Jen Hamilton burns wedding sheets in fiery 'Jendependence' celebration after Brian split

Jen said friends helped her face a painful anniversary as she focused on rebuilding her life after the split

Jen Hamilton has marked what would have been her 14th wedding anniversary with an emotional celebration that ended with her former bedsheets going up in flames.

The influencer, 35, shared photographs from the gathering on Instagram on August 4, the date that would have marked 14 years since she married her estranged husband, Brian Hamilton. Instead of allowing the anniversary to become a reminder of the end of their relationship, Jen chose to turn the occasion into what she called her "Jendependence" celebration.

The evening brought together friends and colleagues, with Jen using the gathering as an opportunity to talk openly about the breakdown of her marriage. The celebration eventually culminated in a bonfire where she burned the bedsheets she had shared with Brian.

In one of the photographs, Jen is seen standing beside the fire and holding up both middle fingers towards the flames. She described the bedsheets as carrying memories associated with years of personal repression and what she alleges were lies within her marriage.

"I burned the bedsheets which held years of my own personal repression and the lies he told. He cannot hurt me anymore," Jen wrote in her Instagram post.

 

 

 

 

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She also made a pointed reference to the woman she alleges Brian had been involved with, while making clear that her comments were directed at the circumstances she says contributed to the collapse of her marriage.

Jen announced her separation from Brian in June after almost 14 years together. Since then, she has made a series of allegations about his behaviour, including claims that he had been living what she described as a "double life" involving a 56 year old woman.

Those claims have not been independently established in the material available, and Brian has not publicly responded to Jen's allegations. As a result, the claims remain allegations rather than established facts.

The anniversary celebration came as Jen continued speaking publicly about the emotional consequences of the separation. In a July 29 update, she addressed the possibility that further information about Brian's alleged behaviour could emerge and reflected on how she believes the experience had changed her.

Jen has also spoken about the importance of financial independence and support for women attempting to leave difficult relationships. Her response to her own experience has extended into her business work, including the launch of the Sisterhood of Solidarity fashion line.

The collection features messages including "We Rise Together", "Keep Going" and "G.Y.A.U.", meaning "Get Your Ass Up". Jen has said proceeds from the project are intended to support women who are trying to leave troubled relationships.

For Jen, the bonfire represented a deliberate attempt to reclaim an anniversary that could otherwise have been dominated by painful memories. Her message focused on personal independence and the life she says she now wants to build.

"I am getting to the point now that I'm grateful for what this has brought me," she wrote. "Because now I get to create my own future instead of living in the knowing that things would never get better for me."

Jen has also explained that she intends to keep Hamilton as her surname, saying it has become part of her identity and professional brand.