November 12, 2026, 9:15 a.m. ET
- Jen Affleck of “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” is opening up about the emotional toll of her divorce from husband Zac Affleck.
- After filing for divorce, both publicly addressed their relationship, with Zac apologizing and Jen sharing videos of his past criticism.
- Jen has since moved to Orange County for a fresh start, a journey documented in the new series “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County.”
After filing for divorce from husband Zac Affleck, “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Jen Affleck is opening up about the emotional toll of the end of her marriage and the complicated feelings that come with starting a new chapter.
The decision to end her marriage, she says, was anything but easy.
“Honestly, it’s been pretty hard. It’s been painful. It’s been stressful,” Jen, 27, told USA TODAY. “I have friends who tell me this should be an empowering thing and even though I feel empowered in some ways, I’m grieving. I’m grieving a lot.”
Viewers first met Jen on Hulu’s Utah-based reality series, which follows a group of Mormon mom influencers navigating marriage, motherhood, friendship and the expectations of their faith community. Her tumultuous relationship with Zac has become a central storyline of the series, and now she’s embarking on a new chapter of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County,” which premieres Thursday, Nov. 12 on Hulu and Disney+.
Stream “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County”
Although her split from Zac is a major part of her new storyline, Jen says the decision to end their marriage was one she contemplated long before the cameras started rolling in Orange County.
“I made this decision a long time ago,” she explains. “It took so long to finalize everything, and now I’m moving forward as best I can.”
Jen and Zac Affleck’s marital problems played out on ‘Mormon Wives’
The couple’s marital difficulties first became publicly apparent during the show’s first season in 2024, when Zac faced backlash for his reaction to Jen’s attendance at a Chippendales show in Las Vegas with his castmates.
During the trip, Zac threatened to end their marriage after learning Jen had attended the men’s revue with her friends. Their argument, which played out through text messages and phone calls, sparked concerns among Jen’s friends about how Zac was treating her.
The couple continued to resolve their issues in later seasons, with Jen facing the challenges of balancing her growing career, family responsibilities, and relationship. Their marriage was also put under additional strain as they navigated Zac’s medical school ambitions and welcomed their third child.
Zac Affleck apologizes to Jen after filing for divorce
Since Jen filed for divorce on November 3 after seven years of marriage, the couple has continued to publicly address their relationship. In a TikTok video, Zac said he “begged” Jen to stay and promised to work on their marriage after she told him she wanted a divorce about a year earlier. A few days later, he shared a montage of their relationship along with an emotional apology.
“I married the girl of my dreams and ruined everything,” he wrote. “Jen, I’m sorry. I was supposed to protect your heart and I failed. I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you. I’m sorry for dimming your light.”
Jen, meanwhile, shared two videos on TikTok showing Zac criticizing her during their marriage, including one filmed shortly after she gave birth, in which he made disparaging remarks about her postpartum body.
“He was never my biggest supporter,” she captioned the video, seemingly in response to Zac’s earlier statement that he would remain her “biggest fan.” Zac later admitted that his comments were “horrible and should never have been said”, adding that he had tried to learn and grow from his past behavior.
Why Jen Affleck Moved to Orange County Amid Divorce
Today, Jen says moving to Orange County, California, gave her the opportunity to start over.
“It was everything I needed for what I was going through,” she told USA TODAY of the decision. “I knew I wanted to separate from Zac before I moved to Orange County, and so, in the back of my mind, I went into this next chapter really wanting a fresh start.”
In “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County,” Jen offers a candid look at the collapse of her marriage, revealing that she had been unhappy in her relationship for years and had difficulty leaving Zac. Their ongoing financial problems ultimately became the final straw; When Jen realized there was no money left in their account after Zac used it for gambling, she decided to leave their marriage for good.
To complicate matters further, she discovers she is pregnant with the couple’s fourth child as she navigates the uncertain future of their marriage.
For Jen, the move to California was more than a change of scenery. He gave her a support system during one of the most difficult times of her life.
“Of course, there are a lot of bumps in the road, and it’s still hard,” she says. “Change is hard in general, but luckily I had these amazing women rallying around me and supporting me, and that was all I needed.”
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