logo
Christina Haack, Ant Anstead make up after her latest split, ex Tarek El Moussa reacts

Christina Haack, Ant Anstead make up after her latest split, ex Tarek El Moussa reacts

USA Today21-02-2025
Christina Haack and ex-husband Ant Anstead are in a much better place these days.
Still, Haack inviting her second ex-husband on as a judge on HGTV's "The Flip Off" shocked her complicated co-stars: her first ex-husband Tarek El Moussa and his wife Heather Rae El Moussa.
On the fourth episode of the new series, titled "The Ex Factor," Haack, 41, and Anstead, 45, discussed their turbulent split and their improved relationship as co-parents.
Haack said in the episode that she and Anstead had not been on speaking terms for four years. But she said a change began shortly after her split from her third husband, Josh Hall, when she picked up the couple's 5-year-old son Hudson for a birthday party.
Christina Haack'knew' Josh Hall divorce was on the horizon as 'Flip Off' filming began
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
"I walked up to (Anstead's) door, he gave me a huge hug. We hadn't hugged in years," Haack said in a confessional. "He just said, 'I'm so sorry for everything you're going through and I'm here for you no matter what you need.' And it was a very nice moment. We had a long talk after. And we decided to put all the BS aside and be good co-parents like Tarek and I are."
Tarek El Moussa reacts to Ant Anstead 'Flip Off' appearance: 'Just have Josh come'
The El Moussas were surprised when Haack revealed she chose Anstead to judge, with Tarek El Moussa quipping: "Why don't you just have Josh come and they can judge together?"
Tarek El Moussa revealed that he first learned of Haack and Anstead's marriage after a few months of dating on social media. He said he messaged Anstead at the time, requesting he "treat my kids as your own," but got no response. "Wonder why they got divorced," the real estate investor threw in.
Christina Haack,getting married 'quickly' and the 'very big lessons' to learn
Later in the episode, Anstead called his and Haack's relationship a "transformation."
"Hudson is 5 now," he said of their only child together. "And in those five years, it's been really, really difficult. And that changed three months ago. The relationship that we have now is really, really important. And it's been a transformation."
He continued: "As parents, it took us four and a half years to get to that point, which is really shameful. You and I will be connected forever because we have a kid."
Haack was originally supposed to star in the series with Hall, but that changed after their split. In July, Haack and Hall, 44, both filed divorce documents in California, citing irreconcilable differences, according to filings obtained by USA TODAY. They had been married since October 2021.
Christina Haack goesInstagram official with new boyfriend after third divorce
Haack and Anstead were married from December 2018 to June 2021. The English TV presenter and car builder is now tied to actress Renée Zellweger.
Haack has since revealed a new love interest, sharing a snap with her new boyfriend, Christopher Larocca, earlier this month.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Newton residents react to ‘Line Gate' during Italian American festival
Newton residents react to ‘Line Gate' during Italian American festival

