We recently heard the very weird news that Renee Zellweger has started dating Ant Anstead. British peeps told me that Ant is somewhat famous in the UK, but here in America, he’s known more as “that guy who was married to Christina El Moussa for less than two years.” The ink was barely dry on Christina and Ant’s divorce when Ant and Renee began to see each other. It’s all very weird, and I still maintain that Renee has one of the most chaotic dating histories of any celebrity woman. Well, I guess Renee’s PR people want to ensure that this one works for a while, which is why we’re getting People Magazine “exclusives” about how Renee and Ant just “clicked.” Sure.
Renée Zellweger and Ant Anstead seem to be clicking as their summer romance blossoms. Zellweger, 52, and Anstead, 42, first met when working together earlier this month on the set of Anstead’s upcoming Discovery+ series Celebrity IOU: Joyride. News of their romance came days after Anstead finalized his divorce from HGTV star Christina Haack, 37.
An entertainment source tells PEOPLE that despite being an unlikely duo, the two-time Academy Award winner and the Wheeler Dealers star are bonding over their common interests.
“Sometimes two people just meet and click, and the timing is right,” the source says in this week’s issue. “Renée is creative…and often goes for guys who think out of the box. She’s smart, thoughtful and always looking to expand horizons and nurture those around her.”
“Both of them are private and dislike public scrutiny, so they have that in common. He’s a creative guy with lots of interests, and she likes to write and produce, so they have things to talk about when together,” the insider adds.
Haack announced news of her split from Anstead in September 2020, writing, “Ant and I have made the difficult decision to separate. We are grateful for each other and as always, our children will remain our priority. We appreciate your support and ask for privacy for us and our family as we navigate the future.” They share son Hudson, 21 months, and have been granted joint legal and physical custody of him.
Ant is very much a car guy – he’s made a career out of being a car guy – but he seems interested in other stuff as well. I remember seeing him on Christina’s HGTV show and thinking that he seemed very family-oriented and like he had tons of ideas about decorating, renovations, etc. I bet that’s something he and Renee talk about, because she flips homes. But beyond that… yeah. They’re an odd couple. Which is fine, just be an odd couple and embrace it. Don’t pretend that this dude you’ve been dating for a minute shares all of your interests.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
They’re both rich and white so…
I actually don’t think they are odd. Renee has the styling of some sort of Hollywood princess, but she’s a Texan who is probably down to earth in some ways. She’s definitely an equal opportunity dater. Plus, lots of women love the British accent and humor or intelligence.
He seems like you could be yourself pretty easily.
British humour is an American myth. To be honest, there’s nothing humorous in British men, they’re generally quite sour (I have been married to one for ages).
The British accent doesn’t exist either nationally as only people in some southern areas speak with the accent you hear in films.
I say Good for them! They may seem like an “odd couple” but Renee is very private and from her dating history, she doesn’t seem to go for a particular “type”so who knows exactly what appealed to her about Ant Anstead. They each have one short marriage (that ended abruptly and mysteriously) in common. Maybe that is what made them ‘click’??
I love Renee, but she always seems to invest much more in her relationships than the guy she’s with at the time. However, I do wish her the best.
Ok I had no idea he’s ‘somewhat famous’ here but then again that’s probably because I get my celebrity gossip fix on this site! I’m yet to find anything that’s nearly as entertaining that’s UK focussed and come on, how could we rival the Bennifer 2.0 drama and the rest??
I have lived in UK for almost 2 decades now and never heard of him.
Ha, you are right about Renee. I think Julia Roberts used to hold the crown for most chaotic dating history.
Renee looks fantastic. BUT she is 52 in Hollywood. The majority of men are dating 20-somethings and 30-somethings. She meets guys on set that work behind the scenes, but you need to feel a chemistry. At a certain age, your dating pool has gone down as far as meeting men you feel chemistry with. He’s 42, so age appropriate. With his prematurely gray hair, he even seems a little older. He’s extremely outgoing. Maybe she hasn’t dated for a year or two and a flirtatious, charming guy with his own money (of course not her kind of money) was appealing. His world is completely different with cars, so she would find that interesting. I absolutely get it. And his British accent is a nice bonus. When you read Ant’s wiki page, he’s lead an interesting life.
I find him attractive and a great chatter in this clip. At least, he wouldn’t be a dud to date.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy7mTZu0ssQ
“At a certain age, your dating pool has gone down as far as meeting men you feel chemistry with.”
But surely that’s the only thing someone looks for at any age? Without chemistry, nothing else matters.
Oh, Renee(‘s PR people), no.
Don’t do this. He’s got three kids across two hemispheres while major hustling at a thirsty career. Y’all probably had a flirty weekend, a maybe a steamy hook up, but this guys is in a very different season of life than 52 year old you.
*two continents, not hemisphere, smh.
52 isn’t that different to 42. The difference is specific to this guy’s particular personal life.