As many of you know, I enjoy HGTV. I consider most HGTV hosts to be actual celebrities, like Chip and Joanna Gaines, the “Property Brothers” Jonathan and Drew Scott (I hate them) and, of course, Flip or Flop’s Tarek and Christina El Moussa. Tarek and Christina were married for years, they were partners in their house-flipping business and they had two kids together. In late 2016, their marriage imploded dramatically. I thought it would be incredibly messy for years, but they ended up being pretty mature about it – by the next season of their show, they had figured out a way to easily share custody of their kids, they’re still in business together, and they still care about each other (Tarek cares more than Christina). Christina moved on quickly, with Ant Anstead. Ant was her first serious relationship after Tarek, and they got married in late 2018. She gave birth to their son Hudson one year ago. And now…the marriage is over. YIKES.
Christina Anstead and Ant Anstead have split. After nearly two years of marriage, the Christina on the Coast star, 37, and Wheeler Dealers host, 41, are going their separate ways. In a statement posted to her Instagram account on Friday, Christina — who welcomed son Hudson London Anstead with Ant in September 2019 — announced the news of their breakup.
“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,” Christina wrote. “We appreciate your support and ask for privacy for us and our family as we navigate the future.”
The pair began dating in October 2017 and tied the knot more than a year later in a secret “winter wonderland” wedding at their home in Newport Beach, California, in December 2018.
Christina shares son Brayden James, 5, and daughter Taylor Reese, 9, with ex-husband and Flip or Flop costar Tarek El Moussa. (El Moussa got engaged to Selling Sunset’s Heather Rae Young in July.) Ant is dad to daughter Amelie, 16, and son Archie, 14, from his previous marriage to ex-wife Louise Herbert.
Four years ago, I would have said that Tarek is the one with issues. But now I think Christina is? I’ve watched her solo show, Christina on the Coast, and she was showing a lot of her life with Ant on the show. They seemed…badly matched. But I thought they would make it longer than two years (not even). Honestly, I kind of think she needs someone to challenge her, which Tarek did. It’s weird, right? I feel like there’s probably a lot of stuff going on which hasn’t come out yet. But I also think Tarek would take her back in a heartbeat, fiancee or no. I think he’s still in love with Christina.
Also: after two marriages where you change your name legally and culturally to your husband’s name, maybe women should just go back to their maiden and never change it again?
Photos courtesy of Backgrid and WENN.
Wow. All I can think of is how Tarek literally copied and pasted Christina and got Heather. What a way to “move on”.
Wishing her well, can’t be easy with a young baby.
That’s really too bad, especially since they have a baby. Hope there wasn’t cheating involved. I’ve seen Heather selling a sunset. Total Christina clone in terms of looks.Not the sharpest tool in the box.
I think Tarek more has a vision of how he wants/expects his wife to look and the woman obliges. If you watch Christina’s new show, she is much less “made up “ all the time and actually wears joggers and such. If you look at Tarek’s new fiancée, she had a similar vibe before him, but now, it’s full on how Christina looked when they were together.
Ant looks like Tarek and Heather looks like Christina.. ( if you told me they were sisters, I would believe you) wonder what Heather thinks of Christina’s marriage imploding?
You are correct, but is it maybe a case of “most people trying to be famous in LA look like these people”? I would bet that most of the folks in their social circle look like this.
I agree…I look at her IG once in awhile and when she does group pics with her friends they all look somewhat alike.
In SoCal, especially as they get older and go nuts with the fillers and Botox, we call it LA face. The face comes with zero body fat (by any means necessary) and lots of hair extensions.
I really like thier show flip & flop.
My first guess when a marriage breaks up so quickly is betrayal/cheating. I cannot think of another reason (except violence) to end a new marriage with a little baby after just beeing together for 3 years. I don’t know, i think marriage is work and they maybe should have talk to a Therapist.
