Jen Affleck says she “wouldn’t wish divorce on anyone” after filing to end her marriage to Zac Affleck.
The “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star, 27, who is pregnant with her fourth child, made the emotional admission during a Zoom interview’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” that dropped after she filed last Tuesday. She described the split as “the hardest thing anyone can go through” while insisting she “gave it my all.”
“It’s been really, really hard, but I’m trying my best to just stay positive,” Jen told the podcast. “My mindset is just what’s best for my kids and doing what’s best for them. There’s a lot to navigate.”
The filing came just 24 hours before the estranged couple celebrated eldest daughter Nora’s 5th birthday together. Jen and Zac, 30, share three children — Nora, 5, Lucas, 3, and Penelope, 1 — and met on a Mormon dating app in 2018 before marrying the following year.
Jen included a proposed co-parenting plan in her divorce paperwork, though details of the split remain otherwise under wraps. She told “Virtual Reali-Tea” that filing was “what was best” for her family despite the pain involved.
“Honestly, if you can avoid it, you should avoid it,” she added about divorce. “All I can say is, I gave it my all.”
Zac learned of the filing through news reports rather than directly from his wife. One day after the news broke, he posted a video promising to always be Jen’s “biggest fan.” His estranged wife responded by publishing a series of TikTok drafts that painted a starkly different picture of their marriage.
“He was never my biggest supporter,” Jen captioned the first video, which shows Zac criticizing her postpartum body. In the clip, he begs her not to post a social media video because of her “sagging” breasts.
Zac later addressed the footage in a response to a fan, writing, “This was a video from 2022. Obviously horrible and should have never been said. When I saw the video today, I was absolutely shocked I had said that. I said a lot of horrible and hurtful things, but I have tried my best to learn and grow.”
A second TikTok draft shows Zac berating Jen for leaving a dirty towel on the floor. “I’ve been doing all your laundry for the past… forever,” Jen snaps back in the clip. “If I got a little bit more help from you it would be nice. Maybe we’d have some towels.”
The couple’s marital tensions played out across all five seasons of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” on which both star. They briefly separated after filming the show’s debut season in 2024, then reconciled when Jen discovered she was pregnant with Penelope.
Zac struggled throughout with Jen’s expanding career ambitions, including her desire to act in scripted television and model for Sports Illustrated. His discomfort escalated during her “Dancing With the Stars” run, where he complained about her dancing with pro Jan Ravnik. A subsequent report characterized him as a “nightmare” on set who attempted to control her costumes and choreography.
Despite the emotional toll, Jen told “Virtual Reali-Tea” she is prioritizing self-care and her health as she enters the final stretch of pregnancy. “I’m counting my blessings, and I think gratitude can go a long way,” she shared. “My baby is healthy and happy and strong and that’s all I can really ask for right now.”
Season 1 of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: OC” is available now on Hulu.