Inside Renee Zellweger’s Love Life! Meet the Star’s Ex-Husband Kenny Chesney

Renée Zellweger has celebrated her status as a single lady in recent years, but it seems like that has changed. The actress is reportedly dating British TV star Ant Anstead.

According to TMZ, the pair hit it off after meeting during filming for an episode of his new Discovery+ show, Celebrity IOU Joyride, earlier in June. The speculation comes just days after his divorce from ex-wife Christina Haack was finalized.

Before making headlines for her relationship with Ant, Renée was romantically linked to Paul McCartney in 2007, Bradley Cooper from 2009 to 2011, and most recently, Doyle Bramhall II, from 2012 to 2019. At one point, she gave marriage a shot when she walked down the aisle with her ex-husband, Kenny Chesney.

Renée and the country superstar’s love story ended, however, and quickly as it began. The former couple formed an unlikely connection when they crossed paths in January 2005 at NBC’s “Concert of Hope” telethon, which was held to benefit the tsunami victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. According to a friend of the Judy star, Renée had plans to “pass [Kenny] a note” in an effort to make a move on him during the event.

Before she had the chance, Renée started chatting with the “You and Tequila” singer’s publicist and shortly after, the information was passed on. “When the broadcast wrapped, [Kenny went over [to Renée] and said, ‘I hear you are trying to pass me a note — don’t let the principal find out,'” the pal once told People.

From that moment, the Golden Globe winner and the “There Goes My Life” crooner started dating, though they kept their romance under wraps for months. By April, they confirmed they were a couple when Renée joined the hunk on stage during a concert. After hand-delivering him a margarita, the duo gave each other a sweet kiss.

Things only sped up from there. More than a week after making their debut in the public eye, Renée and Kenny shocked the world when they announced they married in May 2005. The ex-lovebirds exchanged vows on the beach during a private and romantic ceremony in the Virgin Islands, according to Good Housekeeping.

Just when things seemed to be going well, the Bridget Jones’s Diary actress and Kenny split after four months of marriage, in September 2005, per InStyle. At the time, Renée filed to annul their union and cited “fraud” as the reason, telling People “the term ‘fraud’ as listed in the documentation is simply legal language and not a reflection of Kenny’s character.”

To learn more about her ex-husband Kenny, scroll through the gallery below!