I do not think that Tarek is still in love with Christina, its a typical ego issue of guys when a woman quits or moves on quickly. Sometimes it becomes a competition between expartners, who gets someone new first. especially when you are still very connected, kids and in this case even work. I heard he treated her badly when he became sick. And yes, woman should really stop changing their names. I did too, but if we ever divorce, i would take my maiden name back and never change it again.
Prior to any of us hearing about their trouble(s), didn’t he go crazy with a loaded rifle, in the house, with her and the two kids, then he ran into the mts. behind their home, and she had to call 9-11 to go after him? They were talking about him maybe committing suicide.
It was pretty much right after this we heard of them breaking up.
I thought he also threatened rape…? I don’t follow these people but I seem to remember reading that somewhere.
@minx — I definitely remember the rape allegation. It came out after the incident with the gun, and after they announced their plans to divorce, and I think it was something a crew member supposedly leaked about his behavior on set.
I just decided to google it, and the most reputable site I know (this one!) covered it. He was apparently “joking,” but clearly no one could, should, or did appreciate his “humor.”
Link — https://bit.ly/2FKsmNG
He said after the divorce that he had been taking steroids & perhaps other medications that got out of hand. I think it started with treatment for pain from a back injury but then starting affecting his behavior. I think he got clean, but I think it was scary at the time.
I’ve been married twice and changed it both times. My 2nd last names goes well w my first, better than my maiden name, so I don’t see myself going back to my maiden name. It’s such a pain every time you change your name.
Only married once, and still married, but wish I had kept my maiden name, for simplicity’s sake.
I kept my name when I got married in 1986. Somewhat unusual then, but I have always liked my maiden name. My son has my husband’s name and it suits hime. I still get mail from some family members who cannot seem to get it through their heads that I never changed my name. One of my grandmothers was sure this was illegal!
I changed my name because when I was in 7th grade and met a friend’s mom and called her “Mrs. [friend’s last name]” and there was an awkward moment before the friend corrected me and I thought I would want it to be easy that my husband and kids and I would all have the same last name. It feels pretty silly now that I went through this whole legal process to change my name EVERYWHERE just to avoid having to correct people who call me by my kids’ last name.
I answer to Mrs. [Husband’s last name] without offense, but I can see sometimes that changing it might have been easier too.
I have changed my name for my husband, but if we were to split, I would retake my maiden and never look back and not do it again.
And, yes, @Joanna is right–it is a huge pain when you change your name that no one really talks about. When I got married and changed my name, I had to have a copy of my marriage certificate in my purse just in case for like a year. Not cool
I told my husband when I changed my name that I spent at least 3 more weeks getting married than he did. Between waiting at various agencies and changing everything. It is a giant pain
My first husband and I actually had the same last name, slightly different spelling. He took my name because he liked the spelling better and because I didn’t want to go through the pain of changing my name on my licensing. Second marriage I kept my name, again mostly because of the licensing issue.
I like Tarek despite what happened between him and Christina. He always seemed so stressed out by money issues on the show compared to her carefree attitude. I used to think it was an act because I’ve yet to see a show where they did t make money off the flip, but he does seem to suffer from anxiety. She seems kind of high maintenance with her perfect hair and nails. She’d probably be better off on her own for a while. I hope she’s not the type who always needs to have a man around.
I think she comes from a somewhat affluent family; I remember early in the series her parents loaned them a big chunk of money. His family was lower income/lower middle class, IIRC, which could explain their differing perspectives on spending.
Tarek and Christina did have a number of flops, they just didn’t get mentioned on the show for the most part. There was one house they flipped in Buena Park that had a huge double lot. They had hoped to build a second structure behind the house to take advantage of the space, but after purchase found out that to get a permit to build the second structure, they would have to live on the property themselves, so that was out. They lost money on the flip, selling the house for $3k less than their break-even number, which was revealed at the end of that particular episode.
The show always ended with Tarek’s statement that “if this deal goes through, we stand to make a profit of (x amount)”. Well, sometimes those deals didn’t go through after the cameras stopped filming.