Boston Globe

time8 hours ago

  • Boston Globe

Newton residents react to ‘Line Gate' during Italian American festival

Tim Strayer, who has lived in Newton for 28 years, said that the move was 'tone deaf.' Advertisement 'There may be legitimate reasons to paint it yellow, but the timing and the engagement with the community was very poor,' Strayer said after a 10 a.m. Mass at Our Lady Help of Christians Church. Around 2:30 a.m. on July 16, on the first day of Festa, police Lieutenant Amanda Henrickson Advertisement Although some residents found the removal of the Italian flag stripes disrespectful, many want to move past it and focus on the festival. Chuck Proia, 57, who has been chairperson of the festival for the last 20 years, said that he thinks of the event as 'Christmas in July.' 'I was afraid for a long time that the line controversy was going to overshadow this event,' Proia said. Around 12:30 p.m., people drank beer, ate pizza, and wore matching white shirts emblazoned with 'The Lake,' a nickname for Nonantum, even though there is no lake here. Some volunteers were preparing for the 2 p.m. procession down Adams Street, where the statue of the Madonna del Carmine from Our Lady Help of Christians was carried through the neighborhood. During the procession, the North End Marching Band, dressed in red shirts, played snare drums. Spectators pinned dollar bills to the statue, which will benefit the St. Mary of Carmen Society. Michael Panella, 72, who grew up in Newton but now lives in Needham, said he was upset when he found out that city officials had painted over the stripes on Adams Street. 'It was disgraceful … those Italian colors have been on the street for decades,' Panella said. Panella's parents immigrated from Avellino, a town near Naples in Italy. He said his father encouraged him to speak English and he regrets that he is not fluent in Italian. Panella said that the festival and the Italian character of Nonantum were an important part of retaining his parents' culture. Advertisement Michael Panza, 56, has lived on Adams Street for 20 years in a house with a driveway that's painted red, white, and green. He was welcoming neighbors to his backyard to share food before the procession. Panza said that he and his neighbors were kept up until 3 a.m. on June 27 when city officials repainted the street. 'They were out here from 10:30 at night to 3:30 in the morning with backpack blowers as loud as can be,' Panza said. He said he was skeptical about the mayor's claim that double yellow lines were needed to make the street safer. Michaela Carrieri, 28, of Brookline, came to Adams Street for the procession with her cousin, a first-time visitor to the United States from Abruzzo, Italy. Carrieri's father grew up in Nonantum, and she would attend the festival every year as a child. 'My cousin's never been a part of this festival, and this is something that I've done my whole life,' Carrieri said. 'I just wanted to show him what we do in America.' She said she found it interesting that Adams Street was repainted, pointing out that multiple streets in Nonantum, not just Adams, have a red, white, and green stripe in the middle. 'It's been here for decades,' Carrieri said. 'I'm not too immersed into what is occurring, but I do find it interesting.' Carmen Pancerella, who has lived in Newton for 28 years, said she was sad when she saw that the lines had been painted over, especially since people generally repaint the red, white, and green stripes right before Festa so the street is 'bright and vibrant.' Advertisement Pancerella, whose grandparents immigrated from Calabria, Italy, said that it was important to maintain the stripes on Adams Street and the annual celebration of the festival. 'I like seeing tradition because it's so easy for it to go away in today's world,' Pancerella said. Angela Mathew can be reached at

This '70s pop band has won over Gen Z (again) with 1 billion Spotify streams.
This '70s pop band has won over Gen Z (again) with 1 billion Spotify streams.

USA Today

time10 hours ago

  • USA Today

This '70s pop band has won over Gen Z (again) with 1 billion Spotify streams.

It's not 1979, but ABBA is bewitching a whole new generation with its disco magic. The iconic Swedish pop group, beloved for its infectious blend of Europop and danceable grooves, has made Spotify history with its late-'70s hit "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)." The song, cowritten and coproduced by members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, entered Spotify's Billions Club on Sunday, July 20, after surpassing one billion streams on the music platform, Spotify exclusively confirmed to USA TODAY. This isn't the first time ABBA has dominated the streaming universe with its timeless tunes. The band's enduring anthem, "Dancing Queen," entered the Billions Club in July 2023. Released in October 1979 as part of the group's compilation album "Greatest Hits Vol. 2," "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" peaked at No. 1 in several territories, including Europe, Denmark, Japan and Switzerland, and cracked the top 20 in ABBA's native Sweden. The song has received a number of revivals over the years thanks to various covers and samples. '80s diva and "Queen of Pop" Madonna featured the track's opening synth line in her 2005 song "Hung Up," which peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. ABBA book revelations: AC/DC connection, the unlikely inspiration for 'Mamma Mia!', more Additionally, the 2008 film "Mamma Mia!" — a musical based on ABBA's hits-heavy catalog — included a version sung by stars Amanda Seyfried, Ashley Lilley and Rachel McDowall. More recently, "Gimme!" has enjoyed a digital resurgence with Gen Z, as seen on the social media platform TikTok. Several clips show young fans embracing the song's disco sound with lively, choreographed routines. (dc: ??) am I too late for this trend?😆🪩 #fyp #xyzbca ABBA racks up Gen Z fans by the millions on Spotify ABBA's streaming dominance is in part due to the group's sizable Gen Z audience. Globally, Gen Zers have accounted for 50% of ABBA's total streams on Spotify in 2025, according to the streaming service. Additionally, there have been over 11 million ABBA discoveries by Gen Z listeners on Spotify, which makes up half of the band's discoveries from all users worldwide. See the photos: A 'very emotional' ABBA reunites to receive Swedish royal honors The top 10 most-streamed ABBA tracks among Gen Z listeners in 2025 are as follows:

