The Truth About Renée Zellweger And Ant Anstead's Relationship
Actress Renée Zellweger is famous for her role in bringing some of our most beloved romantic comedies to life. From her work in "Jerry Maguire" (you can pretty much hear her saying "You had me at hello") to "Bridget Jones's Diary," wherein Zellweger played the incredibly charming, if imperfect, Bridget Jones.
And now, it seems as though Zellweger herself has her very own meet-cute on her hands. She is reportedly dating Ant Anstead, whom she met on the set of his Discovery+ show, "Celebrity IOU Joyride" (via TMZ). Zellweger appears on an episode, as do other celebrities like Octavia Spencer, Tony Hawk, and Mary J. Blige. The show is a spinoff of the popular "Celebrity IOU," helmed by "Property Brothers" stars Drew and Jonathan Scott, but instead of fixing up a home for someone in their lives, they'll instead be souping up the ride of their dreams (via Heavy).
While filming her episode, Zellweger somehow got her hands on Anstead's work boots. She went to return them, and from there, they began their romance, which just sounds like the beginning of a great rom com.
Renée Zellweger is playing her cards close to her chest
True HGTV heads know that Ant Anstead is fresh off a divorce from Christina Haack, who hosts her very own HGTV show, "Christina on the Coast" (via USA Today). The pair wed in December 2018 and together share a 1-year-old son, Hudson. Their divorce was finalized after they announced their separation nine months earlier. When going public with the news, the two emphasized that their focus going forward will be on co-parenting their child. "I don't need anything but Hudson and my health," Anstead told People. "All of a sudden, I just had this overwhelming sense of gratitude."
For her part, Oscar winner Renée Zellweger has been linked to Bradley Cooper and Doyle Bramhall II (via Us Weekly). Most famously, she was very briefly married to country star Kenny Chesney, to whom she wed a scant five months after meeting. The pair split four months later, with the marriage annulled. While it's unclear what will be for Anstead and Zellweger, one thing is for sure — she won't be talking about their relationship in the press.
"I won't talk about who I'm dating. Because it's dumb," Zellweger has said previously. "It leads to nowhere good. I let everybody else in the media do that for me. It takes the responsibility off my shoulders!" (via AZQuotes).
Renée Zellweger and Ant Anstead go public -- quietly
Ant Anstead appears to be on the same page as Renée Zellweger about not discussing his personal life. However, that can be difficult when you have a show to promote — and you met your famous, Oscar-winning girlfriend on that very same show. While appearing with co-host Cristy Lee on Entertainment Tonight to discuss "Celebrity IOU Joyride," Anstead gave a small window into his new love with Zellweger. Try as he might to keep the conversation to cars, Anstead couldn't help but share some flattering things about Zellweger.
"This is an opportunity to see a little bit behind the curtain," Anstead said of Zellweger's appearance on the show. "And I know, you know, Renée in particular, she doesn't give herself freely ... she's a very private person, and that's something I really love about her ... You got to see a side of her that was really real and she really shared that" (via YouTube).
Page Six, for their part, tried asking Anstead about the happiness and joy he's found in the relationship, to which he replied, "That's unquantifiable, come on! Life's a rollercoaster and you ride the lows and the highs."
If Anstead is keeping this relationship close to the chest, it's likely because he wants to protect it. "Renée and my relationship is something that's really private," he told People. "... It's really early in our relationship and I don't want to put any pressure on that."
The rumored duo finally make it Instagram official
Perhaps one reason Ant Anstead and Renée Zellweger prefer to keep things quiet is because they can let their time together speak for itself. The two have been spotted enjoying a Labor Day weekend bike ride in Laguna Beach, California, sneaking a kiss after Anstead's soccer game, and grabbing pizza at a local restaurant (via Hollywood Life, InStyle, Page Six). Clearly, things are going well enough between Anstead and Zellweger that they were ready to take their relationship to the next level: becoming Instagram official (via People). While Zellweger doesn't have an Instagram account, Anstead posted a black-and-white selfie of the two looking very cozy and happy.
Anstead's friends were quick to comment on the post, with Cristy Lee writing, "You two," alongside a smiley face and heart. Anstead's former "Wheeler Dealers" co-host Mike Brewer shared a short and sweet sentiment: "Boom."
While Zellweger appears to not have spoken publicly about the relationship, a source told People, "Sometimes two people just meet and click, and the timing is right. 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."