Since the split between Ant and Christina has been announced as a separation, not a divorce, I am hoping that they can work things out and eventually re-build their marriage.
C. & T. had diff. spending habits. T. made rude comments,, that she mostly cared about her hair & how she looked. She prioritized their kids over the show & T. said he did most of the work. They never tell us if C. has a degree in Interior Design. I DON’T think her SDSU degree is design.
* Ant is a simple guy. Her spending habits, a surprise baby, & A. missing his kids was challenging. Both having shows & other career commitments, was a LOT to take on. Ant said “C. held the CHAOS together.” That spekas volumes: stress! Too many lifestyle changes. Ant wanted more independence is my take. C. was thrilled to have Hudson; Ant wasn’t ready. Her social media postings may have been a source of contention. I think Ant got tired of being under a microscope; public & at home. He was used to being the star. Suddenly, Christina took that spot. He felt like 2nd fiddle?? 5 kids & multiple jobs seemed to cause resentment of priorities etween them. Wish them the best; I like them both.
@FHMOM
She is
I was actually surprised by this. She seemed way more relaxed after leaving Tarek. Ant seemed like a carefree guy. Maybe the novelty wore off?? I remember seeing a pic of Ant’s ex wife and she and Christina look alike. I think some men have a type. I could tell during the early post divorce Flip or Flop, Tarek really was still in love with her but it was coming out in passive aggressive ways like purposely disagreeing with her just to get a rise out of her.
Christina seems like the type that can’t be by herself. She and Ant bought that big house and spent a lot of money renovating it. I do believe she’s high maintenance but so was Tarek, which made them match so well. I agree Kaiser, I think she needs someone who challenges her.
It definitely appears Christina ended things with the announcement appearing solely on her page.
Additionally, she has a few cryptic posts about her unhappiness.
That said, I sort of get a Jessica Simpson/Nick Lachey vibe in that Christina is the obvious breadwinner with significantly more money coming in with makeup and furniture brand sponsorships.
Sometimes that causes tension and competitiveness with a couple that both work in the limelight.
He has a career & millions of his own tho’ -?
I love HGTV but couldn’t stand her show – it felt more like a Beverly Hills reality show.
This. I wanted to give her a shot because, despite initially hating them but liking the concept (and half-hour-ness) of Flip or Flop, I did end up liking her and Tarek. But I couldn’t get through even an episode of her show.
I saw online that there was a lot of issues with him not being able to see his kids because of corona, the kids were in the UK. And then it kinda seemed like he left CA to be with them in the UK. He also made some comments on not wanting to be as much on social media. I kinda think he got tired of the show being so much about their lives and missed his other kids. Who I noticed never appeared on the show at all. I kinda always got the impression as much as they talked about a blended family his kids weren’t as thrilled with the idea. I got Gwyneth/Brad F. vibes sometimes.
While I don’t disagree that the distance may have played a big role in their ability to have the blended family they desired, I do recall an episode of Christina on the Coast where they renovated their backyard and pool. His kids showed up to the big reveal at the end as it coincidenced with the start of their extended visit
If his kids from his first marriage live in the UK, and his career is in the UK, how exactly did this marriage work?
It didn’t.
In don’t agree that Tarek is in love with Christina and would take her back. Heather (his fiancée) and he have a very different dynamic than Tarek and Christina. They are really sweet to each other. Ant seemed really sweet to Christina as well but she kinda was her old sarcastic self with him. But imo it probably came down to he gave up his country and kids for her and Covid brought out some resentment that he did all the adjusting in the relationship. In his instagram he looked SO happy to be reunited with them in England after months of being apart. I think their new kid was an oops and it came too soon into their relationship as well. Babies can be a romance killer and he seems to have been a rough baby. That could have brought out resentment in Christina because the first months anyway the main caretaker is the woman and she seemed stretched to the limit with him, saying her first 2 kids were so much easier.
