Heather Rae El Moussa doesn't miss her sunset sales days. On April 1, the reality star stopped by the His and Hers Secret podcast, where she called filming the Netflix real estate show "very toxic."
El Moussa, who starred on Selling Sunset for seven seasons (2019-2023), said it was "a blessing" not to be asked to return full-time because the show had gotten "out of control."
"It started out as just fun stuff, not crazy drama," she said. "We were all friends. Any drama was simple. ... Then things went from bad to worse. They started recruiting more girls."
She said the erratic filming schedule left her "crying from stress" and made it difficult for her to focus on her life away from the camera. "I never know when I'm going to shoot. It's last minute. It takes over my life. It's hard to do my real job, real estate," she added. "It's hard to do anything else."
As for the Selling Sunset drama that fans can expect, El Moussa said things got "pretty brutal" between her former castmates.
"I'm pretty calm all the time. I'm friends with everyone," she said. "It's very toxic. You have a bunch of women around you, and everyone wants to be the star of the show, number one. They'll do anything."
She won't be returning for season 8
In the show's seventh season, which premiered in November 2023, El Moussa had a reduced role and welcomed a son with husband Tariq El Moussa in February 2023. But not long after, she revealed the news to E! Sources say Netflix still hasn't asked her to respond.
Despite the changes to the show, there doesn't seem to be anything unpleasant about it. El Moussa sent well wishes to her former co-stars ahead of the Season 7 premiere. "Congratulations to my girls for being on S7," she wrote on Instagram, adding, "You may see me in a few episodes."
Netflix confirmed in February 2024 that El Moussa would not be included in the cast of Selling Sunset Season 8. (Cast includes Jason and Brett Oppenheim, Chrishell Stause, Emma Hernan, Bray Tisi, Chelsea Lazkani, Amanza Smith, Nicole Young, Mary Bonnet, and Roman Bonnet).
However, she seems happy with the streamer's decision, recently telling People magazine , "I love being able to prioritize my family and my happiness and stay away from some of the drama that Selling Sunset has brought to my life."
