The absence of Heather Young's hockey player boyfriend was a major plot point for the real estate agent during season one of her Netflix reality series Selling Sunset. But in season 2, her new beau's presence looms large. After the end of her long-distance relationship (her ex played hockey in Europe), Young met a much more local boyfriend: Tarek El Moussa, a fellow real estate reality TV star.
Although El Moussa doesn't actually appear on the show, Young talks about him — and his children — often. He's a major presence throughout the season as Young is swept up in their whirlwind relationship — the pair met and began dating seriously in just a couple weeks' time.
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So what's the real deal with their relationship? Read on to find out more about the pair.
Who Is Tarek?
As the star of Flip or Flop, El Moussa worked with then-wife Christina to buy, renovate, decorate, and sell properties throughout Southern California. He's made headlines outside of the show several times throughout the years: First, when a concerned viewer noticed a lump on his neck that ultimately led to a cancer diagnosis (and recovery).
"I noticed that at certain angles, at certain times, it just caught my eye that Tarek had a lump on his throat," Reade said, "and I thought it was something that needed to be brought to his attention."
She was right, and El Moussa was subsequently diagnosed with testicular cancer and thyroid cancer (he has been in remission for years and announced in March 2019 that he is cancer-free).
El Moussa became a tabloid fixture, though, following a contentious split with Christina, who has subsequently married and had a new baby with English TV presenter Ant Anstead. El Moussa and his ex continue to co-parent their two children, born in 2010 and 2015.
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How Did Heather & Tarek Meet?
As Heather explains on the show, the couple were partying on adjacent boats in Newport Beach on the 4th of July last year. When she hopped over to chat with one of her girlfriends, she met Tarek. They exchanged numbers and some flirty texts, and began dating seriously shortly thereafter. By "shortly," we're talking a month: Tarek posted a glowing instagram on August 8 introducing Young as his new girlfriend.
"it’s official!!!! After more than 3 years on my own I’m so PROUD to say that this beautiful, sweet and talented young lady is my girlfriend," he wrote. "The first time I saw her smile she “did that thing to my tummy” and I knew right away I needed to get to know her… so I asked her out!! She said yes."
What Does Tarek Do For A Living?
El Moussa and Antstead continue to star in Flip or Flop — a new season was scheduled to premiere this summer, though it's unclear if production was affected by the pandemic.
El Moussa has his own show on HGTV, a house flipping series called Flipping 101 that premiered in March. Young makes a cameo on one episode, which she called "really fun" in an interview with House Beautiful. "We had the best time on camera. We have great chemistry," she said, teasing a potential collaboration between the two on their own show together.
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Are Tarek & Heather Still Together Now?
Young moved in with El Moussa just a few months after they began dating, he announced in an instagram post. "It’s really fun because we live in two different places! Our main spot is in Orange County but one or two nights a week we stay at our place in West Hollywood!"
Though Tarek doesn't appear in season 2 of Selling Sunset, he's still a big presence. Heather's defense of their relationship and his kids are a major plot point, and she reveals early on that they've moved in together and she spends much of her time at their Orange County home and a few nights a week at their condo in West Hollywood.
After going public with their relationship, Young immediately began posting about celebrating birthdays and holidays with El Moussa and his children. Since quarantine began, she and El Moussa have been spending a lot of time on their boat — both for romantic dinner date nights and for afternoons relaxing on the water.
While El Moussa hasn't put a ring on it just yet, Young has said publicly that she's committed not only to her man but also to his children, so it wouldn't be a surprise if they get engaged in the near future.