Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Jen Affleck Clarifies Relationship to Ben: How They’re Related

Ben Affleck sure has a lot of Jennifers in his life. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Jen Affleck clarified how she’s related to the Oscar winner after calling herself “the “new Jenny from the block” amid his divorce from Jennifer Lopez.

Jen, 25, isn’t a blood relative of Ben, 52, as she’s related to him through her marriage to husband Zac Affleck, who also appears on the Hulu reality series.

“Ben and [brother] Casey is Zac’s dad’s second cousin,” she told the New York Post on Thursday, September 5.

“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 get married to me, you get to say you’re related to Ben Affleck,’” Jen continued.

The TikTok star added, “It was kind of a joke, but also like, kind of real.”

In a wild twist of fate, Jen was named after the “On the Floor” singer, 55, because her mother was such a fan.

“Also, what’s crazy is I was named after J. Lo because my mom was obsessed with J. Lo,” she explained. “Jennifer Lynn Lopez, my name is Jennifer Lynn Affleck. I’m like, okay, Jenny from the block is here.”

The Maid in Manhattan star legally changed her last name from “Lopez” to Affleck” when she and Ben got married in July 2022. Her middle name is “Lynn,” which made J. Lo “Jennifer Lynn Affleck” during her marriage, which is identical to Jen’s full name.

The Bronx, New York, native asked a judge to restore her legal surname back to “Lopez” when she filed for divorce from Ben on August 20. Jennifer never quit using her famous last name professionally after their wedding.

Reality star Jen reminded fans of her connection to Ben in a Sunday, September 1, TikTok video set to the Hustlers star’s 2002 song “Jenny From the Block.” The music video coincidentally featured appearances from Ben, as he was engaged to J. Lo at the time during their first go at romance. The pair split in January 2004 after calling of their September 2003 wedding four days ahead of the nuptials.

Jen lip synched the lyrics to the song while at a Utah salon as she got blonde highlights followed by long hair extensions. In the caption she wrote, “The new Jenny from the block.”

While many followers loved her hair makeover, others who were more tuned in to her last name and Bennifer’s divorce drama found it somewhat inappropriate.

“How incredibly tacky and immature to use her song as they are in the midst of a divorce. So completely insensitive. You should stay out of ppl’s divorce. So wrong,” wrote one TikTok user.

Another person added, “​​You should be ashamed of trying to tie yourself to J. Lo. She is no longer with Ben. Regardless, slow your roll, poser.”

Jen first brought up her connection to Ben and J. Lo in a November 2022, TikTok video. She danced along to different children’s songs like “The Wheels on the Bus,” and wrote on top, “When you thought you were going to be the next J. Lo, but instead … she stole your name and you’re busting it down to Ms. Rachel.”

In the caption she added, “Can’t forget that Ben Affleck is my husband’s second cousin.”

The new Hulu star Jen and her other Mormon mom friends rose to fame on TikTok as part of the hashtag group “MomTok.” They’re about to get far more famous beyond social media when The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives premieres on Friday, September 6.

“Some days I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re the next Kardashians, this is crazy. This is happening,’” she told the Post. “Other days I’m like, ‘Oh my hell, our lives are ruined. We cannot be seen at church.’ I’m just kidding!”

Jen promised that her 1.1 million TikTok followers will see a new side of her on the show.

“When people see us on social media, they think we’re the classic Mormon Utah moms. But there’s a lot to us,” she shared with the outlet. “So much is involved with the group. Religion, friendship, relationships. People see this snippet of us on TikTok, but there’s really so much to unfold and you’ll see on the show.”