Tarek El Moussa is responding to criticism after buying his teenage daughter a luxury car with a six-figure price tag.
During an Oct. 28 appearance on the "Money Rehab" podcast, the HGTV star defended buying his 16-year-old daughter, Taylor, a $150,000 BMW.
"She deserved it because she worked really, really hard," he said.
In August, El Moussa's wife, Heather Rae El Moussa, shared an Instagram video showing the couple and Taylor's mom, Christina Haack, surprising the teen with the car.
"What’s more of a surprise … the car for Taylor or the fact that the three of us actually pulled this off?" Heather wrote. "The car is so well deserved, we love you so much Tay."
Fans of the blended family shared mixed reactions in the comments. Some said the move
isn't out of the norm for celebrity parents; others criticized the steep cost for a new driver's first car.
Tarek El Moussa says 16-year-old daughter 'actually earned' $150K car
Tarek El Moussa said he, his wife and ex-wife bought the teen a luxury car "for good reason."
"She got a 4.2 GPA. She was MVP of her freshman soccer team. She's an absolute fantastic kid and didn't just get it; she actually earned it," he said.
He said his daughter "didn't ask" for the car and the co-parents gave it to her as a surprise.
"It was actually my fault because I'm the one who picked the car," he said.
Ultimately, Tarek said safety was his biggest priority.
"That thing is built like a tank," he said. "So the biggest thing for me was safety, so she's in a safe car, and she loves it."
The television personality stars in HGTV's "The Flip Off" alongside his wife and ex-wife. He and Christina, who divorced in 2018, also share a son, and Tarek and Heather have one child together, a son.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on X @melinakh and Instagram @bymelinakhan.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tarek El Moussa defends buying his 16-year-old daughter a $150K car