Were her first two kids so much easier or was her first husband so much presenter?
Well, Tarek didn’t have another family in another country to pull his heart and attention away from Christina.
I believe that Taylor was not a problem pregnancy, but Christina talked a lot about how difficult it was for her to conceive and carry to term subsequent pregnancies.
They had to use IVF to conceive son Brayden. This while also dealing with Tarek’s cancer diagnoses and back surgery.
His shows film in USA; it’s why he moved here. He was already separated from his First wife. Social media has shared his texts of inviting women for drinks & telling them he was married, (to his first wife at that time.) Maybe he’s not 100% the kind, committed man C. thought he was? She trusted him & her kids are attached to him. She’s hurt & perhaps humiliated. I wonder if they had a prenuptial. She earns far more now than he does, despite his success.
Sounds like he’s had commitment issues in both marriages. He’s good looking & successful; his charm might be
ephemeral or manipulative. He came across as a fun, caring, successful guy, but that’s TV! Maybe he liked the fantasy, but reality hit quickly after they moved in toge. & add Hudson.
My first husband pressured me into changing my name (I was young). I changed it back after the divorce and haven’t changed it since. My now husband didn’t care at all, it was never an issue. What’s funny is my mom is the one not quite grasping it. She’s constantly using my husband’s last name on things like Christmas/birthday cards, etc. Recently she had to put my name on some legal papers and asked what my legal last name was, so maybe now she’ll get it.
I was proud to keep my own maiden name, and my husband supported it. This was in the deep South where it was not only unconventional but shocking to many busybodies who were horrified! at the appearance we might be living in sin [gasp! oh, the horror!]
Anyone who ever questioned this, or anything I did and tried to get him to tell me what to do – like a good obedient, downtrodden wife – he always said, “My wife is a grown woman and has a mind of her own. Respect it. I don’t tell her what to do!”
That’s my guy <3
100% agree with your comment! My husband’s last name is so much better than my maiden name, however, I’d never change it
I was beyond excited to change my name after I got married to my wife. I love our last name and under no circumstance would I change it again! LOL
That’s when it’s awesome – when it’s you wanting to change your name! Not mindless tradition because it’s always been done that way, or bowing to societal or family pressure. Happy for you @Lucky!
When does a name become your own? Most of our surnames come from our fathers and then supposedly our husbands names are on loan? She’s had her married name for years and shares it with her children. Not quite understanding why she should change it back to her maiden name she hasn’t had for years and in some cases since young adult/teenager.
If my husbands name is on loan I’d rather just keep my maiden name or better yet, make up one and change it all together.
Just sick and tired of women’s-and only women-names being such an annoying debate and always belonging to someone else. We all should just make up and choose our own surnames!
Someone needs to tell these people to get off the social hamster wheel: marriage and children shouldn’t always be inevitable reactions to falling in love with someone.
Amen!!! How about just dating for awhile?
Mr. Lizzie thinks she looks like Ivanka. I never bought on either show that she was the designer.
From the few times I saw her first show, all she did was pick everything to be gray and white. Doesn’t take that much design skill, especially since most suppliers are stocking and showcasing that stuff nonstop.
She loves some nice white subway tile. Slap on some grey cabinets and she is giddy. Sometimes for drama she will do black and white instead of grey. But yeah her design is Home Depot fantastic which isn’t bad, but can be done for so much less without a Christina charging for it. Designers design and should be able to show why you paid them for the help.
I never liked Tarek. The best I can say about him is that I believe he truly loves his kids and is a good dad. He struck me as a passive aggressive, competitive jerk to Christina, even when they were married. The dynamic with Christina and Ant seems way more light hearted and happy, so this surprised me. Maybe it happened too fast. My guess is that he is finding it too difficult to be so far away from his older kids. It’s just sad that he is always going to be continents away from one set of kids or another wherever he goes as Hudson is American and his older kids are Brits. My hope is that they find a way to genuinely work things out, although admittedly most separations end in divorce.
