Jen Affleck announced on July 2 that she gave birth to her third child, a daughter named Penelope Phyliss, whom she was pregnant with while filming Season 2 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Affleck posted earlier this week that she had gone into labor while at the nail salon, and even documented it on TikTok.
On June 27, Affleck posted a TikTok video with the caption, “POV: You start having contractions at your nail appointment.” In the video, Affleck is on the phone, saying, “I’m in labor right now.” Later in the video, Affleck does some squats in the salon, checks the baby’s heart rate with a fetal doppler, and apparently, gets a cervix check. Affleck is already a mom to her daughter Nora, 3, and her son Luca, who’s almost 2.
Then, on July 2, Affleck posted an Instagram announcing her second daughter was born. “Baby Penelope is here 🤍 & she is perfect,” Affleck wrote in the post. “Going unmedicated was truly the most painful but empowering experience of my life. I could not have done it without Zac and my supportive doula! I’m so grateful and so happy that Penny is earth side now.🤍” The post showed multiple images of Affleck laboring in the hospital and in a bath.
The name Penelope is ranked No. 82 in U.S. popularity, according to Social Security Administration data for 2024. Penelope, which is of Greek origin, means “weaver” or “duck.”
Affleck’s husband, Zac Affleck, also took to social media to thank his wife for their newest daughter’s birth. He wrote on Instagram, “Before I flood your feed with endless photos of our perfect baby girl, I have to do a dedicated post to Jen. Our doula told her, ‘You have to go to the stars to bring this baby back.’ I don’t think either of us anticipated how intense natural birth would actually be. It was a spiritual experience mixed with every emotion possible — one of the most bonding experiences we have ever had. It gave me a completely new level of appreciation and love for my wife I didn’t know was possible. I am genuinely speechless at how amazing women are, what their bodies go through, and what they are capable of. I love you, Jen, and am so grateful for you bringing our beautiful children into this world.”
Fans will know that Season 2 of SLOMW followed Affleck during her journey of finding out about baby No. 3, and where her mental health was at before and during the pregnancy. Affleck revealed on the SLOMW Season 2 reunion that she was dealing with prenatal depression at the time, and had been experiencing suicidal ideation. “Looking back and thinking about all of season 2, to be honest, it’s a bit of a blur just because I was barely surviving,” she said.
In Season 2, before taking a pregnancy test, Jen said in a confessional, “I am stressed out of my mind with the thought of me being pregnant because Zac and I aren’t on the best of terms. And I think the last thing we need is another baby.” After she checks the test and sees she’s pregnant, Jen says, “I’m just scared because I’m not the person I want to be before bringing in another child.” Soon after the storyline of Jen’s pregnancy began on the show, Jen stopped filming to focus on her mental health.
Since Affleck stopped filming, she has since joined the SLOMW cast at the Season 2 reunion and during press events. She’s also been filming for Season 3 of the show. At the Season 2 reunion, Affleck said she’s doing “way better now” in terms of her mental health, and has since announced she’ll be joining the cast of Dancing With The Stars alongside her SLOMW co-star Whitney Leavitt, which will air this fall on ABC.