Jen Affleck Is Still ‘Healing After Childbirth’ on ‘DWTS’

Jen Affleck welcomed her third child just eight weeks ago, but she’s not holding back in the Dancing With the Stars ballroom.

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star, 26, spoke with cohost Julianne Hough after her first performance on the season 34 premiere on Tuesday, September 16. She candidly shared that she’s still navigating postpartum life after the arrival of her daughter, Penelope, in July.

“Let me get this straight: you had a baby eight weeks ago, and you just did that? Plus, you have three children under 3?” Hough remarked after Affleck and her professional partner, Jan Ravnik, danced to Bad Bunny’s “NUEVAYoL.”

“Yes, three under 3. Yes, I love them,” Affleck replied as Hough emphasized how remarkable it was for her to perform so energetically with a newborn and two toddlers at home.

“It’s a lot,” Affleck admitted about her journey on the show. “My body aches. I’m still healing from childbirth, but I’m enjoying every moment, and I’m doing this for my kids so they can experience it too in the future.”

In her introduction package this week, Affleck mentioned balancing life as a mom to Penelope, Nora, 3, and Luca, 2, whom she shares with her husband Zac Affleck.

“I have three kids under 3, and my newborn is 8 weeks old, so I’m not sure if my pelvic floor is fully ready, but I’m ready!” she quipped.

She highlighted that both she and Ravnik, 30, are “newbies,” as he is a first-time pro this season, but she believes his background on the Eras Tour will be beneficial.

“If he’s good enough for Taylor [Swift], he’s good enough for me,” Affleck confidently declared.

She will face off against 13 other celebrities this season, including her Secret Lives of Mormon Wives co-star Whitney Leavitt.

Leavitt, 32, is teamed with Mark Ballas, earning a score of 15 out of 20 on Tuesday, while Affleck and Ravnik received a score of 12. (The scoring format was out of 20 as third judge Carrie Ann Inaba was absent during the premiere.)

Currently, Leavitt and Ballas, 39, are leading the scoreboard alongside Robert Irwin and Witney Carson, who also scored a 15. Meanwhile, Andy Richter and Emma Slater, as well as Corey Feldman and Jenna Johnson, sit at the bottom with scores of 9.

Earlier this month, Affleck shared with Us Weekly that the rivalry between her Mormon Wives co-star and fellow mother Leavitt is definitely “friendly.”

“I mean, from my side … Just kidding,” she playfully told Us. “Who knows what she’s thinking? I know she’s super competitive. She’s been in competitions her whole life. As a trained dancer, she definitely has that competitive edge.”

She added, “But for me, it’s all about having fun.”

Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ every Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.

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