It’s just sad for everyone, but especially all the kids involved.
I never changed my last name and my husband doesn’t mind.
Christina may have problems of her own (bad picker?), but let us not forget how very abusive Tarek was to her. He called her a whore repeatedly on the set of their show, put her down, made her cry & sexually abused her at her job (grabbing her breasts & butt when it was unwanted, in front of crew). He also used a gun to intimidate & threaten during a fight with her & fled into the woods, only to have to deal with the police. I am glad she got away, I have respect for all the crow she ate to keep their show going, but she should never go back. What other people see as “love”, I see as possessiveness, control & abuse.
Yes, I loathe both of them, but he was highly abusive. She was lucky to get away.
I also loathe both of them, but out of human compassion I was praying she would get away from him as his behavior to her was absolutely abuse.
I think the Christina and Ant get together was quite suspect. They met, then he divorced his wife and then he and Christina announced they were together. He had been with his wife for more than two decades. IMO he cheated on his wife for the shinier model and now has regrets. His ex never spoke to the media bout the separation. She was a bit of a celebrity in the U.K. because of his celebrity on the show. She kind of quietly disappeared while he moved on with Christina.
Then suddenly he announced stepping back From SM, went back to U.K., went through quarantine and then rejoined his older kids. Even though he said he’d step back from SM, he posted loads of pictures Of him with them. I think that forced Christina’s hand into announcing that they are separating. I think he wants his old family back. This is all speculation of course, with a little research.
Yes, I have no insider information, people, and nothing base my opinions on other than speculation from afar! lol
But it seems to me that he got away from her, back to his kids and country and realized! how much happier he was, and at peace. I can see her DEMANDING he return immediately, OR ELSE – and he didn’t – And this is OR ELSE.
Oops.
Thank God we have heterosexual couples to uphold the sanctity of marriage, tho’
[Sarcasm]
In Christina’s defense (and I don’t especially like her as a person), they have a baby together. So I can understand why she might demand her husband come back and help her take care of their child, even if it isn’t completely fair to his other children. Ant was (and still is) in a tough spot. Even if he goes back to the UK, he now has a child in the US he needs to be present for as well.
His shows film in the USA; it’s why he moved here. He was already separated from his First wife. Social media has shared his texts of inviting women for drinks & telling them he was married, (at that time.) Maybe he’s not 100% the kind, committed man C. thought he was? Sounds like he’s had commitment issues in both marriages. He’s good looking & successful, but his charm might be
Ephemeral. He came across as a fun, caring guy, but that’s TV! Maybe he liked the fantasy, but reality hit quickly after Hudson was born; hard work having a newborn & 4 other kids!
When I got divorced I took my maiden name back. When I got remarried, I kept my maiden name.
She married her rebound.
Nuff said.
Sounds like she married and had a child with a man who was ultimately a rebound.
I never watched her new show, but I didn’t like Tarek or Christina. Tarek seems a little crazy and aggressive, and Christina just has a major ‘tude.
Kept my maiden name as a middle name. Still use it as my surname at work. Use my married name for everything outside of work, as it is convenient to have the same surname as my children in my passport.
Heather looks AND sounds just like Christina. My husband who has only popped his head in when I’m watching these shows literally believes they are the same person. Tarek either has a type or everyone in Cali looks the same.
Two years isn’t long. But the first year after a baby can be difficult, whether PP depression comes into play or someone who isn’t an equal co-parent/not present.
It wouldn’t hurt to take more than 5 minutes being single after a marriage splits up before jumping into another.
[*See it all too often.*]
Another pair of “celebrities” I have never heard of.
Another lockdown casualty, right? He couldn’t get back to England to see his kids. That must have been stressful for him and for anyone in the house with him. Also, Christina said she “never wanted to homeschool.” They’re used to eating out, staying busy, and being seen. Ah, celebs.
