Chrissy Teigen Says Her Mom Has Moved Back to Thailand

Chrissy Teigen is getting used to her family’s new normal after her mother moved out of the house she once shared with the Cravings author and son-in-law John Legend. Teigen opened up about her mother’s decision to return to Thailand during an interview on SiriusXM’s TODAY radio show The Happy Hour, telling hosts Talia Parkinson-Jones, Donna Farizan and Gavin Shulman that Vilailuck “Pepper” Teigen is back in her childhood hometown of Korat after years living in the U.S. with her daughter’s family.

“We haven’t really told the world or the internet, and everyone’s gonna be probably so confused,” revealed Teigen. “She is meant to go live her best life.” Teigen explained that while her mom “obviously loves” taking care of her grandchildren – Luna, 7, Miles, 5, Esti, 1, and Wren, 7 months – and that their time together as a family was “so special and so amazing,” Pepper is “young enough that she needs to go off and be happy.”

“She has a group of girlfriends out there that she just, she changes, she lights up when she sees them,” Teigen explained. “I wasn’t seeing her light up as much, you know, without them. And she needs to go find love and find, you know, whatever she wants. She pretends that she doesn’t care about that kinda stuff, and she just cares about her grandbabies and her friends, but I wanted that for her.”

The model continued that it’s a big change for her as well. “Truly, I haven’t really been on my own,” she shared. “It’s weird waking up and going, ‘Oh my God, I got four kids and mom’s not here.’ Of course, we have help, but there’s nobody like your mother.” Teigen continued of her mom’s departure “a couple weeks” ago, “We miss her so much,” adding that there’s a “void” she felt “immediately.”

Pepper might have moved back to Thailand, but Teigen is staying in close contact with her, using in-home cameras to say “hi” and using FaceTime to talk “every day.” The family also plans to travel to Thailand for longer visits “every spring break.” Teigen also joked she’s trying to get her mom a job working on the new season of HBO’s hit show The White Lotus, which will begin production in Bangkok next month. “I’m like, ‘Do you need a P.A. or something? My mom can help out!’” the Chrissy & Dave Dine Out star teased.

Despite her high hopes for her mother, Teigen admitted she “lost it” right before her mom’s departure. “I believe that when it comes to mothers, there is a spiritual and physical connection,” she said. “And I felt it in my bones when she left, I really did.” Pepper, meanwhile, has been sharing photos from this new chapter of her life on Instagram, sharing on Jan. 10 a photo montage of her travels to Thailand and her welcome home.