turned him down the first time he asked her out. It wasn't because she disliked El Moussa, though — Young already had a boyfriend. It wasn't until after that relationship ended that she and El Moussa got together. In an interview with Fox News, El Moussa revealed that the pair ran into each other and he decided to ask her out again. This time, she said yes.

Young told Radar Online that she finally accepted El Moussa's invitation to go out on the Fourth of July in 2019 and that they met through "mutual friends." Young shared, "And the rest is history!" It's a good thing that El Moussa decided to try again with Young because it's clear that this couple was meant to be.

Getting involved with a guy who has kids is no easy thing, especially if you don't already have kids of your own, but Heather Rae Young rose to the challenge. In an interview with Life & Style, Tarek El Moussa revealed that he was a little nervous about introducing his kids, Taylor and Brayden, to Young, but everything worked out perfectly. He revealed that his kids and Young bonded quickly and that they "adore" each other. "It's just really comforting," he said of his kids and his girlfriend getting along so well.

Young may be good with kids, but that doesn't mean she and El Moussa are ready to have children together — at least not anytime soon. In a separate interview with Life & Style, El Moussa said that he's focused on raising the kids he already has. Young agreed with him, noting that she's loving getting to know her boyfriend's son and daughter.

While it would be understandable if Heather Rae Young didn't get along with Tarek El Moussa's ex-wife, Christina Anstead, the two seem to be on good terms. Even though El Moussa and Anstead still work on Flip or Flop together, a show which they began starring in when they were still married, Young isn't threatened at all. Young told Radar Online that she's "a really confident person" who is "fully supportive" of her boyfriend, including his working relationship with Anstead.

With Young at his side, El Moussa is nailing co-parenting with Anstead. During Young and El Moussa's first Halloween together in 2019, they celebrated the holiday along with Anstead and her family, including her husband and her parents. They took El Moussa and Anstead trick-or-treating in what El Moussa told People was the first time they all got together. "It was a lot of fun," he said.

Tarek El Moussa made it clear that he is serious about Heather Rae Young when he gave the Selling Sunset star a Ferrari on her 32nd birthday in 2019. The couple had only been dating for two months, but El Moussa wanted to surprise her with "her dream car," telling People that they "share a love of sports cars." He also shared that Young had revealed she "always dreamed of a white Ferrari convertible" on their first date.

Young's love of cars is well documented. She hosted The Brake Room, a web series for YouTube channel GTChannel dedicated to cars. She has also modeled for several car magazines, telling Super Street that she "love[s] cars and driving fast." She added that she views cars as a glimpse into a person's personality, saying that she believes what a person drives and how they take care of their vehicle is an indicator of the type of person they are. Young revealed that her cars are always "super clean" because of her dedication to organization.

Heather Rae Young and Tarek El Moussa seem like a match made in heaven. They're clearly compatible, and it doesn't hurt that El Moussa is the type of guy that Young has found attractive since long before they started dating. In a 2010 interview with Super Street, Young described her ideal man and it almost sounds like a checklist of her beau's attributes.

Young said that personality is the most important thing in a man. "I need a man who can make me laugh every day," she shared. She also said that she's into secure men, "which usually leads to older guys." El Moussa is clearly confident and established in his career, and is also six years older than Young, so it sounds like he's definitely her type.

Young added that her turnoffs are men who are conceited, "someone who tries to be something they're not," and guys who don't set goals for themselves — qualities that definitely do not apply to the hardworking and down-to-earth El Moussa.

Heather Rae Young is in seriously good shape. How does she stay so fit? It turns out that the celebrity has a pretty intense workout routine and works quite hard to keep her body in peak condition. In an interview with Women Fitness, Tarek El Moussa's girlfriend discussed the secret to her toned physique, saying that she works out every day. In addition to doing a strength training class three to four times a week, Young is a runner who runs three to four miles a few days a week.

That's a pretty intense workout, but getting in frequent exercise is no hardship for Young. Instead of viewing staying in shape as a chore she detests, Young said that she actually looks forward to getting exercise in. "Fitness makes me so happy," she said.

The Selling Sunset star revealed to Super Street that she also loves to kickbox and dance. No wonder Young is in such good shape!

Maintaining an intense workout routine takes a lot of self-discipline, but exerise is not the only way that Heather Rae Young stays fit and healthy. The Selling Sunset star also follows a very strict diet that helps her stay slim. She revealed to Women Fitness that she has been a vegan for years, but that's not the only strict part of her diet. Aside from staying away from animal products, Young loads up on protein, saying that she tries "to replace two meals with a protein smoothie" every day.

Young added that she eats lots of salads, but she doesn't stay away from snacks. Tarek El Moussa's not munching away on chips or other unhealthy goodies, though, but she instead chooses to "snack ... on nuts or a vegan protein bar." Between meals, she sips on tea, and she revealed that she's never had so much as a single cup of coffee.

But Young does have one weakness: sugar. She admitted that she has "a sweet tooth," so she does her best to avoid sugar since "once I start I can't stop."

While Tarek El Moussa and Heather Rae Young aren't married, it seems like it will only be a matter of time until the two reality TV stars get hitched. El Moussa and Young have talked about what it would be like to get married, and it seems like they're determined to take their relationship all the way down the aisle. In an interview with Us Weekly, Young and El Moussa hinted at what their dream wedding would look like.

While many women begin to plan out their perfect wedding as little girls, Young revealed that she didn't start thinking about her ideal wedding until she met El Moussa because, before that, she hadn't found someone she could see herself marrying. That all changed with the Flip or Flop star, though, and if the two do get hitched, Young "would love to maybe do something in Italy." Tarek El Moussa's girlfriend added, "I'm just really excited to see what happens in the future."