Heather Rae El Moussa addresses ‘haters’ amid stepdaughter’s absence from family photo
Heather Rae El Moussa was one step ahead of the “haters” this Thanksgiving.
On Nov. 28, the 37-year-old “Selling Sunset” star took to Instagram to give fans an inside look into her family’s Thanksgiving celebration.
In one of the photos, she poses with her husband, Tarek El Moussa; their 21-month-old son, Tristan; and his 9-year-old son, Brayden, whom Tarek El Moussa shares with ex-wife Christina Haack.
Tarek El Moussa also shares a 14-year-old daughter, Taylor, with Haack, but she was noticeably absent from the family photos.
Knowing that criticism was just one comment away, Heather Rae El Moussa took matters into her own hands before any drama came of it.
“For the haters – Tay is on a trip with her mom, that’s why she’s not in our photo,” she wrote in the caption.
Haack, while on the trip with Taylor, took to her Instagram Stories to post a video of her and Taylor eating caviar for Thanksgiving.
“Best day with my fancy girl,” she wrote in her story.
The comment stems from the nearly two years of mom-shaming comments Heather Rae El Moussa has received from those “haters,” who have accused her in the past of favoring her son over her stepchildren.
She first addressed the mom-shaming in a June 2023 interview with “Today” and gave viewers an explanation as to why her followers see Tristan more than the other kids on social media.
“Taylor and Brayden are in school all day, and I’m home with Tristan. I can capture moments with Tristan easily,” she said at the time.
“They’re also busy with sports and tutoring — they always have something going on,” she added of her two stepchildren.
She also argued that Taylor is a teenager and sometimes doesn’t want her photos posted online, which Heather Rae El Moussa respects.
The topic came up again earlier this year when the “Flipping El Moussas” star took to Instagram to wish her husband a Happy Father’s Day.
“Starting Father’s Day early with the whole family dressed in @psychobunny,” she wrote in the caption of the May 28 post.
The photos featured Tristan and Brayden with their father, but Taylor was again absent.
It didn’t take long for the naysayers to ask why she was absent.
“’The whole family’… where’s Tay?” one user wrote in the comment section.
It wasn’t all negative, though, as some users came to the defense of Heather Rae El Moussa.
“She’s probably at the age asking not to be posted. They all go through that lol,” one user wrote, referring to Taylor’s age.
But even that wasn’t the end of it.
After celebrating her 37th birthday in September, Heather Rae El Moussa was forced to defend herself again when Taylor wasn’t seen in any of the photos or videos from the party.
She took to her Instagram Story to explain why, again reiterating that it’s her stepdaughter’s wish to not be in the photos.
“She does not like to be in any photos, any videos right now, so that’s why you guys don’t see her often and on anything,” she wrote in the video, per BuzzFeed. “But she is there, she just doesn’t want to be in the pictures.”
Now, two months later, Heather Rae El Moussa is learning to beat her haters to the punch — and that’s what she did on Thanksgiving Day.
Despite having to pre-defend herself, the rest of her caption highlighted the love and gratitude her family shares for each other.
“We are thankful for our kids, Taylor, Brayden & Tristan,” she wrote in the Nov. 28 caption. “They bring so much innocence, love and laughter to our lives. And our big blended crazy but beautiful family.”
Heather and Tarek El Moussa tied the knot in 2021, three years after his divorce from Haack was finalized. The couple welcomed Tristan two years later.
