Why did Christina Hall decide not to include her son on social media or on her TV show anymore?

Christina Hall, real estate, design expert and star of ‘Christina on the Coast’, has said that she will no longer post images of her 3-year-old son Hudson London on social media. The move comes after finding herself “mentally exhausted” from the bitter custody battle with her ex-husband Ant Anstead of ‘Wheeler Dealers’ for the toddler.

The host of ‘Celebrity IOU Joyride’ accuses his ex-wife of exploiting their son on social media and obtaining footage of the child “without my knowledge or consent.” For her part, the star of the upcoming show ‘Christina in the Country’ says her ex is using “manipulation tactics” and spreading “false information” about her. However, she has agreed to not put Hudson on TV or social media.

Christina Hall will wait until Hudson is “old enough to make this decision for himself”

Hudson future absence from Hall’s shows and social media was prompted by his presence becoming a point of legal contention between herself and ex-husband. In a post on Instagram she addressed her decision stating: “I am mentally exhausted over the recent false accusations against me. Hudson’s father has made attempts to turn my family, friends and fans against me through manipulation tactics and false information.”

“This has had great impact on me and my household. Because of this, 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 this decision for himself,” she added.

The child is the youngest of Hall’s three children. Her other two, Taylor, 12, and Brayden, 7, she shares with former ‘Flip or Flop’ co-star and first husband Tarek El Moussa.

Anstead concerned about Hudson’s well-being

The former co-star of ‘Flip or Flop’ separated from Anstead in 2020, a year after the birth of their son. While their divorce finalized in June 2021, the parents of Hudson have been in a heated custody battle since 28 April 2022 when Anstead filed an emergency order for full custody. The British TV host’s petition accused his ex-wife of putting their son in “dangerous” situations and using him for sponsored content on Instagram.

Since then “a lot has been resolved without the need for court intervention” with the two parties establishing a “50-50 custodial arrangement” according to court documents. However, Anstead expressed grave concern over “one unresolved issue” whether it is in their son’s best interest to appear in Hall’s shows on HGTV or ads on her social media accounts.

As part of his court filing last week Anstead cited former “Toddlers and Tiaras” star Kailia Posey’s suicide in May as an example of “lingering effects” of forced public life. He acknowledged that he too posts photos of Hudson on social media but that neither he nor Hudson receive financial compensation for the posts.

“It is my goal to ensure that Hudson is allowed a childhood that is joyful, healthy, and natural, with as few stresses as possible,” he declared.

Hall counters Anstead’s accusations

“I have never exploited our son Hudson. He appeared in a few of my own Instagram ads that each took less than 5 minutes to film. I have all the footage and they were all fun activities that he enjoyed doing, such as playing with toys or making cookies,” the real estate and design expert stated in court filings.

As for Hudson not appearing on her show or social media in the future, Hall says its no skin off her back. “I have always been fine not having Hudson appear on public platforms and have made that clear. My only reason for wanting him to appear on my shows, has always been to participate in the fun activities/outings with our family/siblings,” she wrote.

However, she took issue with the way in which her ex-husband was going about requesting that she not use images of their son. “Hudson’s father has made it clear via his public court filings he is using Instagram to rate the kind of parent I am,” she said. “This has been the case since July 2020.”

“This is unnecessary pressure for a platform that is supposed to be used to share moments chosen, rather than a judgement tool…especially since this is a very small fraction of my personal life as the rest is kept between me and my family,” she added.

“My personal collection of photos on my phone and in our home are filled with memories of my children, so Hudson will be just fine without having his presence displayed on a public forum.”

She closed her post by saying: “Thank you to all the people who can see beyond the nonsense being thrown at me. I am and will ALWAYS remain a protective mother. ❤️”