One of the stars of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives had a Hollywood connection …allegedly. Jen Affleck said on the show that her husband, Zac Affleck, was related to actor and director Ben Affleck. But now that may not be the case.
Is Zac Affleck really related to Ben Affleck?
Jen and Zac were the most devout Mormons in the series. But their marriage was also rocky. When Jen went to Las Vegas with her co-stars and hit up Chippendales, Zac lost it. Mind you, Jen left before the show and Zac was gambling at the time.
In the end, he blasted his wife with rage texts all night. And while Zac threatened to divorce Jen, she later confirmed that their marriage was in a better place. “I feel like since the show ended, we’ve been doing nonstop therapy. And so at this point, I really feel like we’ve healed from everything and we’ve been completely vulnerable and honest,” she previously stated.
Breaking down Zac Affleck’s family tree
As for how Zac is related to Ben? Jen stated in an episode of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives that Zac’s dad, David Affleck, is the cousin of brothers Ben and Casey Affleck. Jen joked about her link to the family in a TikTok from September 2022. This was around the time that Ben and Jennifer Lopez tied the knot. She wrote across the video, “When you thought you were going to be the next JLO. But instead … she stole your name & you’re busting it down to Ms. Rachel.” In the TikTok, she danced to the ditty Wheels on the Bus.
Now it seems that the two families may not be related at all. AWKWARD! An insider told PEOPLE that a link between the two families “is absolutely not true.” The source continued, “There’s no relationship. I just don’t think that’s very fair about that either.” In the Mormon faith, genealogy is very important. So, this mix-up seems odd.
“So Zac Affleck is her husband. [His father] is David Affleck. Zac’s grandfather is Gordon Affleck. Zac’s great-grandparents — which would [establish] second cousins — his name is Alan Burt Affleck,” the insider stated. “Then Ben’s dad is Tim Affleck. His grandfather is Myron Junior. His great-grandparent is Myron Senior. No, Alan Burt and Myron Senior aren’t brothers or anything,” the source added. Plus, while Casey and Ben’s relatives came from Scotland, Zac’s family ties are from England.
So, why didn’t Zac and Jen address this sooner? The insider explained, “This isn’t their cup of tea. I would imagine, knowing them that they’re just hoping this will all die down … and not be anything.”
Meanwhile, Zac and Jen’s reps and Hulu declined to comment on this story. PEOPLE also contacted reps for Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck.
Catch The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives streaming on Hulu.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK THAT JEN AND ZAC KNEW THAT ZAC WASN’T RELATED TO BEN? HOW WILL THE COUPLE ADDRESS THE ISSUE?
