Jen Hatmaker

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many of Jen's Christian circle are still friends with her? Jennie Allen? Jamie Ivey?

I don’t think Jen really likes Christians anymore. At least ones who aren’t exvangelicals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t a person named Jen Hatmaker write a book about combating “excess”? Is this the same Jen Hatmaker who takes month long MeCamps and hawks a big start stream of overpriced travel ware, shoes, bags, and nighttime routine kits???

Sure. The point is didn’t a person named Brandon Hatmaker write a book about building a deeper faith? The same Brandon Hatmaker who was banging randoms, gambling, and abusing drugs and alcohol? He’s only sort of remorseful. Still an alcoholic. Flaunting a lifestyle that’s in direct opposition to what he wrote about in his book and preached from the pulpit.

The double standards abound.

You obviously haven't listened to his podcasts. He doesn't claim to have maintained his faith. In fact, he reports the opposite. But now seeking again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many of Jen's Christian circle are still friends with her? Jennie Allen? Jamie Ivey?

I don’t think Jen really likes Christians anymore. At least ones who aren’t exvangelicals.

I’ve wondered this too. Jennie Allen moved to Dallas and I don’t think Jen has spoken at an IF Gathering in years. I am usually disappointed when I find someone I liked online aligns themselves with Jen in a significant way. For example: Emily P. Freeman in the ME Courses. I don’t count people who like and heart Jen’s Insta posts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t a person named Jen Hatmaker write a book about combating “excess”? Is this the same Jen Hatmaker who takes month long MeCamps and hawks a big start stream of overpriced travel ware, shoes, bags, and nighttime routine kits???

Sure. The point is didn’t a person named Brandon Hatmaker write a book about building a deeper faith? The same Brandon Hatmaker who was banging randoms, gambling, and abusing drugs and alcohol? He’s only sort of remorseful. Still an alcoholic. Flaunting a lifestyle that’s in direct opposition to what he wrote about in his book and preached from the pulpit.

The double standards abound.

You obviously haven't listened to his podcasts. He doesn't claim to have maintained his faith. In fact, he reports the opposite. But now seeking again.

Noting that this thread is full of vitriol for Jen and forgiveness for Brandon does not mean someone hasn’t listened to the podcast. This thread is full of commenters who so easily forgive Brandon for some very serious transgressions while going on (and on and on and on) about Jen selling items on her social media.

[Anonymous]

The name of this thread is Jen Hatmaker so of course she’s the endless topic of discussion. I can’t speak for the other anonymous posters but I have commented on the mixture in both Brandon and Jen. They are both still trying to find their way in their post divorce lives. It’s a tough thing to lose the faith you taught for decades, then the marriage you’d built for 26 years. It’s understandable they are going to have missteps. Hopefully they’ll evolve into something their children respect and has eternal value.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know about double standards. This thread has been filled with frustration over Brandon and Jen’s choices and it’s had moments where we acknowledge their individual beauty and strengths. After hearing the podcast I actually had more empathy for both of them and feel sad the way their story turned out. I know they are both saying how happy they are with their new partners and new career endeavors but deep down they know there was a better way that would have kept their family intact but it was not found due to many factors. I also get why they feel relieved to be done with their marriage given the level of toxicity it had fallen into before the end.
They are just human after all I don’t expect them to be saints, but I do appreciate when they take ownership and share valuable insights from their journey.

Very well said. Also, I'm not looking to pick sides in their divorce. No one is absolving Brandon of anything. I come to this forum because I was trying to process why I no longer felt like Jen was the inspiring leader she once was. Her online community gaslights anyone who expresses anything but devotion to her, while a lot of her posts now actually make me feel annoyed and sad. When the only feedback you get from her community is that you should love her or leave, it is reassuring to hear others finding her "leadership" contrary to the values that you once admired in her.

The Brandon podcast was full of mature insight. Again, it doesn't shift blame in their marriage or make me "take his side." But it showed a depth to him that Jen has demonstrated when publicly talking about her divorce. It doesn't make me think that Jen lacks the depth, but again, it takes all credibility out of her posts and podcasts. And honestly, it's just sad, because a lot of us can recognize her brand of toxic positivity a mile away and know how damaging it can be.

[Anonymous]

Do you guys think Jen knows she’s a fraud?

Or do you think her narcissism and self-centeredness prevents her from seeing herself this way?

