They were the "it" couple that nobody saw coming. When Christina Hall (then Haack) and British motor specialist Ant Anstead went public in 2017, it felt like a crossover episode of HGTV and Discovery that actually worked. He was the charming guy from Wheeler Dealers; she was the queen of Orange County real estate coming off a high-profile split from Tarek El Moussa.
It looked perfect. On paper, anyway.
Then came the secret "Winter Wonderland" wedding in December 2018 and a baby, Hudson, shortly after. But by September 2020, the dream was over. What followed wasn't just a breakup; it was a multi-year legal battle that got genuinely ugly before it got better. Honestly, the timeline of Christina Hall and Ant Anstead is a masterclass in how messy public co-parenting can get when the cameras are always rolling.
The Breaking Point and the Toad Venom Incident
People always ask why they split so fast. It was barely two years. While they cited "irreconcilable differences," the aftermath suggested a massive rift in lifestyle and parenting philosophies.
Things peaked in 2022 when Ant filed for emergency full custody of Hudson. It was an explosive move. He claimed Christina was an "absent" mother, alleging she only spent about nine full days a month with the toddler.
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Then it got weird.
Ant’s court filings brought up Christina’s admission that she had smoked Bufo toad venom—a psychedelic—during a spiritual journey. He used this to question her stability. He also claimed Hudson was being "exploited" for social media ads. He mentioned the poor kid came back with a sunburn so bad he was crying. Christina fired back, calling Ant’s tactics "deeply saddening" and manipulative. It was a PR nightmare.
Why the Custody Battle Finally Ended
The war didn't last forever. In November 2022, they finally reached an agreement to share joint legal and physical custody. No trial. No more public mud-slinging—at least for a while.
The schedule is actually pretty rigid now.
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- Even-numbered years: Christina gets Hudson for Thanksgiving.
- Odd-numbered years: Ant takes the holiday.
- Christmas: They split the week down to specific hours (Dec 23rd to Dec 25th).
They also had to navigate the "social media" clause. Christina eventually decided to stop featuring Hudson on her shows and Instagram for a period to "protect" him from the legal noise. It was a rare moment of a reality star choosing privacy over content, though Hudson has since started appearing in family photos again as tensions cooled.
The 2025 "Flip Off" Reunion: A Sudden Shift
If you watched HGTV in early 2025, you probably saw the most shocking reunion in reality TV history. Ant Anstead appeared as a guest judge on The Flip Off, the show Christina was originally supposed to film with her third husband, Josh Hall.
After Christina and Josh split in July 2024, the dynamic changed.
Surprisingly, Ant was the one who reached out. During an episode that aired in February 2025, Christina revealed that Ant gave her a "huge hug" and apologized for their past behavior. Ant himself admitted on camera that their four-year feud was "shameful."
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It’s wild to think that a third divorce—Christina's split from Josh—is actually what brought her and Ant back to a friendly place. He even voted for her to win a design challenge against Tarek and Heather Rae El Moussa, stating he has to "stand by the mother of my kid."
Where They Stand Right Now in 2026
As of January 2026, the two are in a surprisingly healthy spot. Ant is still going strong with Oscar-winner Renée Zellweger. They’ve been together since 2021 and are basically the most low-key "A-list" couple in Laguna Beach. Christina, meanwhile, has finalized her divorce from Josh Hall as of August 2025 and has been spotted moving on with her life in Newport Beach.
The legal drama over Hudson is effectively buried. They recently shared a joint Instagram post from Hudson’s school performance, proving they can finally stand in the same room without a lawyer present.
How to Navigate Your Own Blended Family Stress
If you’re looking at Christina Hall and Ant Anstead and wondering how to fix your own messy co-parenting situation, take a page from their 2026 playbook.
- Prioritize the "School Wins": Even if you can't stand your ex, showing up for school plays or sports together (like Ant and Christina did in March 2025) provides a "unified front" that reduces a child's anxiety.
- The "Three-Month Rule": Ant mentioned their relationship transformed about three months after they stopped fighting in court. Sometimes you just need 90 days of "no conflict" for the dust to settle.
- Keep it Private: The biggest mistake they made was the 2022 public filing. If you have a grievance, use a private mediator or a "Parenting Coordinator" before hitting the court system.
- Define the Holidays: Use a "one year on, one year off" rotation for major holidays. It eliminates the yearly argument about who gets Christmas morning.
The reality is that these two will be linked forever because of their son. It took four years of "really difficult" times to get to a place of peace. If they can go from "toad venom" accusations to filming a TV show together, there's probably hope for most co-parents.
Next Step: You can look into specialized co-parenting apps like OurFamilyWizard to document communication and schedules, which mimics the structured legal agreement that helped stabilize the situation for Hudson.