‘I never gave up on us’: Ant Anstead speaks out on breakup with wife Christina Anstead

A week after Christina Anstead announced she and Ant Anstead were splitting up, her estranged husband is speaking out about their breakup.

Ant Anstead, the 41-year-old host of British car show “Wheeler Dealers,” shared a black-and-white photo to Instagram on Saturday of himself and his wife, who gave birth a year ago to their first child together, Hudson London Anstead.

“Anyone who really knows me knows that I don’t like to share private matters publicly,” he wrote. “I have remained silent while holding on to hope. I never gave up on us. I pray Christina’s decision brings her happiness.”

In an Instagram post last Friday, the 37-year-old HGTV star wrote that she and Ant had “made the difficult decision to separate.”

“We are grateful for each other and as always, our children will remain our priority,” she said. “We appreciate your support and ask for privacy for us and our family as we navigate the future.”

Christina spoke out again Saturday in a lengthy Instagram post several hours before Ant posted his, opening up about anxiety over her fame and how it has affected her relationships.

"I never thought I would have one divorce let alone two," she wrote. "I never thought I would have 2 baby daddies – but sometimes life throws us curve balls. Instead of getting stuck in these 'setbacks' I choose to look at these challenges as opportunities to grow. So while some may judge me and throw around rumors about me, most of you support me. And that says a lot about this world and where we are headed."

She added: "I’m messy, I’m real and I’m working on healing. I’m surrounded by extremely powerful women who help me cope, build me up and push me to be better. If you’ve DM me or text me – I haven’t written back because I’m taking time to clear the 'noise' and focus on myself and the kids. I appreciate the support and I hope my story inspires you to not be so hard on yourself for the decisions / choices you’ve made. We are all a work in progress."

The couple married in a surprise ceremony at their Newport Beach home in December 2018. In May 2019, Christina Anstead told USA TODAY that she was excited to start a family with Ant after experiencing “love at first sight.”

“I felt like I had known him forever, and we’re just super-comfortable with each other,” she said. “We just have a great relationship, he’s amazing. He’s super-caring and understanding, and he really motivates me and supports me.”

Both have children from previous marriages: Christina and her "Flip or Flop" co-host Tarek El Moussa were married from 2009 to 2018 and have two children: daughter Taylor, 9, and son Brayden, 5. Ant has a son Archie, 13, and daughter Amelie, 16, with his ex-wife, Louise.

Christina added to USA TODAY last year: "He's awesome with my children and he’s already an amazing dad, but I’m looking forward to having a baby with him as well."

Contributing: Erin Jensen and Anika Reed

Previously: Christina and Ant Anstead make 'difficult decision to separate' a year after welcoming baby

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Christina, Ant Anstead split, break silence: 'I never gave up on us'