Would The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County star Jen Affleck ever consider being the next Bachelorette after her divorce from Zac Affleck?
“I gotta date myself first,” Jen, 27, exclusively told Us with a laugh ahead of the season 1 premiere on Thursday, November 11, when asked about the possibility of being the lead of the ABC dating show.
Days before the season 1 premiere of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County, Jen filed a petition for divorce from her husband, 30, after seven years of marriage. Us confirmed at the time that Jen, who is pregnant with the pair’s fourth child, also submitted a proposed parenting plan. (The exes are parents to daughters Nora, 5, and Penny, 16 months, and son Luca, 3.)
While the pair’s martial struggles were a large story line on the OG Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, the ups and downs are also expected to be documented on the California-based series.
“The same reason why I filed for divorce is the same reason why it was really hard, and it was this fourth child. I had to ask myself very hard questions, like, ‘Is this the type of relationship I want this child to look up to?’” she told Us. “And when I realized it was a no, that’s when I realized that I needed to make a change. You’ll see a lot of that unfold on this season.”
Reflecting back on her marriage to Zac, Jen told Us she thinks appearing in front of the cameras on reality TV “for sure sped up the process” of the pair’s eventual split.
“When you’re filming and you’re rewatching your life unfold in front of millions of people … it’s like one year of therapy feels like actually 20 years of therapy because it’s so much more magnified when you’re sharing it in front of the world,” she explained. “I feel like if I hadn’t done reality TV, I would have still made this decision. It just would have been way longer down the road.”
Fans were first introduced to Jen in 2024, when she appeared on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. While continuing to appear on the OG series, Jen also competed on Dancing With the Stars season 34 (she placed 9th with partner Jan Ravnik) — and was announced as a cast member on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County after her move to California.
Despite her involvement in the spinoff series, Jen assured fans she’s not going anywhere from the Utah-based show.
“I think people are sick of me,” Jen quipped to Us. “Just kidding. I’m actually filming with the OG show right now. So right now, I’m doing both. Doing both, but we will see what happens.”
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County premieres Thursday, November 12, on Hulu.
