"Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" star Jennifer Affleck is responding to critics of her marriage and those who say that she "wasted her twenties" after she recently revealed that she is expecting her third child.
Jennifer Affleck, who stars in the hit Hulu show, took to her Instagram story and addressed the negative comments she said she’s received about getting married at a young age, saying that she "wouldn't trade it for anything."
"Getting married at 20 and having three kids by 25 has taught us so much along the way," Jennifer Affleck, 25, wrote about her marriage to her husband of almost six years, Zac Affleck.
"When we first met, there were many obstacles preventing us from tying the knot," she continued. We came from two different worlds, had no life experience, no established careers, and no plan."
Preview of 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives'The reality star, who shares son Lucas, 19 months, and daughter Nora, 3, with Zac Affleck, added, "But one thing we knew for sure was that we loved each other. We understood it wouldn't be easy due to our differences, but we believed it would be worth it."
"Despite moments of doubt, we always return to the reasons we got married in the first place," she added.
In another slide on her Instagram story, which featured a photo of her and her husband on a beach during what appears to be a pregnancy photoshoot, Jennifer Affleck wrote, "We've faced so much together, including identity crises, navigating different careers, becoming young parents and everything that it comes with, starting med school, and best of all, joining a reality TV show during one of the most sensitive, stressful, and chaotic times in our lives. 😂"
"but honestly, I wouldn't trade it for anything," she continued. "We've grown and learned so much. While some may think I've wasted my twenties, I feel quite the opposite."
"Now, with our third baby on the way and still navigating so much, I know we can get through the past year, we can handle anything," she wrote.
The next slide in her story featured a photo of the reality star on the beach smiling with her hand on her belly. Alongside the photo, she wrote, "I used to fear failure, but now I see that each setback brings us closer to success."
She added, "There's still so much to learn — mistakes included — but as long as we're progressing, that's all I care about 🤍“
In the first season of "TSLOMW," audiences were introduced to Jennifer Affleck and her family. The reality star is part of the group of Mormon TikTok mom influencers on the show, which include Demi Engemann, Whitney Leavitt, Mikayla Matthews, Mayci Neeley, Jessi Ngatikaura, Taylor Frankie Paul and Layla Taylor.
The show follows the group as they navigate the complexities of their personal lives following a swinging sex scandal that made international headlines. During the first season, Jennifer Affleck' relationship with Zac Affleck was scrutinized by her fellow cast members as cracks in their marriage revealed what many saw as Zac Affleck's controlling side.
'The Bachelor' Grant Ellis teases the 'love story' fans will see on his seasoThe news of the reality star's pregnancy was announced earlier this week in People. She described in an interview that the pregnancy is "incredibly challenging both mentally physically." She added that season one of the show "took a toll, not only on my marriage but also on my mental health."
"There were many dark days. There's so much more to our story than people realize," she continued.
She added, "While I’m not sharing all the details online, it’s been essential for our relationship and mental health to keep our journey private until we’re ready to talk about it."
In October, it was announced that "TSLOMW" will be returning for a second season in the spring.
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