Is Renee Zellweger dating Ant Anstead? Here's a look at her colorful dating life
'Judy' star Renee Zellweger has a new boyfriend, we've just learned. The actress, who has two Academy Awards to her name, has been a staple in Hollywood since the 90s, and it appears in men's hearts as well. She is reportedly now dating Ant Anstead, the English TV presenter.
Anstead made headlines and broke many fans' hearts in September 2020 when he announced he was divorcing Christina Anstead. The divorce led Anstead to a break-up recovery program, where he was rumored to have dated a woman called Kylie McBeath. We don't know for sure if that happened but reports confirm he is seeing Zellweger, who was previously linked to Country singer Kenny Chesney. According to multiple reports, Zellweger and Anstead are dating after meeting earlier this month on a work project.
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Chesney isn't the only one the award-winning actress has been linked with. Since the '90s, Zellweger has been linked to, and even engaged to, some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. Since we now know who her new boyfriend is, we thought it would be an apt time to go back in time and revisit all her old relationships. Here's a comprehensive look at all of Zellweger's past boyfriends.
Zellweger's past relationships
Her first known boyfriend was Texas musician Ellison. They started dating sometime in the late 80s, before splitting in 1993. It's unclear why they split up or what happened. In 1995, Ellison died by suicide, leading Zellweger to eulogize her past love at his funeral. Rory Cochrane and Zellweger reportedly hit it off while filming the 1995 film 'Empire Records'. Few details exist about that relationship, such as when it ended, but it should be sometime around 1995.
That year, Zellweger was linked with screenwriter Josh Pate. Like with Cochrane, the romance with Pate was short-lived, lasting only a year or two. She then appears to have taken a hiatus from the dating scene, spending the time between 1997 and 1999 on her own, before she met comedian Jim Carrey. The duo met on the sets of 1999's 'Me, Myself and Irene', and got on so well that they announced their engagement later that year.
Unfortunately, it was never meant to be. Carrey and Zellweger split in 2000, on good terms. Even today, Carrey has fond memories of that short-lived romance, calling her "special to me, very special," in a 2020 interview. Zellweger too seems to have fond memories of Carrey, telling Entertainment Weekly that the relationship "was a very unexpected, wonderful thing." The relationship seemed to have quite a profound impact on Zellweger, who spent the next two years single before she met Jack White.
White and Zellweger met on the sets of 'Cold Mountain' in 2002 and dated till September 2004. Like with Carrey, the relationship appeared to end amicably, with a publicist saying, "they remain good friends." Before White though, Zellweger was linked to FRIENDS star Matthew Perry and later George Clooney, but it appears neither of those worked out. Perry and Zellweger reportedly went on a few dates, before calling it off. Clooney also dated Zellweger "for a little bit", but the duo mostly remained friends, even to this day.
Her next big relationship was in 2005, with musician Chesney, who she married in May 2005. The duo met on NBC’s “Concert of Hope” telethon just four months prior to tying the knot. It was annulled just four months later, due to "fraud". While that news caused quite the controversy, the real reason was rather dull. "In order for us to get an annulment, the legal papers could claim either physical abuse, which wasn’t true or three or four other things that also weren’t true," he told Playboy in 2009. "The best thing we could put in there was fraud. So I said, 'All right, do it. Whatever'."
In 2007, Zellweger was then spotted with Office alum John Krasinski, at a comedy show in North Carolina. It appears the two got together while filming 'Letterheads'. In early 2007, she was also seen on a date with Luke Perry, but it appears both men weren't ideal boyfriends. Both relationships flamed out pretty quickly, as did her supposedly next one with MSNBC correspondent Dan Abrams.
Her next major relationship was in 2009 with Bradley Cooper. The duo actually met on the set of their thriller 'Case 39' in 2006, but it wasn't until 2009 that they became a couple. Sometime in 2011, they split up though, for reasons unknown. Then in 2012, Zellweger began dating musician Doyle Bramhall II. To date, it remains her longest relationship, having lasted five years. In 2017, she called him "a very special person." Unfortunately, it appears he wasn't special enough and the couple parted ways in May 2019.
Bramhall II was Zellweger's last known relationship. She appears to have spent the rest of 2019 and 2020 alone, before Anstead stepping in as her new boyfriend. In early June, the duo was filming Anstead's Discovery+ series 'Celebrity IOU: Joyride'. Few details are available, but a source confirmed to TMZ that the duo is dating. After their episode wrapped, the car expert and Oscar winner reportedly started hanging out and are getting to know each other more.
After a decade of tough luck, let's hope this turns out to be the lucky man for Zellweger.