Christina Haack is finally saying it out loud. Honestly, it’s about time. After years of the public watching her zip through three high-profile marriages and subsequent divorces, the HGTV star recently shared a realization that explains a lot more than any tabloid headline ever could. She has an anxious attachment style.
It’s a phrase that gets tossed around TikTok a lot these days, but for someone whose life is literally televised, it’s a heavy admission. You’ve probably seen the cycle: she meets someone, things go "0 to 100" in a heartbeat, they’re married, and then—just as quickly—it’s over. Many people look at her track record with Tarek El Moussa, Ant Anstead, and Josh Hall and assume she’s just "fickle" or "loves being in love." But the reality of an anxious attachment style is way more complicated than just liking the honeymoon phase. It’s actually about a deep-seated fear of being alone and a constant, vibrating need for reassurance that you aren't about to be abandoned.
The 0 to 100 Trap
In April 2025, Christina got incredibly candid on Instagram. She admitted that she’s basically been a "monkey bar" dater—swinging from one relationship to the next without ever letting go of the previous bar. "As someone who recently discovered I have anxious attachment... things can be challenging and by 'things' I mean 'me,'" she wrote.
That self-awareness is huge.
For people with this specific attachment style, the early stages of a relationship feel like a drug. You meet someone, you feel that "immediate, real connection," and you sprint toward the finish line. With Josh Hall, they were engaged within three months. With Ant Anstead, it was a similar whirlwind. If you’re anxious-attached, you don't see this speed as a red flag. You see it as safety. You think, If we get married, they can't leave. Except, as Christina found out three times over, the paperwork doesn't actually fix the internal insecurity.
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Why the "Anxious" Label Actually Fits
If you look at the clinical definition of anxious attachment, it’s characterized by a "strong desire for meaningful relationships" mixed with a "high need for reassurance." Sound familiar?
Experts like Dr. Kendra Mathys have noted that people with this style often feel like they’re in a "tornado" when things aren't perfect. Christina used that exact word when talking to Tarek on their show, The Flip Off. She told him she felt like she was constantly in a tornado and couldn't get out. When your security is tied entirely to your partner's mood or presence, any shift feels like a catastrophe.
- The Codependency Factor: Christina also admitted to a history of codependency. This usually means your identity is so wrapped up in the other person that you don't know where you end and they begin.
- The Validation Loop: In her messy 2024 divorce from Josh Hall, he took a parting shot at her, saying she "needs constant public validation." While that was a low blow during a legal battle, it does track with the anxious-attached need for external proof that they are loved and "okay."
- Safe Communication: She’s now talking about "safe communication" with her current partner, Christopher Larocca. This is basically the "holy grail" for someone trying to move into a secure attachment style. It means being able to say "I'm feeling insecure" without the other person blowing up or running away.
Breaking the Cycle (For Real This Time?)
What makes 2026 different for Christina? Well, for one, she’s doing the "shadow work." That’s not just a buzzy wellness term; it’s about looking at the parts of yourself you’ve been ignoring since your twenties. She’s 42 now. She’s admitted that her life has felt like a "total circus" and that the embarrassment of three failed marriages makes her "cringe."
That cringe is actually a good sign. It means she’s no longer romanticizing the chaos.
Most people with an anxious attachment style are drawn to "avoidant" partners—people who pull away when things get too close. This creates a "push-pull" dynamic that is exhausting but feels like "passion." Christina noted that being with Larocca, who has his own career and "zero jealousy," feels strange because it’s not the high-conflict, high-intensity environment she’s used to.
The Financial and Emotional Toll
We can't talk about the Christina Haack attachment style without mentioning the literal cost of it. Her divorce from Josh Hall was a brutal 10-month slog that ended in May 2025. She ended up paying him a $300,000 lump sum plus $40,000 in attorney fees. She even had to hand over a 2022 Bentley.
When you rush into marriage because your attachment style is screaming for "security," you often skip the prenup. Christina admitted on Christina on the Coast that if she’d understood the repercussions, she never would have married him without one—or married him at all.
How to Apply Christina’s Lessons to Your Own Life
You don't need a reality show to have an anxious attachment style. If you find yourself "0 to 100" in every new relationship or feeling a pit in your stomach the second a partner doesn't text back, you're likely in the same boat.
- Audit Your Speed: If you feel the urge to move in or get engaged within months, ask yourself: Am I moving toward this person, or am I running away from the fear of being alone?
- Practice "Safe Communication": Stop "protesting" (getting angry or acting out to get attention) and start naming the feeling. "I feel a bit anxious right now and could use some reassurance" is a powerhouse sentence.
- Find Your Own "Hobby": Christina mentioned she loves that Larocca has his own life. Anxious-attached people tend to merge. Keeping your own friends, career, and interests is the best defense against codependency.
- Forgive the "Cringe": Like Christina said, you have to forgive yourself for the past "stupid things" you did to feel safe.
The most fascinating part of her journey isn't the divorces; it’s the fact that she’s finally sitting in the discomfort of being "just Christina" for a while, even within a new relationship. She’s still a "work in progress," but acknowledging the pattern is the only way to stop the tornado.
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Actionable Insights for Your Relationship Growth:
To move from an anxious to a secure attachment style, start by identifying your "protest behaviors"—like triple-texting or picking fights when you feel disconnected. Instead of acting on the impulse, wait 20 minutes and then express the underlying fear directly. Building security takes time, and as Christina’s journey shows, there are no "quick fixes," only the consistent work of self-awareness.