Pop Culture

MomTok Will Not Survive Jen Affleck’s Appearance on ‘Not Skinny But Not Fat’

September 18, 2025

When Jen Affleck sat down with Amanda Hirsch for Not Skinny But Not Fat, she didn’t just bring reality-TV tea—she brought the kind of honesty that can upend an entire corner of the internet. Her candidness is a breath of fresh air, making her impossible to ignore since before she laced up her dancing shoes.

Jen is known for sharing her life openly with MomTok, but she pulled back the curtain on her life even further. She talked about postpartum depression, marriage struggles, and the viral Ben Affleck family connection that turned into one of the most surreal full-circle moments in reality TV.

The result was an episode that felt equal parts raw, funny, and deeply human. Jen didn’t just dish on reality drama—she showed how resilience and self-awareness can change the narrative.

Jen Affleck opens up about her mental health struggles

Season two of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives showed Jen at what she calls her “lowest point.” She tells Hirsch that watching those episodes back was difficult for her. “It was also hard for me to watch back because I’m naturally not a sad person,” she shares. “I’ve always been very happy. So, if I’m sad, it’s because I’m really sad.”

She explained that everything hit at once—her marriage, her pregnancy, and the isolation she felt from others—and this feeling of overwhelm left her in a “very lonely and confused place.”

What finally helped her was therapy: “It was the first time in my whole life that I actually, honestly put myself first and asked for help.” That willingness to admit vulnerability is precisely what makes her stand out in a crowded influencer landscape.

**Why Dancing with the Stars matters so much**

For Jen, joining Dancing with the Stars is more than a career move—it’s survival. As she tells Hirsch, “You can’t pour from an empty cup. I think many moms end up with nothing left, and that’s when motherhood becomes overwhelming. But I find when you’re taking care of yourself and when you have your own outlet, and for me, right now, it’s Dancing with the Stars.”

And more than that, she’s fulfilling a dream she’s had since childhood. “I grew up watching Dancing with the Stars my whole life,” she says. “And so, when I entered the reality TV world, I was like, I’ve got to do it. I’ve got to do Dancing with the Stars. It’s all I want to do.”

That passion shows with each dance move, making it clear why fans (and other Mormon Wives) are rooting for her.

Clearing up the Ben Affleck ‘family drama’

Of course, no interview with Jen would be complete without addressing the infamous “other Affleck” connection. On Not Skinny But Not Fat, she laughs about how it all spiraled. “Everyone believed it,” she remembers, speaking of the time she revealed on the show that her husband, Zack Affleck, is related to Ben. “My husband’s grandpa always said it. So, I shared it, like, yeah, I’m related to Ben Affleck. But then fans roasted me for being a pathological liar.”

What happened next is the stuff of reality TV legend: “I got the opportunity to be on a Dunkin’ Donuts commercial with Ben Affleck.” Jen elaborated on her experience, saying, “His daughter came with her best friend. She loves the show and was like, ‘We are family. I don’t care if we’re not related. We are related.’”

It’s a storyline no producer could script better—one that proves sometimes leaning into the chaos pays off.

**Season 3 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives promises a new Jen**

Jen teases that the upcoming season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, premiering November 13 on Hulu and Disney+, will show a different side of her. “Season three has been the best season for me so far,” she promises. “I feel like people are finally gonna see a different side of me, which is the real version of me. I feel like everyone has only seen the depressing side.”

If her appearance on Hirsch’s podcast is any indication, audiences are about to witness her complete transformation, a transformation that is filled with hope and positivity.