Christina Anstead and Tarek El Moussa married in 2009 and landed their dream job with HGTV
just four years later. But while Flip or Flop was a smash hit, the couple would split by
2016. They've continued to collaborate on their show, but from co-parenting to health
struggles, here's why Christina hasn't been the same since the divorce.
"A lot of people go through divorces and, you know, I don't think any of them are easy."
When El Moussa and Anstead filed for divorce, the news quickly went public, which likely
only added to the drama. But that doesn't mean that Anstead didn't seek the high road
in the situation. Nearly a year after her split from El Moussa was first announced,
Anstead told Good Housekeeping in 2017 that she was finally feeling upbeat about the future.
Speaking about a new relationship with businessman Doug Spedding at the time, Christina revealed,
"I'm very spiritual, and I believe in things happening for a reason. I had it in my head,
and it'd never been in my head before, that I was going to run into him that night."
Of course, while that specific relationship wasn't meant to be, Anstead remained hopeful
as she continued dating after her marriage. But while she was able to spiritually cope
with the grief, the divorce definitely made its mark.
"After my divorce, I got so stressed."
"Maybe I looked good on the outside, but I felt awful, awful, awful."
For some people, living life in the public eye can prove to be extremely difficult. But
for Anstead, having fans and loyal viewers of Flip or Flop by her side while she went
through her divorce became a source of undeniable support. Anstead explained that what kept
her above water was all the love coming from her fans, telling Good Morning America,
"I get so many nice messages from people that have gone through similar situations and just
the positive outreach, it's really helped me get through this."
"I also leaned on very close friends and family."
Going through a personal challenge in front of the whole world couldn't have been easy,
but Anstead clearly appreciated all of the well-wishes from her supporters.
After Anstead and El Moussa finalized their divorce, Christina went on to marry English
TV personality, Ant Anstead, in 2018. The design star then welcomed her first child
with Ant in September of 2019 — their son Hudson — during what appeared to be the
beginning of a joyful chapter in their lives. However, mothering a newborn, on top of parenting
her two children from her marriage with El Moussa, all while working on her show, proved
to be rough for the HGTV star.
It was all such a challenge, that Anstead crafted a lengthy Instagram post explaining
just how tough life was for her at the moment, sharing that her then-newborn would only stop
crying if he was in a dark room with white noise. She explained,
"Hudson's choice of spending his time is very unrealistic when we have a crazy 4-year-old
running around who definitely needs attention, as well as a [9-year-old] girl [for whom]
one-on-one time is her love language."
"Well, we each got bills to pay and we got these crazy ones, so."
Anstead definitely had her hands full with her three kids — plus two more from Ant's
previous relationship — and honestly, who could blame her for feeling a little overwhelmed.
But these days she's focusing on better managing her time with her family.
Thanks to her bright smile and undisputed success, Christina Anstead has become a household
name. She's a beloved HGTV star, a loving mother, and an Instagram guru, and with that
kind of schedule, she likely doesn't get all that much time to herself. But after her divorce
from El Moussa, and later from Ant Anstead, Christina has truly learned to appreciate
her privacy.
While her split from Tarek was still fresh, she once described herself as a very private
person. So private, in fact, that her own parents didn't even know she and El Moussa
were having problems. She revealed to Good Housekeeping,
"I wasn't very vocal with them about some of the issues that Tarek and I were having,
so all of the sudden it's like bam — I've moved out, I'm living at my nanny's house."
But considering everything that Anstead has gone through, she's since learned how to better
protect her private life. She has even asked her own fans to respect her boundaries on
more than one occasion.
One of the biggest shockers after Anstead and El Moussa announced their split was that
the two were actually planning to continue working together on Flip or Flop. The show
was wildly popular, but even so, fans wondered exactly how the two exes would ever be able
to collaborate on a complicated remodel. While Flip or Flop didn't miss a beat, Anstead reportedly
found a real sense of independence when she launched her own HGTV series, Christina on
the Coast.
"I'm Christina. You may know me from flipping houses."
“Everytime I walk in, I just can’t get enough.”
“It’s a sexy house- beautiful”
"But there's a lot more sides to me than that."
Christina said, via USA Today,
"I'm really excited to do something on my own. I've been known for design, so I think
it would be awesome to be able to do a show where I just help people who want to design
their homes."
Anstead also revealed that her series would feature her new relationship with Ant, including
her engagement and subsequent wedding, proving that she had truly moved on from El Moussa.
After things with El Moussa ended, Anstead focused on what was really important to her.
And as it turns out, communication was something that she deeply valued. It was also the one
element that was most lacking in her marriage. Anstead revealed that miscommunication was
a huge reason she and El Moussa split, explaining to People,
"We weren't able to properly communicate anymore. It got to the point where we weren't even
driving to set together."
But Anstead has since discovered her voice, and has made it a point to always speak up
for herself. She shared with Good Housekeeping,
"I'm like that with everyone now. If something is on my mind, you're gonna know. Because
Tarek and I lost that communication, completely, and it's so hard to get it back once it's
gone."
"Trust me, it's the best possible situation for everybody."
