Jen Affleck had her third child three months ago, and now, she is starring on Dancing with the Stars Season 34. However, Jen recently admitted that she is dealing with postpartum depression. And since this lesser-talked-about topic affects so many, her fans immediately started rallying in her corner. But while her followers chimed in to thank her for her honesty, I wondered: Could these same supporters now save Jen from an elimination?
Jen is still recovering from the birth of her baby, Penelope. Yet, she is currently dancing her heart out on DWTS. Even still, votes from the public, which often have nothing to do with the stars’ actual dancing skills, matter. So, with her scores sitting near the bottom of the leaderboard, Jen is not marked safe from any eliminations.
Can her frankness about her postpartum journey swing votes in her favor? Maybe. But if not, a different Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star might take home this win.
Jen Affleck opened up about her postpartum journey while competing on DWTS 2025
Jen just shared an honest TikTok about her “baby blues.” Looking downcast during rehearsals for DWTS, we see Jen sitting on a couch. Her on-screen captain reads, “POV: the postpartum blues start to creep in.” Then, her Pro, Jan Ravnik, approaches Jen with an outstretched hand.
At first, Jen shakes her head, saying no. But finally, Jan wins out, and Jen gets up from her seat, dancing with her Pro to Donna Summer’s hit song, Last Dance. As Jen further explained, “Depression can’t hit a moving target.” And right away, her fans clocked in with words of support.
“Super inspirational that she is doing this so soon after having a baby,” said one Redditor, adding, “I think Jan has been an amazing partner for her, at least mentally – he seems to really uplift her.”
“Please, please, please take care of yourself first. We can see in your eyes that it’s taxing on you,” another fan said. “We love and support you no matter what! You dance your heart out, baby!!!”
Meanwhile, another person wrote, “The entire internet thinks you’re a queen for going on DWTS postpartum, and we also think you are being WAY underscored.”
Could Jen be the next to leave Dancing with the Stars Season 34 on Halloween Night?
Speaking of lackluster scores, Jen doesn’t have any formal dance training. However, thanks to “being Latina and just growing up dancing at parties,” Jen is holding her own on DWTS. But following recent performances, Jen and Jan are sliding towards the bottom of the leaderboard. Case in point, during Week 5, their Viennese Waltz only earned a total of 29 points out of 40.
Now, this score is not awful. But following one elimination, alongside the new scores from Week 6, only one star is now ranked less than Jen. And this star is none other than Andy Richter. At the end of week 6, Jen has 61 points, while Andy only has 51.
Ten points is a decent lead. Also, Andy is an amateur dancer, unlike Jen, who enjoys dancing for fun all the time. So, what’s the problem here (for Jen)? Well, Andy is quickly becoming the breakout star of Season 34, and with the viewers’ backing, he has gotten saved every single episode, while better dancing stars have gotten the axe.
As stressed on Reddit, fans have “seen so much chatter that everyone thinks [Jen is] going home next if Andy stays in.” Everything is now riding on the upcoming Halloween Night episode, where Jen and Andy will learn their fates.
Jen’s Mormon Wives co-star Whitney Leavitt is a frontrunner this season
In contrast, Whitney Leavitt, another Mormon Wives star, is currently sitting at the top of the DWTS leaderboard. But unlike Jen, Whitney has an extensive background in dance. Whitney has danced competitively her entire life, often rehearsing for 40 to 50 hours a week to prepare for her various competitions. Then, in college, she furthered her studies with a degree in fine arts, which included a focus on dance.
Does Whitney have an unfair advantage on DWTS? Yes. But watching her dance has been fun, so I can’t complain. Her judges, seemingly, agree.
Wicked Night just passed. Fittingly, the couples jigged to songs from Wicked. As for Whitney, she danced to the hit song Popular. And after, she received the first perfect score of the season.
Following her routine, the judges noted that it was “an advanced” and “jam-packed” performance. Now, Whitney is the frontrunner of this season. However, just as is the case with Jen, the voting public still has the power to change everything. So, even though Whitney is a better dancer, Robert Irwin, courtesy of his abs-loving fanbase, might still creep up and best her this season.
Dancing with the Stars is available to stream on Disney+.
TELL US – ARE YOU PROUD OF JEN FOR OPENLY SPEAKING ABOUT HER POSTPARTUM JOURNEY? CAN SHE SURVIVE THE HALLOWEEN NIGHT EPISODE? WILL WHITNEY WIN SEASON 34?
