Back in August, HGTV star Tarek El Moussa and ex-wife Christina Haack surprised their daughter Taylor with a sweet 16th birthday gift: a shiny new BMW X5 M.
Joined by El Moussa’s current spouse, “Selling Sunset” star Heather El Moussa, the trio presented her with the keys to the luxury sports car — reportedly valued at $150,000 — after she and her dad returned from a driving lesson.
A ‘Well Deserved’ Gift
Video of the moment was captured on Instagram, with the caption to the video adding, “The car is so well deserved, we love you so much Tay.”
However, not everyone was onboard with the notion of giving such a high-end vehicle to a teenager still learning how to drive.
“Irresponsible parent,” read one comment to the post. “Who puts a 16 yr old girl in a $150,000 car?”
Another commenter wrote, “brand new x5m yall crazy,” while another read, “I really deserve a BMW too! Maybe even more so! But I still don’t have one!”
Tarek, however, is brushing off that criticism.
Defending the Decision
During a recent appearance on the “Money Rehab” podcast, El Moussa defended the decision to give his daughter the luxurious vehicle.
As she explained, the car was a reward for Taylor’s exemplary performance in school, which including getting a 4.2 GPA and becoming the MVP of her freshman soccer team.
“She’s an absolutely fantastic kid and didn’t just get it. She actually earned it and, if you ask me, she deserved it because she worked really, really hard and didn’t even ask for that car,” he said, as reported by Page Six.
In fact, he said his daughter would have “been happy with a used Honda,” but the BMW was chosen due to safety concerns.
“That thing is built like a tank,” he explained. “She’s in a safe car, and she loves it.”
Insisting that his daughter isn’t “a spoiled brat,” he acknowledged that she’d grown up in a life of extreme privilege.
“She was flying in private jets when she was like, one years old, OK, so this kid, she’s grown up around things,” he pointed out.
“So when I grew up, I didn’t have anything, right? So I’m obsessed with things because I never had things,” El Moussa continued.
“She’s always had things,” he added. “So, she looks at things different than I look at things.”
A Bonding Experience
As Taylor’s stepmother, Heather El Moussa has become an important figure in the teenager’s life.
In fact, she’s come up with a unique way to bond with Taylor: their shared love of rocketing in rollercoasters.
“Fun fact, we’re both rollercoaster junkies 🎢😅” Heather wrote in an Instagram post, accompanying some photos of a day of fast fun at California amusement park Knott’s Berry Farm.
“We love a trip to @knottsberryfarm with the kids. Both of us grew up coming here often and now we get to come with the big kids and it’s even more fun, ❤️” she wrote of the popular Orange County attraction.
Tarek El Moussa Defends Buying 16-Year-Old Daughter $150K Car: ‘She Actually Earned It’