Renee Zellweger, 52, is no stranger to a high profile romance! After minor roles in rom-com Reality Bites with Ben Stiller and Dazed and Confused with Matthew McConaughey, she shot to stardom as the lead in 1994’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation. As her star power grew, the Bridget Jones actress — who went on to win an Academy Award in 2004 — also dated a number of A-Listers. The Texas native was previously married to country star Kenny Chesney, 53, and engaged to Canadian-born comedian Jim Carrey, 59, just to name a few.
Most recently, the Chicago star has been linked to television host Ant Anstead, 42. The two met while shooting his upcoming Discovery+ show Celebrity IOU: Joyride, TMZ reported on Thursday, June 24. It’s unclear when Ant — who is officially divorced from Christina Haack as of June 21 — began dating, but the outlet noted the actress went back to give Ant a pair of work boots after they finished filming. Look back at Renée’s lengthy dating history right here.
Sims E. Ellison
Late musician Sims E. Ellison was Renée’s beau just as she got started in the acting world. The duo, who both hail from Texas, dated as youngsters for five years before breaking up in 1993. The future Oscar winner would have been just 24 at the time. Sadly, Sims — who was just two years older than Renée — died by suicide at the age of 28 in 1995. Renée both attended his funeral and delivered a eulogy.
Jim Carrey
Jim and Renée originally met while shooting 1999’s Me, Myself and Irene, becoming engaged that same year. Unfortunately, the two A-Listers had a short-lived relationship, splitting by 2000. Despite the quick and intense romance, Jim still calls Renée his “great love.” The Ace Ventura star went on to say that she was “special to me, very special” during a July 2020 appearance on The Howard Stern Show.
“I think she’s lovely…I don’t regret — I don’t have those things,” the Ontario native added. “But I do appreciate the people that have come through my life for the good that they gave me … but I don’t pine for anybody, it’s not that kind of situation. It’s just my way of saying, ‘There was a very important thing there,’ and to recognize that,” he also said to the talk show host. Jim wrote extensively about their romantic relationship in his memoir Memoirs and Misinformation.
Jack White
Renée met Jack White, who is part of rock duo The White Stripes, while shooting film Cold Mountain (the same movie that earned an Oscar in 2004). While Renée starred in the movie was Ruby Thewes, Jack performed five songs on the soundtrack in addition to appearing on-screen as a troubadour. The pair dated for two years, splitting in Sept. 2004.
Kenny Chesney
Renée has only married once — saying “I do” to country star Kenny Chesney in May 2005. The pair met just four months before marrying at NBC’s “Concert of Hope” telethon, where the Oscar winner was manning phone lines to raise money. Renée stunned in a strapless Carolina Herrera dress, while Kenny opted for a black cowboy hat, for their romantic ceremony on St. John in the Virgin Islands.
The marriage was annulled only four months after that, with “fraud” listed as the reasoning for the break-up. “In order for us to get an annulment, the legal papers could claim either physical abuse, which wasn’t true, or three or four other things that also weren’t true,” Kenny later said to Playboy. “The best thing we could put in there was fraud. So I said, ’All right, do it. Whatever’,” he explained.
Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper, 46, dated the What/If actress for two years. The two met while shooting Case 39 in 2006 — but things didn’t take a romantic turn until 2009. The Hangover actor and the Texas native kept their romance fairly low key over the two year window, and were spotted on dates in cities like Vancouver, New York, and Los Angeles.
Ahead of their 2011 split, Renée reportedly skipped the Golden Globes to support Bradley after his father passed away. At the time, reports placed blame on his shooting schedule for Limitless. They were also believed to be living together at his Pacific Palisades home. Bradley and Renée most recently reunited at the 2019 Oscars.
Doyle Bramhall II
Renée struck up a romance with musician Doyle Bramhall II, 52, in 2012. The two had a history that pre-dated her acting career, originally meeting as students at the University of Texas in the late ’80s and early ’90s. While they always crushed on each other, they never dated and fell out of touch.
Years later, the future reconnected at a Los Angeles event. “He’s a very special person,” Renée said to Us Weekly in 2017 of their romance. “Isn’t he cute? He’s a very sweet man…I’m very, very happy right now,” she also said back in 2015. Renée and Doyle reportedly got engaged in 2016, but never walked down the aisle — splitting just three years later in 2019.
Ant Anstead
Single Renée is off the market thanks to host Ant Anstead! The Bridget Jones star reportedly hit it off with with Ant while appearing as a guest on his upcoming Discovery+ show, Celebrity IOU: Joyride. Renée is set to be one of six stars featured on the reality series, which is a spinoff of Property Brothers’ (Drew and Jonathan Scott) show Celebrity IOU. It’s unclear when they began dating, exactly, but we’re more than ready for these two to make their red carpet debut! The news comes just days after Ant’s divorce from wife Christina Haack was finalized.
