Tarek El Moussa Reveals the Real Reason He Splurged on $150K Gift for His 16-Year-Old Daughter

Tarek, his wife Heather Rae El Moussa, and ex-wife Christina Haack shared a joint post to Instagram in August surprising the teen with her early birthday gift.

“What’s more of a surprise… the car for Taylor or the fact that the three of us actually pulled this off? 😂 The car is so well deserved, we love you so much Tay,” Heather captioned the post.

In the clip, Taylor is seen wiping tears away as she takes in her new car before driving out of the parking lot. The proud parents donned the grey Beamer with a giant, bright pink bow on the hood.

While followers largely chimed in with negativity, with many noting it’s a “ridiculous” amount of money to spend on a car for a first-time driver, Tarek defended his decision during an interview at Page Six’s 2026 Virtual Reali-Tea Awards in New York City.

“Well, it turns out, as a father, when your daughter kicks ass, gets a 4.2 GPA, is MVP of the soccer team, you really want to surprise her,” Tarek told E! News. “So dad, stepmom, mom, we all surprised her.”

He added, “She didn’t ask for it. We gave it to her. There’s a big difference,” calling her “the best kid.”

The “Selling Sunset” star chimed in to add that Taylor “deserves” the gift for her hard work.

“She’s very grateful,” Heather said. “She cried. It was really sweet. We surprised her, and she started crying.”

Taylor is the eldest of Tarek’s children—he also shares son Brayden, 11, with Christina, and son Tristan, 3, with Heather. It’s only natural that he became emotional when his daughter reached her Sweet Sixteen.

“My little Tay Tay… 16??!! This one got me.😭” he shared via Instagram on September 22. “I keep watching this and seeing every version of you at once❤️. The little girl laughing while I kissed her cheek, the beach days in Newport, the birthday dresses, the family dinners, all those hugs… and then the incredible young woman standing beside me now. I’m just so in love with you!!!”

The “Flip or Flop” star added, “The day you made me a dad, my life changed forever. Somehow, 16 years passed in a blink, I almost can’t believe it’s real. Part of me wishes I could go back and hold on to every one of those moments a little longer! But I am just so proud of the strong, smart, kind, beautiful person you are! And I so excited to see where life takes us next.”

Alongside a photo dump of photos from Taylor’s childhood, Tarek wrote, “You’ll always be my little girl. And after 16 years, one thing is still true:) every part of life is better with you in it. Happy 16th birthday, Taylor. I love you more than words will ever be able to say. ❤️❤️❤️”