Exclusive Interview
‘Mormon Wives’: Jen Affleck Reacts to Claim Zac Was ‘Blindsided’ by Divorce Filing
What To Know
- Jen Affleck filed for divorce from Zac Affleck on November 3, and it was reported that he was “blindsided” by her decision to file.
- In an interview with Swooon, Jen, who is pregnant with Zac’s fourth child, denied the reports that her ex was caught off guard and insisted they’d been talking about divorce for a year.
- Zac also admitted that Jen first brought her concerns to him after she competed on Dancing With the Stars in 2025, but he “begged” her to stay with him.
Jen Affleck and Zac Affleck have been documenting their marriage struggles since Season 1 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives in 2024. On November 3, she finally filed for divorce after seven years of marriage, while pregnant with their fourth child.
TMZ was first to report the news of the divorce filing, and later alleged, via sources, that Zac was blindsided and only learned of Jen’s decision to file through the press. However, in a November 5 interview with Swooon, Jen clarified, “No, he’s known for a really long time. We started talking about this a year ago.”
Indeed, Zac admitted in a November 5 TikTok that Jen had come to him after she was on Dancing With the Stars in fall 2025 and told him she was “unhappy” in their marriage and wanted to divorce him. “I basically begged her to stay,” he explained. They reconciled long enough to conceive another child, but the relationship eventually ended.
As for why she finally pulled the plug and filed, Jen explained, “I feel like there’s never really a perfect time. And after we finished filming [The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County], every week became a new thing. We had a family trip, a family reunion. We can’t do it now. And anyone who’s trying to leave someone can know how hard it is, especially when kids are involved.”
Fans will see the early days of Jen’s pregnancy and how she comes to terms with deciding to end her marriage for good on SLOMW: OC, which premieres on November 12. “I’ve really just tried my best to navigate this in the best way possible, especially for the kids, and because there’s been so much change, I’ve just been really thinking of them,” she shared. “And so the past couple of months, I’ve been wanting them to get settled in since we just moved to California, and I knew I needed to make this decision before I had this baby, and I was going to be in the trenches with postpartum. And yeah, it’s hard right now. It doesn’t seem like it’s the right time, but I know it is. And so I’m moving forward with that.”
While Zac’s financial troubles have been a cause for concern in the past, Jen confirmed she’s “in a great place” financially today. “I have an amazing job, and I’m very fortunate with that,” she added. “I wouldn’t even say money has been the most hurtful thing about this. I think it’s just the trust that’s been broken. And if you don’t have trust in a relationship, you don’t really have anything.”
Moving forward, she’s hoping for a Season 2 of Mormon Wives: OC so people can see the “other side” of what she’s going through now. “I feel like for me, the past two years, I’ve just been suffering,” Jen explained. “Everyone’s watched every season of me suffering, and I’m like … it’s time for a new chapter. That’s what Season 2 should be about.”
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County, Thursday, November 12, Hulu
