Fearing a Painful Cycle Would Continue, Jen Affleck Reveals Why She Filed for Divorce While Pregnant, Addresses Rumors Husband Zac Was Blindsided
Why Jen filed now
The 27-year-old filed divorce paperwork in Utah earlier this week. She discussed the decision while promoting the upcoming The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County spinoff. Jen told Entertainment Tonight she wanted to decide before giving birth. She said she worried that waiting until the vulnerable postpartum period would lead her to continue a cycle she wanted to end.
What the show helped her see
Jen said watching the series again made her realize she had trained herself to forget and survive. She said she did not want to keep forgetting what had happened. She described the filing as being for the best for Zac and their children, while acknowledging that seeing her children happy made the decision difficult.
Different accounts of notice
Jen disputed reports that Zac was blindsided, saying she had told him about her feelings and intentions for a long time. She also said pregnancy and vulnerability had made it hard to finalize things.
In a TikTok video, Zac said he learned of the filing from a TMZ reporter. He said Jen had spoken to him after appearing on Dancing with the Stars, telling him she was unhappy and wanted a divorce.
Zac’s response
Zac said he begged Jen to stay and asked her to work on the relationship. He added that they ultimately could not make it work. He also shared a video montage of the couple over the years and apologized to Jen.
Key points
- Jen filed for divorce in Utah earlier this week, ending a seven-year marriage.
- She said she wanted to make the decision before giving birth to avoid continuing a cycle.
- Jen said Zac was not blindsided; Zac said he learned of the filing from a TMZ reporter.
- Zac said he asked Jen to stay, but they could not make the relationship work.