Former ‘Selling Sunset’ Star Heather Rae El Moussa Got Candid About Her “Frustrating” Exit

Each season of Selling Sunset comes with its own set of drama. You never know if the drama that happens within the Oppenheim Group will be too much for one of the employees to handle.

Heather Rae El Moussa, a full-time cast member when Selling Sunset premiered in 2019, appeared to handle herself well and the inevitable tension that ensued on the show. Still, she hadn't been on the show in several years and surprised her fans when she made a cameo in Season 9 two years after being away.

Heather's brief return to Selling Sunset was well-received from her former co-stars and fans. However, it also caused some to wonder why she ever left the show in the first place. So, why did Heather leave Selling Sunset? Here's what to know.

Heather's Selling Sunset exit came after she and her co-stars wrapped the Netflix show's seventh season. According to People, a source shared with the outlet in December 2023 that she wouldn't be returning to the series. The news came after Heather confirmed to E! News that she initially thought her role on the show had been reduced after she returned from maternity leave for her and her husband, Tarek El Moussa's, son, Tristan, who was born that January. However, she also said she hadn't received the green light from the show to begin filming.

"Season 7 is filming right now, but I've been off maternity leave and I've been excited to get back to work, and so far I have not been called back," Heather revealed. "It's been a little frustrating. I've been there from the pilot, from the beginning.”

The real estate pro also hinted that her time on the show was up via Instagram. In a December 2023 Instagram post, she shared a snap of her and her friend and former co-star Bre Tiesi. Heather added a quote to the carousel that stated, "True friendship is when two friends can walk in opposite directions, yet remain side by side."

"The yin to my yang," she said of Bre in the post's caption. "Opposite in almost every way but became besties immediately- and even though we’re not on the same show together anymore, our friendship is stronger than ever."

Although she's no longer a full-time cast member of Selling Sunset, Heather has continued to thrive outside of the real estate office-led show. In addition to continuing her work as a realtor, she serves as an executive producer on her and Tarek's show, The Flipping El Moussas. The show allows her to create her own schedule and spend more time with her family, something she did less of when she was committed to filming the show.

”With Selling Sunset, I never knew when I was going to be filming," Heather shared during an interview with The Skinny Confidential Podcast. "It was last-minute, it took over my life, it was hard to do my real job — real estate. It was hard to do anything else."

Now that she has more time on her hands, Heather seems to be in a more positive place with her former O Group co-workers, including Bre and Chrishell Stause.

Here's hoping we see more pop-ups from her in future seasons!

Stream Selling Sunset exclusively on Netflix.