Ant Anstead Speaks Out on Renee Zellweger Romance Reports

Ant Anstead has been romantically linked to actress Renee Zellweger lately, and now the Celebrity IOU: Joyride co-host has spoken out about the reports. Talking to E! News on the Daily Pop, Anstead explained that the pair fell for one another while they were filming the Discovery+ docu-series. Zellweger had previously been revealed as the celebrity guest for this season of the show, and some photos emerged of her and Anstead getting very cozy.

“Everybody knows that Renée and I have become quite close because we kept it secret for a while and now, unfortunately, some pictures were taken and put out there,” Anstead explained. “But it was a real pleasure to work with her. She’s a super pro and she can weld.” Anstead’s Joyride co-host Cristy Lee jumped in as well, joking, “I mean, honestly I’m disappointed, because I thought her and I were going to start dating afterwards. I was like, ‘Wait, Ant, what?’” Lee quipped. “But she was amazing. We worked on some awesome projects. The sparks that I saw flying were definitely the sparks with the welder and the grinder, pulling the roof off the Ford Bronco. She just got right in there.”

Anstead’s budding relationship with Zellweger comes almost a year after his divorce from ex-wife Christina Haack. In September 2020, Haack announced that she and Anstead had separated. “Ant and I have made the difficult decision to separate,” she wrote in a social media post, alongside a photo of the pair. “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.” In November, it was revealed that she had formally filed for divorce.

According to a previous report from Us Weekly, close friends of Haack and Anstead were “shocked” at their separation news. Per an insider, most of those closest to them seemed to think that things between the two were good. “Christina and Ant have been very private about this and friends are shocked to hear the news because they seemed happy together publicly and while in front of others,” the insider told the outlet.