2022 was a big year for Christina Hall and not necessarily in a good way. The HGTV veteran spent a large part of the year engaged in a contentious custody battle with ex-husband Ant Anstead. The former spouses, who married in 2018 and finalized their divorce in 2021, went back and forth with legal moves and the occasional social media post. They ultimately settled the dispute in December, at which time Hall finally shared a photo of their son, Hudson. While those rough times are now behind her, Hall isn’t blocking it all out now. She recently opened up about her experiences in a rare and candid post.
The Christina on the Coast star looked back on the past year using an Instagram update shared on Mother’s Day. The post included a sweet photo of the 39-year-old alongside Hudson and other son and daughter Brayden and Taylor, who she shares with ex Tarek El-Moussa. The sweet snapshot was accompanied by a lengthy caption, which began with her noting that it’s “crazy how much life can change in a year.” From there, the media personality detailed some of the tribulations she was experiencing at the time:
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
That housing situation would eventually lead to a moment that touched her immensely, though. Christina Hall further explained that while moving in, she noticed that the property owners left a care package for her family that was filled with her favorite champagne, gifts for her children and more. She was so moved by the gesture that she apparently rushed to another room to cry. Though she probably assumed she’d be alone there, Hall actually ended up having a much-needed encounter with someone:
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). It felt so good to speak to someone who understood.
Few things are more comforting than that feeling you get when you know that someone understands what you’re going through. The Flip or Flop alum now says that moment was a gift from God and went on to encourage her followers to be optimistic about the possibility of change.
In the past, Christina Hall has been open about co-parenting with her exes even doing so amidst the legal battle with Ant Anstead. It was in April 2022 that Anstead filed for full custody of Hudson and accused Hall of being an unsafe parent. That bid was ultimately denied, but Anstead was still in the position to file for temporary full custody. He later voiced more “fears” about his ex-wife caring for their son, which prompted Hall to call him out for allegedly spreading “false information.” During this time, Josh Hall, Christina’s current husband, defended her.
As of December 2022, Christina Hall and Ant Anstead have joint legal and physical custody of Hudson. It’s unfortunate that all parties involved had to go through such a long and tense process. But at the very least, Hall seems to have come out of it a more upbeat person and appears to appreciate those hard times now.
