REALITY TVReality Star Jen Affleck Claims She's 'Kind of' Related to Ben Affleck — But Is She, Really?
'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' star Jen Affleck stirred the pot with claims she’s related to Ben Affleck.
May 26 2025, Published 11:30 a.m. ET
When Jen Affleck burst onto the reality TV scene in 2024 with her debut on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, people on social media asked this burning question: Are she and her husband, Zac Affleck, linked to A-list superstar Ben Affleck?
Both Jen and Zac have had their say on the matter, but the truth appears to be as tangled as a soap opera plot.
Zac tackled the family connection during the show's second season, while his wife, Jen, fervently sparked interest with some eyebrow-raising claims. Here’s everything we know about the speculation surrounding the Affleck family tree.
Jen Affleck claimed Zac’s dad is Ben and Casey Affleck’s second cousin.
The second “Affleck” became part of a reality show cast, the internet couldn’t help but connect the dots, especially since Jen’s rise to fame came right as Jennifer Lopez and Ben called it quits — just one month before The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives premiered.
With J.Lo dropping the "Affleck" and going back to her maiden name, fans and gossip outlets were quick to speculate: could Jen and Ben really be related?
Jen leaned into the moment with a cheeky TikTok, calling herself the “new Jenny from the block” following Bennifer’s split. Naturally, that only cranked up the rumors.
Then came her headline-making interview with the New York Post, where Jen claimed: “Ben and [his brother] Casey [Affleck] is Zac’s dad’s [David Affleck] second cousin.”
She added, half-jokingly, “So Zac’s dad has probably met him [Ben] once in his whole entire life. But when I was dating him, he’s like, ‘Well, now if you marry me, you get to say you’re related to Ben Affleck.’”
Jen, a mom-of-three, called it “kind of a joke, but also, like, kind of real.”
A source said there’s 'no relationship' between the reality stars and Ben Affleck.
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But, not so fast! Not long after Jen’s claims made headlines, a source close to Zac’s family poured cold water on the story. Speaking to People, the insider said, “There’s no relationship. I just don’t think that’s very fair about that either.”
They also broke down the family tree: “So Zac Affleck is her husband. [His father] is David Affleck… No, Alan Burt and Myron Senior aren’t brothers or anything.” Translation? The alleged Affleck connection might be more fiction than fact.
Zac Affleck told his wife on camera, 'No one’s ever said we’re related to him — besides you.'
Zac Clears the Air — Sort Of
Things came to a head in Season 2 during a festive Halloween episode, when the “Are we or aren’t we?” debate popped up again. Zac held firm, denying any real link to the Gigli star.
“I think the whole Ben Affleck thing is hilarious,” Jen said in a confessional, while Zac insisted she was the only one making the claim.
“No one’s ever said we’re related to him — besides you,” Zac told her on camera.
The reality star spread the rumor her husband is related to Ben Affleck.
Zac admitted, “If I am or I’m not related to Ben Affleck, that’s always been kind of a running joke in my family.”
Still, he cautioned her: “I told her, ‘I don’t think you should say that anymore. I think that’s probably gonna backfire.’”
As the conversation wrapped, Zac left the last word to his wife: “I feel like this is Jen’s battle, and I guess I’ll just let her share her perspective.”
