Jen Affleck credited therapy — ketamine treatment to be more specific — for helping her and husband Zac Affleck mend their marriage after an offscreen separation.
“It was definitely a game changer,” Jen, 25, exclusively told Us Weekly in a cover story. “Definitely life changing — and I never thought I would try ketamine. But when you’re looking for anything to help you try anything.”
The news of Jen and Zac’s separation comes as a surprise to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives viewers but it is addressed in season 2, which is set to be released on Thursday, May 15. The pair, who are currently expecting their third baby, weathered issues once the Hulu series debuted late last year.
“[We went through] lots of therapy. When I say lots of therapy, I mean eight hours a week,” she revealed. “We really went all at it.”
Jen Affleck’s first season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. Throughout the Hulu series, Jen faced serious questions — and concerns — from her costars about her relationship with husband Zac Affleck. A turning point came when Zac found out his wife was stopping by a Chippendales […]
Jen added: “We wouldn’t have been able to get through season 2 — honestly season 1 or season 2 — without therapy. And filming definitely isn’t a comfortable thing for Zac. I think it’s definitely harder for him to be vulnerable. So that was him really trying to break through that during season 2. Even though there’s a lot of tough conversations we need to have on and off camera, it was all helpful in the end.”
Jen and Zac started dating in 2018 and got married one year later. After welcoming kids Nora, 2, and Luca, 20 months, Jen and Zac joined the cast of Hulu’s reality series about a group of Mormon mom influencers in Utah.
“It was definitely rocky after season 2. We were both in a different mindset and there’s a lot to navigate,” Jen noted. “With me doing the show and Zac in medical school, we’re kind of finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel after all of that chaos.”
According to Jen, viewers are about to see “the worst of what happened in our relationship,” adding, “But again, it is all things that we’re grateful for and I hope we can talk more about it after everyone has seen season 2. I haven’t seen season 2 so I don’t really know what happens. There is effort on both ends of a relationship and you’re both willing to put in that work. You can always make it work and that’s kind of what happens.”
Jen has previously offered a glimpse into where she stands with Zac after she stepped back from MomTok. The reality star subsequently documented her move from Utah so Zac could attend medical school. Jen later admitted that she wasn’t in a good place emotionally, ultimately checking into a wellness center.
“Spent 11 days away from my loved ones, focusing on healing and working through my trauma,” Jen wrote via her Instagram Story in March. “It was definitely one of the most challenging and impactful experiences I’ve ever had 🤍. Not the pregnancy journey I expected, but definitely what baby and I needed.”
Jen elaborated on the “moments of processing, learning, pain and healing” at the retreat, which included counseling sessions, yoga classes, spending time with horses and painting.
“It’s not every day you have the chance to be surrounded by professionals and mentors who dedicate their time to support you,” she continued. “I am truly grateful for everyone who made this possible.”
While speaking to Us, Jen opened up about her decision to return for season 2 despite the ups and downs in her personal life, saying, “I want to share my story and share my journey. Now that I’ve seen the light at the end of the tunnel, it can be an inspiring and lifting story for many — especially for mothers who ever experience prenatal or postpartum depression, which is what I experienced. When you’re in that state of mind, it’s hard to make right decisions and it’s hard to be in a good mental space and it’s hard to ask for help. These are all things that I end up talking about and would love to be an advocate.”
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season 2 premieres Thursday, May 15 on Hulu.
For more from Jen, watch the video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly — on newsstands now.
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