Pushing forward. Maya Vander won’t be returning for the next season of Selling Sunset after suffering her second pregnancy loss, Us Weekly can confirm.
“Logistically it’s been tough for her. Flying back and forth from Miami to Los Angeles has been a lot and it’s stressful,” a source tells Us. “She wants to take it easy, especially after suffering a miscarriage. She wants to focus on her family and hopefully having more kids.”
Vander, 39, “loves the show and it’s definitely hard to let go,” but it’s “time to move on.” Per the insider, it was “strictly a “business decision” for her to exit the series, but “she’s so appreciative and grateful for the opportunity Netflix has given her.”
Vander’s real estate license was recently transferred from The Oppenheim Group to Compass, which her company, The Maya Vander Group, will be working under moving forward. The source tells Us that Jason Oppenheim, cofounder of The Oppenheim Group, is “well aware” of Vander’s move.
“Maya’s goal is really to become successful,” the insider explains. “She’s looking forward to working with her team and is excited for what the future holds.”
While Vander does feel as though the focus of the reality series has shifted “to more drama than real estate,” she still “remains friendly with the cast and is on good terms with all of them,” according to the source.
News of Vander’s official departure from the Netflix hit comes shortly after she revealed that she suffered her second pregnancy loss of the past six months.
“I had a very crazy week,” Vander announced via her Instagram Stories on Tuesday, June 21. “Miscarriage after 10 weeks … following my stillbirth but my kids and my husband are absolutely my blessing and I am so lucky to be their mother!! They bring me joy and happiness to my life!! Hug and love the people you care about. Don’t take things for granted!”
The announcement was shared alongside a photo of Vander’s son, Aiden, 3, taking a peaceful snooze. The Israel native shares the little boy and daughter Elle, 2, with her husband, David Miller.
Vander previously delivered a stillborn son in December 2021 when she was 38 weeks pregnant. “I always heard of it but I never imagined I’ll be part of the statistics,” she wrote via social media at the time. “Instead of delivering a baby, I get to go home with a memory box. I do not wish this on anyone.”
Days later, she opened up to Us exclusively about the pain of losing a child, especially around the holidays.
“My family is devastated,” the Netflix star told Us. “My baby’s due date was right around Christmas. This is the best time of the year to celebrate … My husband is heartbroken, and I know I need to be strong for him and our family.”
Vander went on to explain that it wasn’t clear why her son didn’t survive the birth, but an autopsy was being done in the hopes that she’d get some answers. “I delivered a normal baby that looked like he was sleeping,” she said. “This will chase me forever.”
During the Selling Sunset Season season 5 reunion special, which hit Netflix in May, the Miami-based agent revealed that the stillbirth was apparently a “freak accident.”
“It was just a bad accident with [the umbilical] cord mixed with some swallowed placenta,” she told host Tan France. “But I’m doing much better. And, you know, I have my husband. He’s amazing. My kids are great. They, you know, keep me going and I have work and I’m busy, so I don’t have time to sit and cry all day long.”
Reporting by Diana Cooper