Renée Zellweger Embraces ‘Bonus Family’ Life with Ant Anstead and His Kids

Mad about the boy! It was just another rough-and-tumble day in the park for Renée Zellweger as she and her boyfriend, the British-born TV personality Ant Anstead, enjoyed a day of soccer with his 5-year-old son in L.A. March 3. The 55-year-old ran and kicked the ball with the tot, at one point fixing his sleeve with a motherly touch. “Renée adores Hudson,” an insider tells Star. “They have a wonderful chemistry, and she’s very sweet and loving with him.”

It’s been a surprise to Renée how easily she slipped into the role of almost-stepmom. “Even though she and Ant aren’t married, Renée feels so lucky to have this little guy in her life,” says the insider. “He’s such a sensitive, sweet little one, and seeing how close he and Ant are together just makes her melt.”

And it’s not just Hudson, Ant’s child with ex-wife Christina Haack. The Oscar winner has also grown close to Amelie, 21, and Archie, 18, from the Born Mechanic’s marriage to Louise Herbert. Though the older kids are U.K.-based, she spent time with them while shooting her latest Bridget Jones outing, Mad About the Boy, and brought them to the film’s London premiere Jan. 29. “They all adore Renée and think she’s an amazing match for their dad,” adds the insider. “Renée felt very honored to have them at her big event.”

Renée has freely admitted she didn’t set out to have kids. “Motherhood has never been an ambition. I don’t think like that,” the actress, whose 2005 marriage to Kenny Chesney was annulled in mere months, has said. Still, she wasn’t opposed to the idea, adding, “If things happen, all well and good. I just want to be independent and be able to take care of myself. Anything else is just gravy.” Once she and Ant, 46, met on an episode of his show Celebrity IOU: Joyride and began dating in 2021, she was all in. In January, the Texas native even moved to Southern California, near San Diego, explaining, “That’s where my fella lives, and his little boy.”

Becoming part of Ant’s blended family has added depth to their relationship. “Renée looks forward to their hangouts, loves watching them play sports, watching movies together—fun, simple stuff,” says the insider. “She feels like she’s lucked out in so many ways. She’s at peace with the fact that she never had kids of her own—she gets to experience that joy through Ant.”