Jessi Ngatikaura, star of “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” has expressed her frustration over co-star Demi Engemann skipping the Season 2 reunion. The 33-year-old reality star shared her views exclusively. “I was frustrated because we all were told of the date weeks in advance and we just had to make it work.
It’s our job,” Ngatikaura explained. She mentioned having to rearrange a class she was scheduled to teach, resulting in disappointed students and financial repercussions. Ngatikaura emphasized the importance of the reunion, particularly in light of the drama involving Engemann during the season.
Despite her absence, Ngatikaura hinted that viewers would still get answers indirectly. Engemann, 30, had announced on Instagram that her absence was due to a pre-planned family trip to Disneyland and an already booked, nonrefundable Airbnb. Efforts to reschedule the reunion were unsuccessful.
In Engemann’s absence, Whitney Leavitt found herself defending her friend amidst probing questions.
Ngatikaura’s frustration over reunion absence
Leavitt has a fluctuating history with the group, which added to the tension.
However, Ngatikaura revealed that by the end of the day, the cast managed to resolve many issues. The cast — which includes Mikayla Matthews, Mayci Neeley, Layla Wessel, Taylor Frankie Paul, and Miranda McWhorter — had a chance to air their grievances and opinions during the reunion. Ngatikaura assured fans that the reunion episode would provide answers and set the stage for future developments.
During the Season 2 finale, Marciano Brunette from “Vanderpump Villa” denied rumors of an affair with Engemann, claiming instead that he had been involved with Ngatikaura. Ngatikaura, who has been married since 2020, found the claims challenging and clarified that the truth would come to light in the next season. Ngatikaura also spoke about the difficulty of not addressing ongoing drama due to filming constraints.
She mentioned that her husband has been supportive despite the challenges reality TV brings to their relationship. Fans of the show have more to look forward to, as Ngatikaura has partnered with a campaign inviting fans to remix the viral Dirty Soda trend. The winner will get a VIP experience in Salt Lake City.
The “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” reunion airs July 1 on Hulu.