I am truly fascinated at people like her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you guys think Jen knows she’s a fraud?

Or do you think her narcissism and self-centeredness prevents her from seeing herself this way?

I am truly fascinated at people like her.

I have a family member like her and have read a lot about narcissism. Often the case is the vacillate between only seeing themselves as victims to occasionally getting a glimpse into their soul and feeling shame. The way they deal with shame though is to project onto others and go back into victim mode.

The problem comes when they finally have a fall from grace. All those friends and admirers desert them and they can become very rage filled and even more nutty. Interesting to see if her possy is still around if she loses more and more followers and perhaps becomes exposed as a fraud using her followers to sell goods, like a fancy version of that pampered chef mom at Church "befriending" people to make money and shill.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Definitely.

Narcissists can only see themselves as the Total Hero or the Total Victim. They swing from one extreme to the other. That’s why you get the boasts of “Look at us! *We* are crushing it!” one week followed by “My *Pretty Common Bad Experience* was the most horrible and soul-wrenching Bad Experience Ever! I was hugging the ground. I was catatonic. I had to have my Friend Spouses outside on standby to “rush in” if needed!”.

They also have Main Character Syndrome. Every situation, every interaction, every experience THEY THEMSELVES are the center of the story.

[Anonymous]

I’m confused by Brandon saying that their changed view on LGBTQ was “leaked” 6 months before they were ready. That’s not how Jen describes it here when discussing it with the very journalist who broke the news in an interview in October 2016: https://jenhatmaker.com/podcast/series-41/growing-up-evangelical-and-gay-with-jonathan-merritt/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m confused by Brandon saying that their changed view on LGBTQ was “leaked” 6 months before they were ready. That’s not how Jen describes it here when discussing it with the very journalist who broke the news in an interview in October 2016: https://jenhatmaker.com/podcast/series-41/growing-up-evangelical-and-gay-with-jonathan-merritt/

This is not how it happened. Brandon says that the ANC elders were in deep lengthy prayerful consideration of becoming an affirming church? Some were. Not all, though. Jen’s interview and Brandon’s panicked FB statement a few days later was huge shocking news to several people in leadership, including one beloved elder who soon after passed away from cancer.

Jen just basically made a decision to come out publicly with Jonathan Merritt online and THEN there was a mad crazed dash by Brandon and the affirming side to make it “official”. People were super confused and hurt. The speakers that Brandon came in to explain the new position were all from one side of the debate. Super biased. About 2/3 of members left.

The whole though was a total %#{ show regardless of ones own personal position.

[Anonymous]

I think that Jen and Brandon are pretty compatible people based on their personalities and they should have put an effort in to try and fix what was going on with each of them. Neither of them are going to have a fairy tale romance with anyone else until they can fix their root issues and the grass is never greener on the other side.

[Anonymous]

I want to hear Brandon’s perspective of the time Jen talked about when she got mad playing a board game and flipped it (or threw it against the wall?) that was pretty telling. It was in a FB or Instagram post she wrote a while back. And she just laughed it off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I want to hear Brandon’s perspective of the time Jen talked about when she got mad playing a board game and flipped it (or threw it against the wall?) that was pretty telling. It was in a FB or Instagram post she wrote a while back. And she just laughed it off.

I’m sure it was something like Jen being in a bad mood and getting frustrated playing the game and having a mini trigger episode and hitting the table with her fists sending a few game pieces awry in the process and then her storming off in a huff to a bottle of wine leaving her family to quietly put away the game and then head off to their rooms.

That’s Jen “throwing a game board against the wall”.

[Anonymous]

Isn't it something that when people like Jen refer to bratty, privileged and selfish kids as "spicy", that the followers fall all over themselves trying to compete for the worst kid award?
I had 8 kids who marched to the beat of their own drum since day one. Never in the worst meltdown would any of them have behaved like or said some of the things Jen's fans write about. But think about it. A mom who flips a game board over, plays with 4 wheelers while drinking, brags about trespassing and is so self absorbed that she doesn't even see that her marriage has imploded? Is it any wonder?
Seems like most of the time alot less people comment on her posts. Are the numbers going down? For sure, all posts with any differing opinion never show up. I would like to know if she is going to move in with Tyler and announce that after "serious study" that they have determined that God approved of shacking up all along. I'm not judging here, life happens, no one is perfect. But can't you just see this new revelation coming out? I can.