Jen Hatmaker says divorce was 'completely unexpected,' asks for prayers: 'I am shocked'
Author Jen Hatmaker has asked for prayers after announcing she and her husband, Brandon, are divorcing — something the Christian author said was “completely unexpected” and has left her “shocked" and "broken-hearted.”
On Sunday, the popular podcast host and mother-of-five shared the news in a lengthy Instagram post.
“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,” she wrote.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Asking for prayers, she said, “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.”
The Roys Report previously reported that Hatmaker, who’s been married to Brandon since 1993, filed for divorce in Hays County 22nd District Court in Texas on Aug. 21, but the filing doesn’t disclose the reason.
In her statement, Hatmaker said her family is “in a moment with no handbook and without a single clue how to navigate this privately, much less publicly.” She added that they “are getting away to retreat for awhile” and asked for privacy.
“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,” she wrote.
The news comes just weeks after Hatmaker said her family was navigating a "crisis" and asked for prayers.
The Hatmakers previously starred in the reality television show "My Big Family Home Renovation” and served on the leadership team at Austin New Church.
On his website, Brandon Hatmaker, a former pastor and author, describes himself as the founder and managing partner of The Legacy Collective, a company focusing "on pioneering, partnering, and funding sustainable solutions to systemic social issues."
Jen Hatmaker made headlines in 2016 for affirming same-sex marriage, prompting LifeWay Christian Resources and other Christian booksellers to remove her books from their shelves.
In a June podcast, she revealed that her daughter, Sydney, is lesbian, and said her greatest regret was speaking out against homosexuality.
“I wouldn’t change one ounce of who she is. Not a molecule. Not a moment. The only thing I would change in our story, is I wish I could go back and shake myself to life sooner — well, well, well, before,” she said. “The truth is, every single church is just filled with gay kids and gay moms and dads and you know, it's just so irresponsible to break their hearts.”
The speaker and author also recently released a new book, Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire: The Guide to Being Glorious You. In the book, she writes that she traded evangelical theology for “the wild terrain of the wilderness.”
