Tarek El Moussa Was Nearly Knocked out During His First Date With Wife Heather

Tarek El Moussa could have ruined his chances of a second date with his now-wife, Heather. The HGTV staple and Netflix star have been married for four years, but their first date was nearly disastrous. 

Tarek revealed in an Instagram Reel on Oct. 17 where he recalled his “debacle” of a first date with his wife ahead of their wedding anniversary. They first met on the Fourth of July in 2019, when they were introduced by mutual friends.

Tarek remembered that Heather canceled their date, saying it wasn’t a “good idea.” He explained, “She blew me off. For a second there, I was sulking.”

He then texted Heather that he was “different” than what she thought, and he encouraged her to “give it a chance.” From there, they began texting and planned a wine date, which Heather recommended because it was less time restricting than a typical dinner. 

Straight from a flight from South Africa, Tarek rushed to an event where he was the keynote guest the night of his first date with Heather. After his pre-dinner address, a hovering helicopter on the grounds of the country club venue distracted cheering guests, creating an opportunity for him to slip out the back. “For whoever was there, I apologize,” Tarek said of his early departure from the event. “We got married, we have kids, so you can’t be mad anymore.”

From the event was a two-hour drive where he admittedly had nerves ahead of the date. Seeing her, his heart dropped. “Holy sh–, she was so stunning,” he said in the Reel, but he was embarrassed by his fashion choice of the night as he was wearing a sweater in the summer.

Tarek remembered taking several extended trips to the bathroom to cool off and wipe his face, which eventually caught Heather’s attention. He told her he was having an anxiety attack. 

“We should just get drunk and have fun,” he recalled her responding. “Next thing I know, we’re taking shots, having drinks. I think I ripped half the sweater off.” The night ended well, with the two sharing their first kiss.