HGTV’s Jen Hatmaker Details Moment She Caught Her Husband Cheating

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Jen Hatmaker is recounting one of the most difficult moments in her life.

Five years after her divorce from Brandon Hatmaker, she shared details about discovering his affair, which she described in her upcoming memoir, Awake, as lasting a significant and painful period.

She recalled, as detailed in excerpts from the book reported by *The New York Post*, that she overheard him say to a woman on the phone, “I just can’t quit you,” on the morning of July 11, 2020.

The 51-year-old woman described how her life changed forever after discovering her husband’s affair. In her upcoming book, released September 23rd, she recounts receiving a phone call at 2:30 a.m. revealing his infidelity – a moment she calls “the end of everything I knew.” The next morning, she immediately asked him to leave, effectively ending their 26-year marriage.

The former star of *My Big Family Renovation*-who started the Austin New Church with her husband in 2008-was deeply stunned by what she learned and struggled to process it all.

She explained to The New York Post that she felt completely disconnected from the situation. “It was just so far removed from anything I ever imagined for us, for our relationship,” she said in a recent interview.

Jen described the day as incredibly shocking and overwhelming. She was so stunned, she said, that she couldn’t even bring herself to cry.

TopMob News has reached out to Brandon and Jen for comment and has yet to hear back.

The popular author, who is now dating Tyler Merritt, revealed her marriage was already struggling before she discovered her husband’s infidelity. They started marriage counseling in April 2020, as they hadn’t been intimate for two years.

Jen explained that she believed they were actively trying to fix things. They had become intimate again, but looking back, she realized they weren’t really working on the relationship at all, even though it seemed like they were at the time.

She explained that many people were absent without explanation, and he was constantly on his phone – he never put it down. Looking back, she realized all the warning signs were obvious, but she’d deliberately avoided acknowledging them.

The popular author, who is currently dating Tyler Merritt, revealed her marriage was already struggling before she discovered her husband’s infidelity. They started marriage counseling in April 2020, as they hadn’t been intimate for two years.

Jen remembered feeling like they were making a real effort to fix things. They had started being intimate again, but looking back, she realized they weren’t actually trying to reconcile, even though it felt like they were at the time.

She continued, explaining that many people were unaccounted for, and he was constantly on his phone – he never let it out of his sight. Looking back, she realized all the warning signs were present, but she avoided acknowledging them.

And following their separation, Brandon never tried to reconcile with his then-estranged wife.

Jen told *The New York Post* that he explained he needs to *feel* motivated to try, but those feelings are gone and won’t return.

Brandon reacted to Jen writing about the consequences of his affair in her book by releasing a detailed statement.

Five years ago, I hit my lowest point when I had a very public affair. I deeply regret the pain and embarrassment I caused to the people I cared about. This was the result of a three-year struggle where I felt lost, hopeless, and incredibly alone.

Calling it the worst time of his life, the 53-year-old admitted it’s almost as painful to talk about it now. He added that it’s even more difficult watching his loved ones struggle with the consequences of his past actions. He’s taken responsibility for his mistakes, apologized, and continues to work on improving himself and rebuilding his relationships. He’s essentially started a new chapter in his life.

The pastor also responded to some of Jen’s statements, specifically stating he didn’t get engaged to his current wife, Tina, within a year of their divorce. He further claimed Jen was the one who ultimately decided their relationship couldn’t be saved.

Brandon acknowledged that there’s no justifying his actions and that he can’t undo the hurt he caused. He hopes sharing his experience might help others avoid similar pain. He explained that affairs don’t happen suddenly in strong marriages, and his wasn’t an overnight change of heart. Instead, their relationship deteriorated slowly and painfully, and he had been grieving the loss of their marriage for years before they officially divorced.

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2025-09-22 21:19