Fans of Christina Anstead, the home renovation and design maven who is the star of the hit HGTV shows Flip or Flop and Christina on The Coast were shocked recently when it was announced that she and husband Ant Anstead had decided to separate. The couple, who married in an intimate backyard wedding in December 2018 welcomed their son Hudson, just one year ago.
Christina made the announcement on social media, posting a picture of the duo walking on a beach at sunset. "Ant and I have made the difficult decision to separate," she wrote. "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."
How Many Children Does Christina Have?
The HGTV star is the proud mom of three young children. Christina shares her two older kids, son Brayden, 5, and daughter Taylor, 9, with her first husband and Flip or Flop co-star Tarek El-Moussa. Despite a very public and sometimes acrimonious divorce, the two have managed to successfully co-parent their two children, which will no doubt help the mother of three as she and Anstead navigate co-parenting Hudson.
On Co-Parenting With Tarek El Moussa
Despite a very public divorce, both Christina and El Moussa have managed to put their differences aside and continue working together on their hit show while co-parenting their two kids. During a recent interview with Access Daily, Christina revealed that the former couple is definitely able to put their kids first and make it work when it comes to sharing parenting duties. "I feel like that's been fine, that's been the exact same. Everything we are doing is in the kids' best interests and luckily, we live close together so we're able to drive back and forth from each other's houses easily and we work together. It's all about communication," she explained.
In an interview with US Weekly, El Moussa confirmed that the couple has come a long way since their split adding that the two are “happier than ever” co-parenting their kids. “The kids are great and life is good,” the HGTV star confirmed. “We’re cordial. We film together. … We’re good.” When asked about how he was dealing with co-parenting during the health pandemic, El Moussa laughed stating it was “a walk in the park” compared to their “very public divorce. He added that "it doesn’t matter how bad it is. It’s better than it was.”
Her Blended Family
When Christina and Anstead married, the couple blended their families. Anstead has two children from his first marriage, daughter Amelie, 16, and son Archie, 14 so he also has experience in the co-parenting department. Shortly after the television host welcomed son Hudson with Christina, he spoke to Entertainment Tonight about juggling his blended family between himself, his ex-wife Louise and El Moussa.
"I think everybody has to be on the same page," he said. "Everybody has to be present and pulling in the same direction. That includes Tarek, it includes my ex. If everybody wants the same thing, and that has to be kids first. If you prioritize kids first, it actually kind of falls into place and the rest of it makes sense," he added. "If you ever make a decision that doesn't put the kids first, it is the wrong decision," he said.
Time Makes It Easier
Christina seems to fully understand exactly what it takes to make a co-parenting arrangement work but does admit that time has certainly made it easier between her and El Moussa. In an interview with PEOPLE in the spring she admitted that she and her ex-husband are pros at working together for the sake of their kids, even during a pandemic. “Tarek and I split four years ago. That’s a long time. When there are tough times like these, all of a sudden we’re totally a unified front and talk and email multiple times a day,” she said.
She told US Weekly last December that she and El Moussa have definitely worked hard on making the best situation for their children. "It’s definitely gotten a lot easier,” she said. “The kids love seeing us sit together and that’s what’s important. Me and Tarek work together still, obviously, so it’s not like we don’t see each other. And I’m still really close with his family as well.”
Making It Work
Co-parenting is about to get even busier for the multitalented mother of three as she juggles her parenting duties with both exes. Thankfully all parties involved seem dedicated to doing anything and everything they need to do to put their children first.
Sources: Access Daily, US Weekly, Entertainment Tonight, PEOPLE, US Weekly