James Gunn recalls booting Henry Cavill from Superman role: 'Poor guy'
James Gunn recalls booting Henry Cavill from Superman role: 'Poor guy'

USA Today

time11 hours ago

  • USA Today

James Gunn recalls booting Henry Cavill from Superman role: 'Poor guy'

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's ... not Henry Cavill. In an episode of the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast released on Friday, July 18, "Superman" director James Gunn reflected on the "terrible" experience of telling Cavill he was being replaced as Superman by David Corenswet for the new movie. Gunn said he sat down with the actor to break the news in 2022. At the time, Cavill had recently returned as Superman for a surprise cameo in the DC movie "Black Adam," starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. After that film was released in October 2022, Cavill announced on social media that he was "back as Superman" and would reprise the role in future movies. But on "Happy Sad Confused," Gunn revealed that the same day Cavill's return was announced, he and producer Peter Safran closed a deal to take over as the heads of DC Studios. Behind the scenes, the pair had already been planning to reboot Superman and replace Cavill, who had played the character going back to 2013's "Man of Steel." "The day our deal closed, all of a sudden, they were announcing that Henry was back, and I'm like, 'What is going on? We know what the plan is.' The plan was to come in and do 'Superman,' " Gunn said. "So it was really unfair to him, and it was a total bummer." Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox He added, "That was really unfortunate. I'm like, 'This poor guy.' " Gunn noted that bringing back Cavill was "never a part of the equation" for David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, DC Studios' parent company. But Gunn said there was a "vacuum" in leadership at DC, and "a lot of people" were "trying to force" through their vision for the future of the franchise. He did not name names, though, noting he was trying to be "as diplomatic as possible." During his 2022 meeting with Cavill, Gunn said the actor was an "absolute gentleman" and a "great guy about it," only asking that he be able to share the news that he was being replaced as Superman himself. Cavill did so in December 2022, when he posted a statement on Instagram revealing that he "will, after all, not be returning as Superman." "After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to (Gunn and Safran's) hire, this news isn't the easiest, but that's life," Cavill told fans. "The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that." In posts on X at the time, Gunn said that Cavill would not star in the next "Superman" movie because the film would focus on "an earlier part of" the character's life. Corenswet, who at 32 is 10 years younger than Cavill, was ultimately cast in the lead role of "Superman." The movie is positioned as the start of a relaunched DC universe, set in a world separate from the one that Cavill's Superman occupied. Johnson, the star of "Black Adam," has previously said he played a major role in bringing Cavill back for his cameo in the 2022 film. "At the end of the day, the studio was not bringing Henry Cavill back, inexplicably and inexcusably," the actor said in a video on social media in 2022. "But we weren't going to take no for an answer." But just because Cavill is out as Superman doesn't mean his time with DC is over. Gunn said on "Happy Sad Confused" that Cavill could play another character in the new DC universe − just as "Aquaman" star Jason Momoa will play a new character, Lobo, in 2026's "Supergirl." "I talked to him about it on that day," Gunn said. "I would love to put Henry in something."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store