Jen Hatmaker Details husband’s Infidelity, Reveals “End of My Life as I Knew It”
Jen Hatmaker, former HGTV star and Christian author, has publicly shared the harrowing moment she discovered her husband’s infidelity, a revelation she describes as shattering her world. The details, revealed in her new memoir Awake, offer a raw and intimate account of betrayal, heartbreak, and eventual rebuilding.
Hatmaker and her husband, Brandon Hatmaker, gained prominence through their HGTV series My Big Family Renovation in 2014, documenting their home renovation project alongside their five children. The couple, married as 1993, also co-founded New Austin Church in Texas in 2008, were Brandon served as pastor and Jen as a prominent influencer. Though, beneath the public image of a devout family, a hidden struggle was unfolding.
The turning point arrived in the early hours of July 11, 2020, at 2:30 a.m. According to hatmaker’s memoir, she awoke to find her husband on the phone, smelling of alcohol. As he drifted to sleep, she overheard him whisper the devastating words: “I just can’t quit you.”
Did you know?– Jen and Brandon Hatmaker’s HGTV show, My Big Family Renovation, showcased their home renovation alongside their five children. The show offered a glimpse into their family life before the infidelity revelation. The couple also co-founded a church in Texas.
This moment,Hatmaker writes,marked “the end of my life as I [knew] it.” Driven by a desperate need to understand the extent of the betrayal, she began searching her husband’s computer, uncovering what she describes as a “trail of betrayal.” While the exact duration of the affair remains unspecified, Hatmaker details a “devastating time span” characterized by Brandon’s lavish spending on his mistress, impacting the family’s finances. She later asked him to leave their home.
Despite 26 years of marriage, Hatmaker expressed profound shock, admitting she had never considered the possibility of infidelity. She attributed this disbelief to their deeply ingrained faith and public persona within the church community. “To some degree,I almost disassociated,” she told the NY Post. “It was so outside the realm of what I would have ever considered a possibility for our life, our marriage, our story… it was so shocking and stunning, and I almost could not process it. I couldn’t even cry.”
Pro tip:– When facing a crisis, seek professional help. Hatmaker’s experience highlights the importance of therapy and support systems. Seeking guidance from a therapist or counselor can provide tools for navigating difficult emotions and making informed decisions.
The aftermath of the finding was profoundly difficult. Hatmaker recounts battling depression and anxiety, compounded by financial strain and the challenges of raising five children alone during the pandemic. She confessed to feeling hopeless about her future. However, time has brought a degree of clarity. Hatmaker acknowledged that their marriage “had been in trouble” for some time, revealing they had not been intimate for two years and had only begun marriage counseling two months prior to the fateful phone call.
Reader question:– How do you rebuild trust after a betrayal of this magnitude? What steps would you take to heal and move forward? Share your thoughts on the complexities of forgiveness and the challenges of starting over.
Looking back, she recognized the warning signs she had previously ignored. “There were a lot of unaccounted absences, and the phone was never ever, ever, ever out of his hand or sight,” she recalled.”all the warning signs were there, but I did not want to face those.”
In the years following the revelation, Hatmaker stepped away from the church she and Brandon had established together. She has since found love again, a testament to
