Heather Dubrow and Daughter Max Talk 17-Year-Old’s Coming Out: ‘I Didn’t Really Know What to Expect’ (Exclusive)

Max Dubrow was surprised when her coming out as bisexual this summer made waves the way it did, and even more surprised at the role her sexuality has since come to play in her life. Heather Dubrow‘s daughter, now 17, and the Real Housewives of Orange County alum opened up about the impact the teen living her truth has had on their lives in a new interview with PopCulture.com, with Max admitting she “didn’t really know what to expect” when it came to coming out.

Max made headlines in July when she shared a photo on Instagram wrapped in a rainbow flag. “I always knew i was bi, i just thought it was bipolar,” the then-16-year-old joked in the caption. Both mom Heather and dad Terry were immediately behind her, with the Heather Dubrow’s World host writing at the time on social media, “I love you my beautiful, hilarious, amazing child! I am SO proud to be your Mother!” and the Botched star adding, “Proud of you. You do the DNA so well.”

“I didn’t really expect for my coming out to be as big as it was, because I didn’t really know what to expect,” Max admitted to PopCulture. “I was going to put it on my Instagram and call it a day. …It kind of became a bigger thing than I expected.” Even more unexpected were the overwhelming amount of DMs and comments the teen was getting from other LGBTQ+ teens asking for advice on how they could come out to their parents: “I was 16 at the time and no one had ever asked me a big question like that before,” she said.

After her sexuality went public, Max and her parents had more of a discussion about what it meant to be out and in the spotlight. “I didn’t want [my sexuality] to be my ‘brand,’ and I didn’t want to be defined by whatever sexuality I am,” she shared. “I’m sure people in the LGBTQ+ community understand that.” She started to have a change of heart, however, seeing how many people were actively asking for help doing just what she had, which prompted the launch of her podcast, I’ll Give It To You Straightish, where she offers her unfiltered perspective growing up as a teenager in today’s world. “If I had someone like me before I came out, it would have been a hell of a lot easier,” the teen explained.

Heather and Terry are “so proud” of their daughter, not only for coming out but for looking to help people as part of her journey. Being a mom to twins Max and Nick, as well as younger daughters Collette and Katarina, Heather told PopCulture her main goal was to raise “healthy, functioning humans.” She continued, “All I ever wanted to do was to create an environment where my kids felt comfortable to be themselves.”

The Dubrows left the Orange County Housewives behind in 2016, but there might be another chance for fans to see an intimate look at their lives soon enough. Not only are Terry and Heather prepping for their role on E!’s upcoming relationship makeover show, The Seven Year Stitch, the That’s Life actress shared there’s another opportunity that’s presented itself now that the kids are at the age they can decide if they want to be “back in the spotlight,” joking that she might “hate being cryptic,” but wants the family to make a concrete decision before revealing any details.

As for a return to RHOC? “I haven’t watched it since I left, but this season for some reason, I am getting hundreds and hundreds of messages and DMs [asking for her return],” Heather revealed. “It’s very kind, and I appreciate it, but I think five years was a good run.”