Ant Anstead has defended himself after being criticized for posting photos of his three-year-old son Hudson amid his bitter custody battle with ex-wife Christina Hall.
The 43-year-old ‘Wheelers Dealers’ host faced online backlash after posting Instagram photos of Hudson on Thursday, despite slamming Hall, 39, in court for sharing images of their toddler on social media.
Instagram users quickly flocked to the comments to accuse Anstead of hypocrisy and the British native hit back at some of his critics in the replies.
“She can post as many organic photos as she wants. Please do your research on the facts and come back fully informed. X,” he told a detractor, after several users said he was “unfair.”
Ant Anstead has defended himself after being criticized for posting photos of his three-year-old son Hudson. (VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
Several Anstead fans came to his defense by pointing out that Hall had featured Hudson in paid ads on his Instagram account.
CHRISTINA HAACK’S EX ANT ANSTEAD REUNITES HER THREE CHILDREN FOR FIRST TIME IN OVER TWO YEARS: ‘HEART IS FULL’
“Hudzo’s childhood is not for sale. As a father, I will continue to stand up for him x,” he told an Instagram user.
A commentator accused Anstead of also using Hudson to promote his businesses, noting that his son has appeared in photos with cars from Radford Motors, a bespoke car brand he co-founded.
“Nobody buys a $500,000 supercar because hudzo was in a picture,” he shot back. “I even kept it off the TV show (despite being asked multiple times).”
Another reviewer told Anstead he deserved “all the shade you get” and should have settled their differences privately rather than in court. The user wondered if he had a “hidden agenda”, adding that “I’m sorry for the shit Hudson will see when he gets older”.
“He will read the private letter I wrote to him on April 21 a week before I replaced him,” Anstead replied. “She had 25 weeks to agree not to exploit him. She finally has x.”
When a fan asked how he dealt with all the hate on social media, he said he had to “laugh about it actually”.
“The uninformed herd mentality is indicative of our current climate,” he continued. “If someone said to me 25 weeks ago ‘get criticism from a group of Karen’s in exchange for Hudzo not being exploited for money’, I would take that deal! X.
Anstead and the “Christina on the Coast” host divorced in June 2021, but were locked in a high-profile custody dispute over Hudson.
According to documents obtained by Fox News Digital, the TV presenter expressed concerns about Hudson’s image being used for paid content, as well as on a TV production set.
Anstead’s post, which featured photos of Hudson with his grandfather, comes after Hall said Hudson would no longer appear on his social media.
Anstead’s post comes after Hall said Hudson would no longer appear on his social media. (Allen Berezovsky)
“I am mentally exhausted by the recent false accusations against me. Hudson’s father attempted to turn my family, friends and fans against me through manipulative tactics and misinformation.” home improvement specialist wrote on Instagram.
“It had a big impact on me and my family. For this reason, I have made the decision to no longer feature Hudson on Instagram, my TV shows, or any social platforms until he is old enough to make that decision on his own.”
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“Hudson’s father has made it clear via his public court filings that he uses Instagram to gauge what kind of parent I am, as it is the only access he has to my personal life. It’s been that way since July 2020. It’s unnecessary pressure for a platform that’s meant to be used for sharing chosen moments, rather than a judging tool… especially since it’s a whole small fraction of my personal life because the rest is kept between me and my family.
The Flip or Flop alum added, “My personal photo collection on my phone and in our house is filled with memories of my kids, so Hudson will be fine without his presence being posted on a public forum. Thank you to all the people who can see past the nonsense thrown at me. I am and will ALWAYS remain a protective mother.
Christina used to go by her maiden name “Haack”, but she took her husband Josh Hall’s last name when they tied the knot in April. Joshua Hall. Anstead is dating Renee Zellweger after they met on the set of her show “Celebrity IOU Joyride” last year.
Fox News Digital’s Tracy Wright contributed to this report.
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Ashley Hume is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to ashley.hume@fox.com and on Twitter: @ashleyhume
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