As enviable as many aspects of Anstead's life might appear to be, to an outside observer
— hi, have you seen her backyard? — the star has undoubtedly faced her fair share
of personal challenges. But when her seemingly happy marriage to Ant came to an abrupt end,
she learned a whole new lesson: expect the unexpected.
"Ooo. Little crazy."
These days, Anstead says she's not letting her ideals get in the way of what her real
life has to offer. And in an Instagram post, she explained just how she’s learned to
deal with so much change, in such a short time. She said,
"I never thought I would have one divorce let alone two. I never thought I would have
2 baby daddies — but sometimes life throws us curve balls. Instead of getting stuck in
these 'setbacks' I choose to look at these challenges as opportunities to grow."
They say if you're doing it right, you never really stop learning in life. And that's something
that this home design expert has had to discover first-hand. Though Anstead has found plenty
of success in life, is raising three beautiful children, and has amassed a huge social media
following, she still claims that she was missing something. And she's since turned her focus
toward self-improvement, as well as self care.
"I put everyone else's needs before my own and I knew I needed to make a change."
In an emotional and raw Instagram post in September 2020, Anstead revealed how she had
to make it a priority to spend more time on herself and her children, revealing,
"I'm messy, I'm real and I'm working on healing. I'm surrounded by extremely powerful women
who help me cope, build me up and push me to be better. […] [I'm] taking time to clear
the 'noise' and focus on myself and the kids."
She also offered a little advice for fans, explaining that no one should feel bad about
the cards they've been dealt or decisions they've made in life, adding,
"We are all a work in progress."
When a relationship ends, it can sometimes be difficult to truly move on and not look
back. But that's actually one of the most profound ways in which Anstead has changed
since her first divorce. According to the host, she now knows what's important — and
it's what's in front of her, not what's behind her, in the past. And that was true for her
even when it came to her second marriage to Ant Anstead. Yet, according to reports, Ant
had said that he wasn't quite ready to put his divorce from Christina behind him. He
shared on Instagram in 2020,
"Anyone who really knows me knows that I don't like to share private matters publicly. I
have remained silent while holding on to hope."
"I am so incredibly grateful I met you."
"She saved me.”
“Yeah. Saved each other."
Despite their once seemingly close bond, a source told E! News that Christina now sees
things much differently, telling the outlet,
"She is moving forward and has no plans for reconciling with Ant. She saw everything she
needed to see in their marriage and has made the difficult decision to move on."
Christina certainly appears to have decided that the past belongs in the past, especially
when it comes to difficult situations. We hope she is truly moving forward with the
mindfulness that those close to her seem to observe.
Even before Anstead divorced El Moussa, the TV personality was taking a whole lot of heat
from the public. Among other things, viewers ragged on her for wearing a matching bikini
with her daughter, as well as looking too glamorous for her job. But after her first
divorce went public, Anstead was forced to learn how to deal with being the buzzy topic
in the press and on the internet.
"The initial shock of it hitting the media was uh, extremely stressful.”
At the time of her first split, Anstead explained that certain people, like her parents, had
inadvertently pushed their own beliefs on her about what she and El Moussa should do
in their marriage. And that wasn't jiving with Anstead. She told Good Housekeeping,
"In the end, it's mine and Tarek's decision, and only ours."
Anstead also spilled a little tea on how El Moussa felt about her then-boyfriend, businessman
Doug Spedding. She explained,
"Doug was very successful, and Tarek had some jealously toward Doug. And I don't care if
it's out there. It's true."
These days, Anstead isn't carving out any time for the haters.
When a seven-year marriage ultimately breaks apart, there's bound to be some collateral
damage. But instead of living in the wreckage, Anstead decided to wipe the slate clean and
practically start her life over. And as difficult as that might sound, it seems like it worked
for the star. Utilizing her design sense, she explained to E.T. Canada,
"I thought of this year like a rebuild. So I'm starting from scratch. I'm moving, I have
a new TV show, a new boyfriend — there's a lot of projects going on. I'm just so happy,
and for the first time in a long time, I feel at peace, which is such a good feeling."
"Everyone's had a setback, but it's how you move forward and what you do with your future.
That's what matters."
It appears that Anstead was looking for a new start after her split from El Moussa — and
considering everything that's happened since they officially divorced in 2018, it certainly
seems like she got what she wanted.
Let's just get one thing straight: Anstead has triumphed over many, many challenges.
Even when she and El Moussa were still married, they were faced with financial problems and
El Moussa's thyroid cancer, on top of fertility issues. Then, of course, after they divorced,
a whole new set of struggles arose. But according to Anstead, she's focused on keeping her head
above the clouds. Opting to skip dwelling on the negative, she told Good Housekeeping
in 2017,
"I only want to talk about positive stuff. Tarek and I are still filming Flip or Flop,
and [number one] we have the kids, so at the end of the day I just want to be positive
and not think about anything else. […] I feel very happy, calm and clear. It's my life
and it's wide open."
"It really helps refocus on the positives and that's what's important right now."
"One day at a time."
A positive mindset can truly make a world of difference — something Anstead has made
a priority in her life. No matter what the design star has faced so far, it's clear that
she's doing her best to keep her spirits high. We're hoping she continues to thrive as she
begins this next chapter of her life.
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