Jen Affleck, star of "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," has broken her silence regarding a comment made by "Dancing with the Stars" host Julianne Hough during Affleck's participation in the show's 34th season. Hough's remark, made shortly after Affleck's dance performance, questioned how Affleck felt after "clearly, giving birth and getting out here on the dance floor."
Speaking with Page Six's "Virtual Reali-Tea," Affleck, 27, suggested that Hough's comment was not intended with malice. "There [are] a lot of nerves when it comes to being on national TV in front of millions of people, so I don’t think she had any ill intent whatsoever," Affleck stated. "I think it was just a comment in the moment that was just perceived the wrong way."
Affleck, who is married to Zac Affleck, made her "Dancing With the Stars" debut last fall, just eight weeks after welcoming her third child. The public reaction to Hough's comment was immediate, with many TikTok users criticizing the host's choice of words.
Affleck acknowledged that she was in a state of "pure survival mode" as a new mother and did not fully process Hough's comment at the time. "There’s a lot of things that I don’t think I processed during ‘Dancing With the Stars,'" she said. "Looking back, I’m like, ‘Oh, that happened? Oh, that happened. Oh, yeah, I was postpartum. Oh, yeah, I was breastfeeding.'"
Despite the incident, Affleck expressed gratitude for her experience on the show. "Now, looking back at ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ I am full of gratitude and, honestly, I’m still trying to process all of that because it was the craziest time in my life," she shared.
Jen and Zac Affleck are parents to three children: Nora, 4; Luca, 2; and Penelope, 1. The couple announced in June that they are expecting their fourth child. Affleck confirmed that details regarding her marriage will be featured in the upcoming Hulu spinoff, "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County."