Jen Affleck Addresses Rift With Whitney Leavitt in New Hulu Series
In the new spinoff, Affleck discusses her jealousy of Leavitt and the personal struggles that fueled their conflict during their reality TV appearances.
By Julian Schulz ·
The reality television genre continues to explore the personal dynamics of its participants in new narrative arcs. Jen Affleck has discussed the reconciliation between herself and Whitney Leavitt in the latest addition to the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives franchise. This episode features a direct conversation where Affleck addresses the underlying causes of their previous friction.
Affleck appeared in the new California-based spinoff, titled Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County. The series follows a group of Latter-day Saints in the state. During a sit-down scene, Affleck told Leavitt that her feelings of envy played a major role in their estrangement. She explained that she was jealous of Leavitt's success both on the show and in her life outside of it.
The actress revealed that she struggled with her husband, Zac, not supporting her in the same manner that Leavitt's husband, Conner, supported her. Affleck stated that these feelings of inadequacy and envy led to negative sentiments toward Leavitt. The two women concluded their conversation with a hug, signaling a resolution to their differences. Affleck said the moment was healing and allowed her to feel better about moving forward.
"Honestly, that moment was everything, and it was so healing for me, honestly," Affleck said. "Reality TV is hard because when you expose your life and issues to the world, it just makes things harder when the world is involved." She noted that the public scrutiny made the conflict difficult to manage. The exposure of their personal lives contributed to the intensity of the situation while they competed on Dancing With the Stars Season 34 and Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 5.
Affleck said she wanted to avoid being defined by the conflict and believed she needed to take responsibility for her part in the disagreement. "I do feel like we were pinned against each other, just through all the things that we were doing, and I really wish that wasn't the case," she said. She added that she did not want to be a victim of the events and felt it was necessary to own her mistakes. She viewed the reconciliation as a way to start a new chapter with a clean slate.
The two women are now in a supportive relationship, according to Affleck. Leavitt continues to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, while Affleck is preparing to welcome her fourth child. Affleck is also in the process of divorcing her husband of seven years. She said that people online still look for conflict between them, even though they are on the same page. "It's so funny, there's still drama online and the world's still trying to pin us women against each other and it's just like, why?" she said.
Affleck said the reconciliation helped her understand why she needs to separate from her husband and figure out her identity. She is focused on maintaining positive relationships and being a mother to her three children. She is expecting the birth of her fourth child soon. "It's been hard, It sucks. And I think it's gonna suck for a while, but just trying my best to focus on the positive and focus on this baby," she said. The series is currently streaming on Hulu.
Hulu offers a basic plan with ads for $11.99 per month. An ad-free plan is available for $18.99 per month. The platform also offers bundles that include Disney+. These bundles start at $12.99 per month for ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu. The highest tier, which includes Disney+, Hulu, and Max, all ad-free, costs $32.99 per month.
