Heather Rae Young and Tarek El Moussa have had quite the year, guys. Despite the fact they only met on July 4, 2019, the Selling Sunset real estate agent and HGTV star have already moved in together, traveled the world, bought a house, and — most recently — gotten engaged, and I couldn't be happier for them. As much as I loved El Moussa's relationship with his Flip or Flop costar and wife of seven years, Christina Anstead, there's no denying Heather Rae Young and Tarek El Moussa's relationship timeline is basically a modern-day fairytale.
If you watched Season 2 of Selling Sunset, then you know Young's fellow agents at The Oppenheim Group were more than a little skeptical about her whirlwind romance. But clearly, she and El Moussa are the real deal. While Season 3 of Selling Sunset will primarily focus on Chrishell Stause's split with This Is Us star Justin Hartley — as well as Christine Quinn's extra AF gothic winter-wonderland-themed wedding — fans will likely still learn more about Young and El Moussa's sweet love story. The two aren't shy about expressing their affection, and here's everything you should know about their relationship, from their first meeting to their recent engagement.
On July 4, 2019, Young and El Moussa fortuitously met while docked next to each other on separate yachts in Newport Beach, California. (V relatable.) According to Young, the HGTV star made the first move. "Thank you for honking your boat horn at me the day we met, that will forever be the moment that you became my game changer," she wrote in an Instagram post. El Moussa also reflected on that fateful day in his own IG post, writing, "The second our eyes connected and we smiled at each other I knew my life would never be the same."
According to Tarek, the two had their second date on July 22, when they decided they wanted to date exclusively. Just about a week later, TMZ obtained photos of the new couple kissing on a yacht at the Portofino Hotel & Marina in Redondo Beach, California, and their relationship went public.
Soon enough, Young and El Moussa decided to go public with their romance on their own terms. On Aug. 8, the new couple confirmed their relationship with joint Instagram posts, and that same day, El Moussa made an appearance on Entertainment Tonight to gush about his new lady. He even mentioned he'd introduced to Young to his family — including his mom, dad, stepdad, sister, and two kids, Taylor and Brayden — the night before.
Young and El Moussa gave their first joint interview just about a week later on PeopleTV's Reality Check, where it was clear they were already pretty smitten. "We really focus on having fun and living life and just enjoying each other's company. And going out to dinner, and going boating, and I'm talking too much because I'm excited," El Moussa said.
On Sept. 5, Young and El Moussa attended the premiere of HGTV's A Very Brady Renovation at The Garland Hotel, which marked their first red carpet appearance as a couple. "I'm on the best date in the entire world tonight," Tarek told Entertainment Tonight. "It's our first red carpet event, so we're really happy to be here."
While chatting with ET, he also revealed he'd recently introduced his new boo to his ex-wife, Christina Anstead, and — despite the fact he hadn't warned either woman ahead of time — the two seemingly hit it off. "I threw them together in the same room, next thing I knew they were talking about vegan food and running, so it worked out great," he added.
Though El Moussa sadly isn't able to appear on Selling Sunset because of his contract with HGTV (as Young revealed during a May 2020 interview with House Beautiful), Young was able to appear on an episode of El Moussa's show, Flipping 101 With Tarek El Moussa. El Moussa shared the news in a Feb. 5 IG post, writing, "For the first time ever, @heatherraeyoung and I filmed my new show together! We were both excited and nervous but we had a blast!! She was so cute on camera I couldn't stop smiling!"
Young also had nothing but good things to say about the collaboration. "I was able to film a whole episode with him on Flipping 101, which was really fun, because that was our first time being on camera together," she told House Beautiful. "And we had the best time on camera. We have great chemistry." The two finished filming the episode in May, and according to Deadline, the episode is set to air on Sept. 17, 2020.
Apparently, Young moved in with El Moussa "less than a week" after their first date, but it wasn't until April 2020 that they bought their first house together. El Moussa told People he sold his Costa Mesa home (which he'd been living in since his divorce from Anstead) and bought a new home with Young in Newport Beach in the same week.
The couple decided the Newport Beach home needed some work, so they moved into a rental beach house less than a block from the ocean, where they'll stay until construction is finished. "...I'm letting a piece of the past go," El Moussa told People. "It was a very defining moment in my life after my divorce and now it's time to move on to the next chapter."
A little more than a year after meeting, El Moussa took Young on a boat trip to Catalina Island in California and presented her with a stunning eight-carat emerald-cut diamond ring. He later told People he popped the question on July 25, and his now-fiancée totally didn't see it coming. Both took to Instagram the next day to share the news. "The Future Mrs. Tarek El Moussa!!!!" Young captioned her Instagram post, while El Moussa captioned his own Insta post, "She said yes!"
Here's hoping Netflix renews Selling Sunset for a fourth season so fans can see their love story continue on the small screen. But in the meantime? You can follow along on an even smaller screen — your phone.
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