Former HGTV star Brandon Hatmaker is choosing to no longer publicly discuss his divorce from Jen Hatmaker after his past affair scandal.
Brandon, 53, explained via his Substack on Friday, September 26, why he’s stepping back from the drama, writing, “Over the past few days, I’ve taken time to affirm what is true and respond to some of the speculation and misinformation surrounding my divorce in 2020. I did so because I believed, and still do, that it would be both hopeful and helpful.”
The former pastor noted that “living in the past doesn’t heal anyone,” so he was ready to move on.
“From this point forward, I won’t be addressing the details of those events any longer. I’ve said what needed to be said, and now it’s time to close that chapter,” he continued. “This space will become what it was intended to be: a place for honest conversations about mental health, recovery, faith, resilience, and the pursuit of becoming better humans. We’ve all experienced loss, regret, and turning points. My hope is that by sharing lessons learned — without rehashing the past — we can all find encouragement for the road ahead.”
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Brandon concluded: “Thank you to those who have read with empathy and understanding. Your support means more than you know. The future of this space is bright, and I’m looking forward to talking about the things that bring life, hope, and healing. Here’s to what’s next.”
Jen, 51, and Brandon’s relationship was featured on My Big Family Renovation, which premiered in 2014. The couple later announced their split in 2020 following nearly three decades of marriage.
“Brandon and I are getting divorced. Although the details are ours alone, this was completely unexpected, and I remain stunned as we speak. I am shocked, grief-stricken, and broken-hearted,” Jen wrote via Instagram at the time. “Hold us so dear to your hearts. We have felt your prayers these last few weeks. We have experienced your mercy. Thank you for being good to us. Know that we are deeply surrounded by love and have not been alone a single second in two months. Please help protect us and keep us safe as we try to heal and rebuild.”
Jen said her family was “in a moment with no handbook and without a single clue how to navigate this privately, much less publicly. … We are real people managing this in our real life in real time, and we are doing the absolute best we know how to do.”
The pair’s relationship recently began making headlines again after Jen released a memoir titled Awake, which detailed the aftermath of Brandon’s affair. Brandon broke his silence on the accusations earlier this month, calling the downfall of his marriage a “culmination of a three-year personal spiral.”
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“We are all bigger than our lowest moment. For those of us living in the consequences of our actions, that can be a hard sell. While I know this truth in my head, I still struggle today to really believe it — for myself — in my heart,” he wrote in a lengthy statement shared via Substack. “The lowest moment of my life was my very public affair five years ago. I caused so much pain, so much humiliation, and I brought so much confusion into the lives of many people that I loved.”
He concluded: “I had lost my anchor, felt no hope, and was the loneliest I’ve ever been in my life. While that was the lowest moment of my life, a very close second, is having to relive it today. Even harder, to watch others who I love, having to do the same. I’ve owned my mistakes, I’ve made amends, I continue to do the work, I’ve worked hard to restore relationships, and I’ve started over.”
Both Brandon and Jen have moved on in the wake of their divorce. Brandon is currently married to Tina Hatmaker, while Jen sparked a romance with boyfriend Tyler Merritt.
