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Heather Rae Young opens up about being a 'bonus mom' to Tarek El Moussa's kids

In an exclusive interview with TODAY, the 32-year-old former model and current reality star opened up about her engagement to El Moussa.
/ Source: TODAY

Heather Rae Young is balancing quite a lot. Not only is she a star of the Netflix reality hit "Selling Sunset," she is also busy working as a real estate agent in the glamorous Hollywood Hills while juggling being a "bonus mom" to fiancé Tarek El Moussa's kids.

In an exclusive sit-down interview with TODAY, the 32-year-old former model and current reality star opened up about her experience on the show and taking care of her "big kid."

heather rae young selling sunset tarek el moussa
"I'm now taking care of Tarek who's like a big child."JJ Velasquez

"I'm now taking care of Tarek, who's like a big child," she shared. "And I'm taking care of two kids and running a household, balancing work, and so I think right now I realize I can be superwoman. I'm doing it. And I give the moms props out there because being a mom is the hardest job in the whole world. It's so hard and I'm doing it. So I'm proud of myself."

Young is currently starring on "Selling Sunset," the hit Netflix reality series that follows the lives of real estate agents working at glamorous brokerage the Oppenheim Group in the Hollywood Hills.

"The best moment was probably working with Amanza (Smith) on that project we did," Young said, reflecting on the new season. "And then, you know, we had our little hiccup. But she's a single mom and I think she sees how I'm doing with Tarek's kids, and becoming, like, a 'bonus mom' — stepmom. And, you know, we've really bonded on that level. So I think building that relationship with her and bonding over that project was probably my favorite moment."

heather rae young selling sunset tarek el moussa wedding
"And I was close with them from day one, especially his daughter. We've built this friendship and this bond."heatherraeyoung/ Instagram

The new season also profiles the very public divorce of Chrishell Stause and Justin Hartley, something Young says was the worst part of filming the most recent season.

"That was a really rough moment, going from one night everything was fine and then the next day basically being blindsided by the news — along with her," Young remembered. "You know, we were all blindsided as well."

"You wanna show your support but also I didn't wanna crowd her and bother her and come at her with questions. So I kinda, like, stepped back. And you know, now we talk about it. But I wanted to leave her alone to be able to get through it without bombarding her with questions, like everyone else was doing. So that was probably the roughest moment."

selling sunset season 3 heather rae young today show
Heather Rae Young during her interview with TODAY.TODAY

During the season, Young reflected on Stause's experience saying goodbye to Hartley's daughter, something she has trouble reconciling with herself. Young labels herself a "bonus mom" to El Moussa's two children with ex-wife Christina Anstead: Taylor, 9, and Brayden, 5.

"I get chills because you build this relationship with the children and I've now been around Tarek's kids for a year," she says. "And I was close with them from day one, especially his daughter. We've built this friendship and this bond. And if all of a sudden I was ripped out of their lives, it would be a really difficult situation. So I do understand what Amanza was talking about with protecting the children. And they're first, no matter what. Always."

On her engagement to El Moussa, Young reveals that because she agreed to be filmed for HGTV, El Moussa can appear on "Selling Sunset" next season.

"I don't know if I've told anyone this but now he gets to film with me on 'Selling Sunset' because they got to film the engagement," she shared. "So that was a really great negotiation that that we get to do. So I'm really excited."

So does that mean we'll be seeing a wedding on the show?

"I want everything to be very intimate and personal," she said. "And I feel like when the camera's around, and you're mic'd up, and they're pulling people away to film this, and pulling people away to film that-- I just don't know if that's what we wanna do for our our wedding. Right now I'm probably thinking no."

"My life is just so incredible right now. I can't believe I'm a fiancée, and I'm getting married, I'm gonna be Mrs. El Moussa. It's the best feeling in the world."