Christina Hall is looking back on her custody battle with ex-husband Ant Anstead.
Following their separation in 2020, Anstead filed for full custody of their now 3-year-old son, Hudson. Calling the fight over Hudson “unnecessary,” the HGTV star took to Instagram Sunday to reflect on the “very bad place” she was in last Mother’s Day, and how far she’s come since.
“Crazy how much life can change in a year. Last Mother’s Day I was in a very bad place. Going through an extremely unnecessary custody battle, family issues, dealing with a health scare- amongst other things. During all this we were momentarily displaced and in the process of moving into a temporary rental …,” Hall began, sharing a selfie of her and her three children, Hudson, 3, Brayden, 7, and Taylor, 12.
She continued, “During the stress of moving- I noticed the owners of the rental property left us this amazing care package on the kitchen Island… gifts for the kids, my fav champagne and a sweet note… at the time I was having the worst month so all of this meant SO much to me. I started crying when I saw it, and I didn’t want to upset anyone so I quickly went to hide in the first room I saw (the laundry room). Surprisingly, the owner of the rental happened to be in there grabbing some remaining items and she caught me off guard (I’m usually never vulnerable) but at that moment I was… I broke down crying and told her what I was going through and how much her gesture meant to me… she gave me a huge hug and told me she understood and what her and her blended family had gone through (similar situation to me).”
Hall said it felt good to have someone who related to her situation and understood, and while much has changed for her in the last year — a new home and a new marriage with husband Josh Hall — the reality TV star said looking back on that trying time one year ago still makes her eyes water.
“What a gift from God that moment was. No one I knew could understand what I was going through so to meet someone who got it and who could talk me through it truly was life changing. Shortly after that things turned around and fell into place,” she wrote. “I know I’ve made mistakes but I know what I’ve done right… I know with all my heart my kids love me… and I know I’m a good mom….”
While “life is crazy,” Hall said being a mom to her three kids makes it all worth it.
“Happy Mother’s Day, no matter where you are in life or what’s happening stay positive- It can all change in a year! ?,” Hall added, ending the lengthy post.
Anstead filed an emergency order for full custody of their son in April 2022. Though his request was denied days after the filing, the Celebrity IOU: Joyride star continued to seek changes to their custody arrangement amid claims that Hall was exploiting their son by including him in paid social media posts and on her television programs.
According to legal documents obtained by ET, Anstead claimed, “Christina has already exploited Hudson in numerous paid promotions on social media. l fear she also has footage of him, to be used in one of her ‘reality’ TV shows, without my knowledge or consent, and continues to film him despite my objections.”
Hall responded in court at the time, saying she was “shocked” to see that Anstead was “continuing to make false allegations” against her.
Hall and Anstead settled their custody case back in November, following a contentious back-and-forth. According to court docs obtained by ET, the exes, who were married from 2018 to 2021, were able to come to a joint legal and physical custody agreement for Hudson, which spelled out both vacation time, holidays and their year-round schedules.
Both Hall and Anstead have moved on since their divorce, with Hall marrying husband Josh last April, and Anstead celebrating his two-year anniversary with girlfriend Ren?e Zellweger last month.
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