Renee Zellweger spent Sunday afternoon cheering on boyfriend Ant Anstead at a semi-professional soccer match in Orange County, California, foregoing the Emmy Awards where her film was nominated.
Zellweger, 56, watched the match from the sideline and sat with Anstead at halftime as the For the Love of Cars presenter, 46, played on the pitch. Her film, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, had been nominated for Outstanding Television Movie at the Emmys but lost to Rebel Ridge, starring Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson and AnnaSophia Robb.
Photographs from the match show Zellweger keeping a low-key presence in a long-sleeve white T-shirt and khaki green hiking pants, with her hair brushed straight and a denim cap bearing the word "London." She interacted with Anstead’s son Hudson, 6, by kicking a ball with him on the field and tending to scrapes after the boy fell during play. Hudson, who Anstead shares with ex-wife Christina Haack, 42, appeared in a purple T-shirt and denim shorts.
After the game, Zellweger gave Anstead a brief kiss on the lips as he removed his soaked jersey. Anstead was photographed in a red, white and black jersey with matching socks and shorts as he ran across the pitch for his team. He has played semi-professional football in the U.K. and, after moving to the United States, joined a semi-professional team affiliated with Southampton FC.
The couple met when Zellweger appeared on Anstead’s former show Celebrity IOU Joyride, according to interviews. In a recent interview with Hello!, Anstead described Zellweger as "a hands-on car girl" and said she had been influential in design decisions for a renovation project tied to his current work. He is hosting season two of Born Mechanic in the U.K., a show in which he restores and sells classic cars to help finance the renovation of a 500-year-old farmhouse he bought for his parents. "She's been a big influence on that; she's very, very good at designing," he said, adding, "I am constantly being advised, because she's the greatest human I've ever met."
Zellweger is currently seen in the Hulu series Only Murders in the Building, in which she plays Camilla White, an eccentric millionaire in the crime dramedy starring Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short. Her appearance at the soccer match came amid reports that the couple are not currently living together amid Anstead’s reported financial difficulties.
Photographs of the match captured informal moments that contrasted with the red-carpet setting of awards season: Zellweger sitting on a bench during halftime, checking on Anstead after he fell, and encouraging Hudson on the field. The Emmy Awards ceremony, held the same evening, recognized television and streaming work across multiple categories; Zellweger’s Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy was among the nominees for Outstanding Television Movie but did not take the prize.
Representatives for Zellweger and Anstead did not immediately respond to requests for comment.