Ant Anstead was ordered to pay a hefty six-figure sum to a man who claims the television star broke his promise, Us Weekly can exclusively report.
On September 23, an Orange County Superior Court judge ordered Anstead and his business partner, Jenson Button, to pay $101,000 in damage, $17,000 in interest, and other fees for a grand total of $119,357.
The judgment was entered after Anstead, 46, and his partner failed to respond to the lawsuit.
The legal drama started back in July 2024 when a man named Timothy Tasker sued Anstead’s company Radford Motors (He would later add Anstead and Anstead’s business partner as personal defendants in the case).
In the suit, Tasker claimed he met with Anstead on April 1, 2022. He said Anstead told him he was making and selling a new car, and only 62 would be made.
Tasker said he paid a $101,000 deposit to secure one of the custom cars.
Ant Anstead Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Discovery Channel
In court docs, Tasker said he was invited to events with Anstead and his business partners, including “time on a racetrack in the first” custom car. He said they told him the first cars would be delivered at the end of 2022 and the “remainder would be delivered throughout 2023.”
In October 2022, Tasker said he told Radford he no longer wished to proceed with buying the car. He said an exec told him they understood and promised him a full refund of $101,000 would be issued no later than the end of 2022.
For the next several months [Tasker’s] phone calls and e-mails regarding the return of his $101,000.00 deposit were not responded to and in September 2023, [Tasker] was advised by [a former Radford employee] that she was no longer with Radford / FCG and that [Tasker’s] information and requests had been forwarded to the new CFO” of the company.
A spokesperson for Ant Anstead has clarified the recent speculation that he and his girlfriend, Renée Zellweger, are living separately. “Sadly, the recent reports are disrespectful and misleading,” Anstead’s rep told People in a statement on Thursday, May 29, referring to the claims that the British TV host, 46, had been residing with a woman […]
Tasker said he had no luck communicating with the new CFO.
The suit accused Anstead and his team of not delivering a single custom car to customers.
“[Tasker] is informed and believes that to date Defendants have delivered no [custom cars] and that several people had submitted deposits similar to and in excess of the deposit paid by [Tasker] and that those similarly situated individuals have likewise requested the return of their deposits without success,” the suit read.
Tasker sued Radford, Anstead and his business partner for fraud, breach of contract and conversion. The suit demanded the entire $101,000 be returned. Tasker later dismissed the fraud and conversion claims against Anstead but didn’t drop the breach of contract claims.
Radford Motors denied all allegations of wrongdoing. The company was dismissed from the case.
A rep for Anstead tells Us, “Mr. Anstead and Mr. Button where completely unaware of the alleged judgment. Neither was served with the complaint in the lawsuit. Neither received notice of any proposed request for entry of default or default judgment. Thus, assuming a judgment was entered … it was not pursuant to any appropriate or required due process or procedure. Mr. Anstead and Mr. Button are now consulting with legal counsel and will promptly seek to have the judgment set aside for these reasons. The judgment is not the result of any merit, but because it was obtained in secret and without the legally required notice. In fact, at this moment, Mr. Anstead and Mr. Button have still not received any alleged judgment.”
Ant Anstead Dave Benett/Getty Images for Jaguar TCS Racing
As Us previously reported, Anstead’s supercar company Radford Motors filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2024.
Radford was a British car company that was revived by Anstead and Formula One driver Button, and various other co-owners, in 2020.
Renée Zellweger’s beau, Ant Anstead, joined her at a party for Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy in London. But first, Zellweger, 55, hit the pink carpet on Wednesday, January 29, for her big movie premiere at the Odeon Luxe theater, wearing a show-stopping fuchsia gown with a strapless neckline and long train. The actress […]
The bankruptcy came after Radford faced accusations of fraud.
In one lawsuit brought by a businessman named Pastor (Pat) Velasco, Anstead and one of his partners were accused of owing $2 million. The lawsuit accused the duo of using company money to pay for personal expenses. Another lawsuit alleged Anstead and another partner mismanaged the company’s finances.
On October 24, 2024, Anstead released a statement stating he was “fully committed” to Radford despite the financial “challenges.”
He said, “Radford is implementing strategic organizational enhancements while maintaining full operational continuity. I remain fully committed to advancing Radford’s vision and growth. My role and dedication to Radford’s success continue unchanged.” He said he and Button, 45, would, “maintain our foundational commitment to excellence that has defined Radford from day one.”
A couple of days later, a rep for Radford said in regard to pending lawsuits, “Any and all claims will be addressed as part of the bankruptcy case.”
In May, the bankruptcy was converted from a Chapter 11 to a Chapter 7.