You can have bad behavior from two parties and not be incorrect. I’m not sure what happened here but it all seemed rushed/ staged. There are multiple sets of kids involved, wishing the kids well..
I think something went down. She went NUCLEAR on social media, she unfollowed him, his children, deleted wedding photos (a while back), deleted comments he put on recent posts….She’s pissed.
If she’s pissed enough and hurt enough to do all that then it sounds like some kind of serious betrayal of trust.
Also, Ant has stated that he’s backing off of social media because it’s so “toxic” – which it is, of course – but what specifically hit him there?
I can’t help it, I am dying to know what really happened, even though it’s none of my business. There are understandable reasons why their marriage was strained – having a child so soon, Ant being separated from his family in the UK, the existential difficulties the pandemic has created for everyone. And I agree he and Christina seemed to be an odd match.
Yes, something serious went down between them and it’s sad because of the children involved and because I truly think they had high hopes for a great life together (or at least SHE did).
Def felt like something was up a little while back. In July she was in La Jolla, CA on a weekend break with her kids and her sister but not him….
I think she rushed to the alter to beat Tarek to it like ‘look what you missed out on, I’m a dang catch!’
I did like them together, Ant & Christina. He seemed to be laid back compared to edgy Tarek. But to that end, I think the novelty wore off real quick.
Handsome man with an accent, typical bright white teeth California girl. That only goes so far without an actual foundation.
Living far from family is tough. I live here in the U.S but I’m Australian. My kids don’t hang with their cousins. We FaceTime and we get back there but it’s tough. I get his stress and for her, she doesn’t get it, though I’m sure she tries. My husband says all the time “I didn’t have to move, I didn’t have to leave my family – what do you need?” – I married a good one! He admits he doesn’t realize how it feels which makes it easier for me.
My suspicion is she hated that she wasn’t top priority and hated him longing for anywhere else but Newport Beach.
His shows film in U.S.; it’s why he moved here. He was separated from his first wife. Social media has shared his texts of inviting women for drinks & telling them he was married, (to his first wife.) Maybe he’s not 100% the kind, committed man C. thought? Her kids are attached to him. She’s hurt & humiliated. Prenuptial? She earns far more now than he does, despite his success.
He’s had commitment issues in both marriages. Good looking & successful; his charm might be
ephemeral or manipulative? Enjoyed the fantasy, but reality hit after they moved in toge. & add Hudson. Little free time in a new marriage w/ lots of moving parts on 2 continents. She adores her kids, that’s obvious! Was her $ a draw?
Yeah. If Christina unfollowed his kids then something is up, but also that’s incredibly immature. I think in the UK he was the head honcho. His ex has like 300 followers on insta and not many posts. So it was more a normal family and he loved his show & celebrity. Christina is great but she is constantly snapping pics, on social media all the time, 2 hgtv shows and a little baby plus other kids. It’s not to hard to figure out – he missed the old life and his homeland. Hollywood is really really different than London.
IMO they are all too money concerned. Tarek bragged about buying Christina the Bentley she wanted. He had thyroid cancer but didn’t take any time off the shore they just go go go and both marriages have paid the price. I too hope she can be single for a while. I like Christina. I wish she’d take some time to be more down to earth, though.
She has the personality and charisma of a chair.
Ant and Tarek look nothing alike. I liked him and thought him and Christina made a cute couple as well. Clearly something serious went down. Before getting with Ant, didn’t she date someone else?
T &; C were disrespectful to each other on their show. Divorce seemed imminent. Their priorities clashed.
*Ant &; C. seemed happy, but she said she ” felt lonely.” Indicates she felt the kids were mostly her responsibility. The step kids family merge is rarely easy. Add a surprise baby, & I think Ant got overwhelmed once they lived together. I don’t know how they could navigate that & their careers without a nanny; too many time conflicts & mom guilt. Ant was no longer the star; C. was. Competitive feelings may have caused issues. He had issues with social media too.