Christina Hall’s ex-husband Ant Anstead is not thrilled with their son’s television presence.
As we’ve previously reported, the two have an ongoing custody battle over their 3-year-old son Hudson Anstead since their split in 2021. The Wheeler Dealers star previously filed for full custody, and later shaded his ex-wife for using Hudson like a “puppet” for “commercial gain.” Now, he’s taking things a step further.
According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly Tuesday, Ant believes Christina is exploiting their son for personal gain, voicing concern over the effect being on-screen at such a young age can have on a child, noting:
“The risks for a child working on a television production set (even if that ‘set’ is Christina’s home) are innumerable and well documented. Putting aside the obvious pressures of working within a TV production environment, children involved in television production often have lingering issues that affect their welfare, worldview, and self-image, leaving them diminished and dependent upon the perceived approval of others for their self-worth.”
Related: Ant Claims Taking Hudson ‘Away’ From Christina Is ‘Last Thing’ He Wants
He added:
“It is my goal to ensure that Hudson is allowed a childhood that is joyful, healthy, and natural, with as few stresses as possible, and this should be prioritized above creating commercial opportunity and content.”
We can’t say we disagree with him! There have unfortunately been PLENTY examples of child stars who grew up to face various issues, commonly stemming from being in the spotlight at such a young age. Ant himself went on to cite the Toddlers and Tiaras former star Kailia Posey’s death by suicide as an example, filing in the court docs:
“One of my many fears of Hudson being forced to film reality TV is the possibility that public ridicule over seemingly benign content becomes insurmountably humiliating. I urge the courts to review the recent and tragic case of Kailia Posey and a defining embarrassing meme.”
He continued:
“I 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. I do not believe it is in Hudson’s best interests to be exploited as a ‘spokesperson, ambassador’ or as a ‘model’ for any products or social media campaigns.”
Related: Christina’s Daughter Is Growing Up Fast!
Christina then denied his accusations, noting:
“What Ant is doing deeply saddens me. If this was really about Hudson, as he says, this should have been handled privately with a private judge or mediation, as myself and my attorney have suggested.”
The Flip or Flop star added:
“I have never exploited our son Hudson. He appeared in a few of my own Instagram ads that each took less than 5 minutes to film. I have all the footage and they were all fun activities that he enjoyed doing, such as playing with toys or making cookies.”
Troubling stuff, Perezcious readers! We just hope things all work out in the best way possible for Hudson, however that may take shape. Let us know your thought on the matter in the comments (below).
[Images via Christina Hall/Instagram, HGTV UK & Wheeler Dealers/YouTube]
