Heather Rae Young preemptively addressed stepdaughter Taylor’s absence from their Thanksgiving celebration after posting a family photo without the teen.
On Thursday, the “Selling Sunset” alum, 37, shared a series of snaps from their family get-together— including pics with husband Tarek El Moussa, 43, their son Tristan, 1, and her stepson Brayden, 8.
Taylor was not in any of the photos and Young explained why at the end of her lengthy caption.
“For the haters – Tay is on a trip with her mom, that’s why she’s not in our photo,” Young wrote.
El Moussa shares Taylor and Brayden with his ex-wife, Christina Hall. The pair were married from 2009 to 2018.
He met Young through mutual friends in 2019 and they tied the knot two years later.
Although Taylor wasn’t included in the carousel, Young gave the 14-year-old a shoutout elsewhere in the caption.
“We are thankful for each other & the relationship that we have,” she wrote. “A strong foundation to get through hard times together & to be able to grow together as husband and wife.”
‘We are thankful for our kids, Taylor, Brayden & Tristan. They bring so much innocence, love and laughter to our lives. And our big blended crazy but beautiful 🤪 family.”
Young has come under fire several times for not including photos of Taylor on her feed.
In February, the reality TV star shared a touching Valentine’s Day post to her two sons but fans were quick to question why the teenager wasn’t included in the loved-up post.
A few days later, Young subtly shut down the trolls by posting a picture hugging her stepdaughter.
“We close our ears to the pettiness. We strive for positivity only. My girl knows she’s my #1 gal 🤍,” she captioned the snap, calling the teen her “forever Galentine” in a follow-up video.
However, Young raised eyebrows a few months later when she posted a picture of her “whole family” at the beach with just her boys.
Although she didn’t directly address the backlash at the time, the Netflix star has said on numerous occasions that Taylor simply doesn’t like being photographed.
“She’s a teenager now and she’ll be like, ‘I don’t love my hair in that picture. Please don’t post that one,’” Young told Today in June 2023.
She echoed that sentiment in September while doing a Q& A on her Instagram Stories, explaining that the teen isn’t comfortable with social media.
“She does not like to be in any photos, any videos right now, so that’s why you guys don’t see her often and on anything,” she said.
“But she is there!” Young quickly added. “She just doesn’t want to be in the pictures. So we respect her wishes.”
El Moussa also confirmed that his eldest is a bit camera shy earlier this year, telling a follower that “most times [Taylor] does not like being in photos. I respect her wishes.”
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