Inside Brandon Hatmaker's Confession: Cheating, Pain, and Redemption
SCANDAL ROCKS HGTV POWER COUPLE: Jen Hatmaker's Explosive Memoir Exposes 26-Year Marriage Secrets
In a bombshell memoir set to hit shelves this Tuesday, former HGTV star and bestselling author Jen Hatmaker dishes on the shocking secrets of her 26-year marriage to ex-husband Brandon Hatmaker. The explosive claims made in "Awake: A Memoir" have left fans stunned, with allegations of infidelity, financial ruin, and a devastating pandemic-era fallout that nearly destroyed their family.
According to sources close to the couple, Jen, 51, makes some stunning revelations about her marriage to Brandon, 53. In the book, she claims that in 2020, after two years of marriage counseling and no intimacy, she overheard Brandon confess his secret affair on a phone call with his mistress, who he had been seeing for an "unbelievable" amount of time.
The stunning admission comes as a shock to fans who remember the Hatmakers' idyllic HGTV days, co-starring in hits like "Tiny House" and "Brother vs. Brother." But behind closed doors, sources claim that Brandon's secret life was causing financial chaos for their family, with lavish gifts and expenses running into the thousands.
As Jen recounts her marriage's downward spiral, she paints a picture of a man who had checked out emotionally long before his affair became public knowledge. "We grew into two different people," she writes. "I think we both just needed something that the other couldn't provide."
But Brandon isn't letting Jen have all the spotlight. In a scathing response to her allegations, he penned an 1,800-word essay on Substack, claiming that their marriage was already on life support when he cheated.
"The truth is, people in a healthy marriage don't just wake up one day and decide to have an affair," Brandon writes. "Our relationship was coming to a slow and painful ending. I privately mourned the death of our marriage years before our divorce."
Brandon's essay also touches on his subsequent admission to a residential treatment center for trauma, where he spent 31 days undergoing intense counseling, group therapy, and education.
"It was life-altering," he claims. "When I got home, it was a whirlwind. I had gone through three-and-a-half years of therapy crammed into 31 days."
But despite his claims of progress, Jen maintains that her ex-husband made little effort to reconcile or work on their marriage after his infidelity became public.
"I told him 'For me, there is no path back to reconnection,'" she writes. "He didn't try to fix things or make amends. He just disappeared."
In a surprising twist, Brandon reveals that he met a new partner, Tina, in the aftermath of his treatment and married her in 2022.
"She wasn't my mistress," he insists. "Jen verifies this in her book. To be blunt, I was suicidal when I met Tina. She made me feel human again."
The Hatmakers' children – Gavin, Sydney, Caleb, Ben, Remy, and now grandson Weston – have been caught up in the drama, with Jen admitting that she carried the emotional burden of their father's infidelity.
"Jen was certainly the sole parent who had to carry them emotionally through the trauma of my affair," Brandon acknowledges. "But I was always available, constantly engaged, and supported them...and still do."
As the drama continues to unfold, Jen is set to kick off her 15-date Awake Book Tour in Manhattan's Upper West Side this Tuesday. Meanwhile, fans are left wondering what really went down behind closed doors for this once- idyllic HGTV power couple.
In a statement on The Scholarly Note, Jen Hatmaker says: "I'm just trying to share my story and find healing. I want people to know that even in the darkest of times, there is hope."
For his part, Brandon's Substack essay has been met with mixed reactions from fans, some praising his candor while others accuse him of deflecting blame.
As the drama continues to unfold, one thing is clear: this scandal will be making headlines for a long time to come.
