Heather Rae El Moussa’s Instagram Stories turned from upbeat to unsettling as the reality star shared a cryptic update on June 9, 2026. The HGTV star, who’s also been filming her return to Netflix’s “Selling Sunset,” wrote her message in white, italic lettering on a black background.
Heather, who’s married to longtime HGTV personality Tarek El Moussa, wrote, “Disgusted by some of the cruel heartless people in this world. Tarek and I feel violated and to be honest really sad. Taking a break for a few days and will be back to explain soon … We are safe & the kids are safe ❤️”
Heather Rae El Moussa Posted From Their Family Trip to Cabo San Lucas
Heather didn’t give any additional details on what left her and Tarek feeling so unmoored that they needed to step away from social media, where they both typically post multiple stories, photos, and videos each day. Tarek shared his wife’s update to his Stories two hours later, but with no additional commentary.
Their most recent upload, seen above, was a playful joint post from June 8, and appeared to be filmed in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where they are enjoying a family trip.
A day earlier, on June 7, Heather shared a video of their travels to their Mexican getaway with their three-year-old son Tristan, as well as Tarek’s kids with first wife, HGTV’s Christina Haack — daughter Taylor, 15, and son Brayden, 10. Heather shared their group’s early morning ride to the airport, semi-private plane ride during which Tristan’s ears wouldn’t pop, and arrival at their luxury resort.
Many fans celebrated their family getaway, but quite a few also judged the El Moussas for letting Tristan use a pacifier and making unkind comments about him. Others stood up for them, including one who wrote to the naysayers, “This world is hard enough. You still have a chance if you’re alive today to direct your energy for good. Highly recommend.”
Heather Rae El Moussa Has Addressed How She Must Work to Ignore Negative Feedback on Social Media
Heather is no stranger to being mom-shamed and judged on social media for everything from how she parents to how she talks to how she dresses.
In a May 2024 post, she shared screenshots of some of the mean comments she’d recently received and wrote in the caption, “Unbothered 💁🏼♀️ Social media can be a double-edged sword; while it offers connectivity and community, it also presents a platform for comparison and negativity. However, your perspective and how you engage with it is so important. I hope you guys don’t have to deal with this, but if you have I’m sending you all the love.💌”
Another common complaint from critics is her genuine friendship with Haack, who was married to Tarek until 2018. In July 2025, Heather wrote a sweet message to Haack on her birthday on Instagram, per People, telling her, “It’s crazy how far we’ve come & most will never understand how we are friends. I’m grateful for our relationship & our ability to rise above the noise! Cheers to you & can’t wait to celebrate you! Xo”
Knowing how resilient Heather’s been in the shadow of online haters, fans are likely very curious about what occurred that was disturbing enough to leave her feeling so “violated.” Only time will tell, as Heather gains the courage to share what happened.
