Kenny Chesney Said He ‘Panicked’ After He Married Renee Zellweger

Renée Zellweger has been in a relationship with Ant Anstead since 2021. While the TV host has referred to his movie star girlfriend as the “missus” before, the pair are not engaged or married. It’s unclear why, but it seems they are both a bit burned out on marriage after troubled, short-lived unions. Anstead was famously married to Christina Haack for less than two years. Renée Zellweger was married to Kenny Chesney for just four months 20 years ago. Chesney once revealed what went wrong, claiming he ‘panicked” as soon as he married his famous ex.

Renée Zellweger filed for divorce from Kenny Chesney, citing “fraud”

Renée Zellweger and Kenny Chesney made headlines in 2005 when they unexpectedly got married after dating for just a few months. The couple became true tabloid fodder when they filed for an annulment just months later. At the time, Zellweger filed legal paperwork to end the marriage to Chesney, citing “fraud” as her reason. An annulment was granted, and they both went back to single life. Still, what happened between them has been the subject of speculation for years.

In 2016, Zellweger addressed her pursuit of an annulment and the reason behind her decision to list “fraud” as the reason for the dissolution of the marriage. In an interview with The Advocate, Zellweger said that “fraud” was the legal framework that seemed the least harmful and the most accurate given the situation. She told the outlet that it was not a reflection of Chesney’s “character” and was horrified when people ran with stories about what the terminology might mean regarding the singer and his sexuality.

The country music star once said he “panicked”

While Zellweger called their union fraudulent, Kenny Chesney doesn’t really seem to see it exactly that way. Still, he admitted to wrongdoing during the very short-lived marriage. In 2010, Chesney opened up about the relationship and what went wrong during an appearance on Oprah.

Oprah asked the country music crooner if the whirlwind nature of their romance led to the split. Chensey agreed that he and Zellweger jumped the gun. Still, he insisted there was a bigger issue. He went on to explain that he “panicked” when he realized that marriage was outside of his comfort zone. In the end it wasn’t what he expected. He admitted to pushing Zellweger away, whom he later declared a “sweet soul.”