Heather Walked Away From Selling Sunset Season 9: Here's Why
Day-one fixture Heather Rae El Moussa is bowing out of Netflix’s Selling Sunset after a low-profile Season 7 — maternity leave limited her to just a handful of scenes.
Heather Rae El Moussa might be circling back to the show that launched her. After a messy fade-out from Selling Sunset and a detour to HGTV, she is now teasing a possible cameo in Season 9. Here is where things actually stand, without the confusion.
How Heather left Selling Sunset (and why she might come back)
Heather Rae El Moussa (née Young) has been with Selling Sunset since day one back in 2019, part of the original Oppenheim Group lineup alongside Chrishell Stause, Mary Fitzgerald (now Mary Fitzgerald Bonnet), Jason and Brett Oppenheim, Maya Vander, and Christine Quinn.
By Season 7, her presence had shrunk to a handful of scenes because she was on maternity leave. When that season wrapped, she told E! News she was never called back. It was frustrating not to know what was happening, but she eventually made peace with it.
Later, on The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast, she called not getting the call a blessing. She was happy focusing on HGTV's The Flipping El Moussas with her husband, Tarek El Moussa, and she described Selling Sunset as demanding and, frankly, toxic to film. Not subtle.
Then HGTV canceled The Flipping El Moussas. And that is when the door cracked open again. In a recent chat with Us Weekly, Heather said there is a chance she could appear on Selling Sunset again, and she was very clear about which franchise she would choose.
If I was to ever go back, it would be with Selling Sunset [and not Selling the OC] - just because that was my group. We were all an office and friends before Selling Sunset was even a show.
She added that she has rapport, loyalty, and history with that cast. Watching the show is easier now that she is not in the middle of it, and she dropped this little tease:
It's almost not as difficult [to watch the show now]. Because I'm not part of it, I get to watch from the sidelines as a fan as opposed to being in it. But I might make a cameo in this coming season. So you have to stay tuned.
Translation: fans keep asking, the timing might be right, and if she returns, it would be to the flagship, not the OC spinoff.
Season 9: what you need to know
Netflix has locked in the next round of glossy listings and office skirmishes. The ninth season is designed to pick up right where the eighth left off, per Tudum, with new and returning faces stirring the pot at the Oppenheim Group.
- Premiere date: October 29, 2025
- Where to watch: Netflix (exclusive)
- Creator: Adam DiVello
- Returning cast: Chrishell Stause, Chelsea Lazkani, Emma Hernan, Nicole Young, Bre Tiesi, Mary Fitzgerald Bonnet, Amanza Smith, Alanna Gold, and Jason and Brett Oppenheim
- New addition: Sandra Vergara, a real estate agent who also happens to be Sofia Vergara's cousin and adoptive sister
- Focus: high-end Southern California real estate, O Group office drama, luxury listings, and a mix of new and ongoing feuds
- Episode count: not announced as of October 2025
- Heather's status: a cameo is possible, but nothing confirmed
The bottom line
Heather has deep roots at the O Group from well before Netflix cameras showed up, which is why a short, strategic return does not sound far-fetched. Whether she pops in for a cameo or stays on the sidelines, Season 9 is stacked with familiar faces and a notable new one in Sandra Vergara. If Heather does reappear, expect it to be brief, buzzy, and very much on her terms.