After filing for divorce from her husband, Zac Affleck, “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Jen Affleck is opening up about the emotional toll of ending her marriage and the complicated feelings that come with starting a new chapter.
The decision to end her marriage, she says, has been anything but easy.
"It's been pretty, honestly, hard. It's been painful. It's been stressful," Jen, 27, tells USA TODAY. "I have friends telling 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 religious community.
Her tumultuous relationship with Zac became a central storyline on the show, and now she’s embarking on a new chapter in “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 separation from Zac is a major part of her new storyline, Jen says the decision to end their marriage was one she had been contemplating long before the cameras started rolling in Orange County.
“I made this decision a long time ago," she explains. "It’s just taken this long to finalize everything, and so, now I’m just moving forward the best that I can."
Jen and Zac Affleck's marriage troubles played out on 'Mormon Wives'
The couple's marital struggles first played out publicly during the show's debut season in 2024, when Zac faced backlash for his reaction to Jen attending a Chippendales show in Las Vegas with her castmates.
During the trip, Zac threatened to end their marriage after learning Jen had attended the male revue with her friends. Their argument, which unfolded through text messages and phone calls, prompted concerns from Jen's friends about the way Zac treated her.
The couple continued to work through their issues in subsequent seasons, with Jen confronting the challenges of balancing her growing career, family responsibilities, and her relationship. Their marriage also faced additional strain as they navigated Zac's medical school ambitions and welcomed their third child.
Zac Affleck apologizes to Jen after divorce filing
Since Jen filed for divorce on Nov. 3 after seven years of marriage, the couple has continued to address their relationship publicly. In a TikTok video, Zac said he had "begged" Jen to stay and promised to work on their marriage after she told him she wanted a divorce about a year earlier. Days later, he shared a montage of their relationship alongside an emotional apology.
"I married my dream girl, and I messed it up," 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 responding to Zac's earlier statement that he would remain her "biggest fan." Zac later acknowledged his comments were "horrible and should have never been said," adding that he had tried to learn and grow from his past behavior.
Why Jen Affleck moved to Orange County amid divorce
Now, Jen says relocating to Orange County, California, offered her an opportunity to begin again.
"It was everything I needed for what I was going through," she tells USA TODAY of the move. "I knew that I wanted a separation from Zac prior to moving to Orange County, and so, in the back of my head, I went into this next chapter just really just wanting a fresh start."
On "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County," Jen offers a candid look at the unraveling of her marriage, revealing that she had been unhappy in her relationship for years and struggled with whether to leave Zac. Their ongoing financial issues ultimately became the final straw; when Jen realized there wasn’t any money left in their account after Zac used it to gamble, she decided to leave their marriage for good.
Complicating matters even further, she discovers she's pregnant with the couple's fourth child as she navigates the uncertain future of their marriage.
For Jen, the move to California represented more than a change of scenery. It offered a support system during one of the most difficult periods of her life.
"Obviously, there's a lot of bumps on the road, and it's still been hard," she says. "Change is just hard in general, but luckily I had these amazing women rallying around me and supporting me, and it was everything that I needed."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Mormon Wives' Jen Affleck reveals she decided to divorce Zac 'a long time ago'
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