If it feels like everyone is talking about The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, that’s because they are. The Hulu show landed on Disney+ this month and follows a friendship group in Utah – but they’re not just any friendship group; for anyone who remembers *that* Mormon swingers scandal on TikTok a few years ago, you’ll recognise some of the cast.
As a quick recap: as of 2022, Taylor Frankie Paul and her #MomTok friends had amassed millions of fans on the social media platform. After announcing her split from husband Tate that year, her followers were keen to know what went wrong for the couple and in response, Taylor eventually shared that she had been ‘soft swinging’ with other couples in the church. Though she didn’t name names, the story instantly became a social media sensation and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives follows Taylor as she navigates friendships in the community after exposing their colourful private lives.
But it seems that the group of Mormon women share more than just (allegedly) partners. Jen Affleck is one of the stars of the show, and many viewers immediately picked up on that very recognisable surname. Fans have been asking if she’s related to Hollywood heavyweight Ben Affleck and his brother, Casey – and the answer, according to Jen at least, is that she is.
Jen has made no secret of her alleged familial ties with Ben, as her husband Zac claims to be a cousin once removed. In an interview with People ahead of the show’s release, she said Ben Affleck is ‘my husband’s cousin, but we’ve never met him’. The publication states that her husband Zac is ‘Ben’s first cousin once removed. His dad, Dave Affleck, is Ben and Casey Affleck’s first cousin’.
If it seems straightforward enough, then hold on – because this is the age of the internet, and one in which Reddit threads dig into every last detail. Since the show aired, one Reddit thread has dissected the Affleck family tree and theorised that they may not be cousins at all. The claim is that Ben’s dad Timothy is not brothers with Zac’s grandfather, Gordon. Although public records show that Timothy did have a brother, he was called Stephen and seemingly didn’t have any children.
Several genealogists have also taken to social media to share breakdowns of Ben and Zac’s family trees, with their research showing that Ben’s grandfather was born in Rhode Island – not in Utah.
So – is Ben Affleck really related to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star? It seems that the jury’s still out on that one. At the time of writing, Ben hasn’t addressed the claim – but we’ll update this article as soon as he does.
The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives is streaming now on Disney+.