Zac and Jen Affleck Tease 'New Beginnings' in California as “Mormon Wives” Season 5 Halts Filming

Tabitha ParentMon, March 23, 2026 at 7:44 PM UTC

0

Jen and Zac Affleck with their three children.Credit: Zac Affleck/Instgram -

Secret Lives of Mormon Wives stars Jen and Zac Affleck are teasing a fresh start

Over the weekend, Zac posted a series of photos of the couple enjoying the sun in California, teasing that he was excited for "new beginnings" in his Instagram caption

The couple's appearance in California comes amid news that Mormon Wives had paused filming on its fifth season

There's a fresh start on the horizon for Jen and Zac Affleck.Over the weekend, Zac shared a series of photos of the couple and their children as they enjoyed themselves on a beach in California. In the photos, the family could be seen playing in the sand, enjoying ice cream and smiling for the camera as they spent time out in the sun.In the caption of the March 22 post, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star added that he was "excited for new beginnings."Some fans took the post as confirmation that the couple had found a place to live in Southern California, after Jen previously confirmed to PEOPLE that the pair were going to be moving to Los Angeles in an interview following her elimination on season 34 of Dancing with the Stars.

Jen and Zac Affleck.Credit: Zac Affleck/Instgram

Users took to the comment section of Zac's most recent post to try to confirm whether the couple had finally moved, with one asking point-blank: "Did you guys end up finding a house then?!"Zac, for his part, neither confirmed nor denied in his response, responding simply with an emoji: "👀."Another commenter pointed out that Zac had previously been against living in California, following Jen's run on DWTS, which was a plot point on the most recent season of Mormon Wives. "That’s awesome, I’m all for that! But, you were pretty adamant in season 4 that you did not want to live in CA. What changed your mind???" the commenter asked.Zac responded, sharing that his distaste toward the Golden State had been for Mormon Wives' "storyline.""Contrary to what you might have seen I loved DWTS experience and California has been my dream place to live my entire life," he added.The Afflecks' supposed move to California comes following news that production had paused on filming for the show's fifth season amid an open domestic assault investigation involving one of the show's stars, Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen.After Draper City police confirmed to PEOPLE that there was an open investigation into the two, sources told PEOPLE that the women of the Mormon Wives cast were distancing themselves from Paul.Later in the week, following news that the series had paused filming, a video from 2023 was leaked to TMZ, which showed Paul attacking Mortensen in front of her daughter, Indy, then 5.

Paul was previously arrested for alleged domestic violence in 2023 following an argument with Mortensen, with whom she shares 2-year-old son Ever. The 2023 indictment obtained by PEOPLE alleged that Paul threw “heavy, metal chairs” at Mortensen, and Paul's daughter — whom she shares with ex Tate Paul — was struck by a chair during the incident, which matches what occurs in the video shared by TMZ.

Paul pled guilty in abeyance to aggravated assault, which means that if she complies with the conditions of the plea, that charge will be dismissed. Meanwhile, the other charges have already been dismissed.

After the release of the video, a spokesperson for Paul told PEOPLE, “It’s sad to see the latest installment of his never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child. Releasing an old video, which conveniently omits context, on their son's birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior. Thankfully, the public has seen this act before and knows who he is and sadly, many will recognize this pattern of manipulation, both in his actions on the show, and from their own experiences."

Advertisement

In his own statement to PEOPLE, Mortensen said, "As anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a deeply upsetting situation. I am, unfortunately, used to these baseless claims about me and our relationship, which I categorically deny. I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same."

Following the release of the video, ABC, which was set to air Paul's season of The Bachelorette, cancelled the show's premiere. Mortensen was also granted temporary custody of the two's son, Ever, 2, after filing for a temporary protective order following the release of the video.

Together, Jen and Zac share three kids: Nora, 3, Lucas, 2, and Penny, 8 months.

Jen and Zac moved out of their Orem, Utah, home in 2024, relocating to New York City for Zac's medical school, which Jen later revealed he had left to support her journey on MomTok on season 4 of Mormon Wives. They have frequently featured their home, especially the kitchen countertop, in TikTok videos.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”