‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' star Jessi Ngatikaura reacts to Demi Engemann skipping the reunion: ‘Everyone needed answers'
The 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' star, 33, admitted she was 'really annoyed' that her co-star Demi Engemann skipped the Season 2 reunion.
'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 exclusively told The Post while promoting her partnership with RumChata.
12 Jessi Ngatikaura on 'Good Day New York' on May 13, 2025.
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'I was actually teaching a hair class that weekend and I had 60 students who had flown in mostly from out of state to learn from me, and I had to have someone else teach the class and I have a lot of people disappointed and wanting money back,' the hair stylist explained. 'So for me, I had to make a big sacrifice. So I was really annoyed that she wasn't there, especially because she was one that everyone needed answers from.'
12 Demi Engemann at the 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' Season 2 premiere on May 9.
/ SplashNews.com
12 The 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' cast at the Season 2 reunion.
Disney
Ngatikaura continued, 'But I will say, everyone has different situations and whether she wanted to be there or not, it's what happened. And I do think that fans are going to see that you will hear from her at the reunion in a roundabout way and you still will get answers.'
After falling out with most of the other 'MomTok' members during Season 2 of the hit Hulu series, Engemann, 30, did not attend the reunion that was hosted by Nick Viall and will air July 1.
12 Jessi Ngatikaura in her interview with The Post.
Earlier this month, Engemann claimed during an Instagram Q&A that she didn't participate in the reunion because she was in Disneyland with her family.
12 Demi Engemann at the 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' Season 2 premiere.
Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock
'We had already booked all of our flights and the Airbnb was nonrefundable or we would've moved the trip to be there,' she told her followers. 'I tried to have production move it to another day and they couldn't swing it sadly.'
In Engemann's absence, Ngatikaura told the Post that Whitney Leavitt was in the hot seat for most of the reunion.
12 Whitney Leavitt, Jessi Ngatikaura on 'This Morning' in London in May 2025.
Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
'A lot of that [is] because she was probably Demi's only defender,' Ngatikaura shared. 'She was the only one standing up for Demi when all of us were kind of going against it. And Whitney also has a history with the group of, like, coming and going and coming and going, and that was happening in real time. So I think we were all just kind of frustrated with her. But I do think by the end of the day, we got some resolution.'
12 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' stars Jennifer Affleck, Jessi Ngatikaura, Mikayla Mathews, Mayci Neeley, Demi Engemann, Layla Wessel, Taylor Frankie Paul and Whitney Leavitt.
©Hulu/Courtesy Everett Collection
Ngatikaura further teased that the cast — which also includes Taylor Frankie Paul, Jen Affleck, Mikayla Matthews, Mayci Neeley, Layla Taylor and Miranda McWhorter — aired everything out during the reunion.
'I feel like we all had a chance to really hash it out and say our opinions and say as much as we could say,' Ngatikaura told The Post. 'So I feel really confident that watching the reunion, audience members are gonna get a lot of answers and resolution, but also breadcrumbs for what's gonna come.'
12 Jessi Ngatikaura attends The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives x Club Soda takeover.
Alan Chapman/for Disney+
During the Season 2 finale, Marciano Brunette from 'Vanderpump Villa' denied he had an affair with Engemann and claimed that he slept with Ngatikaura, who has been married to her husband Jordan since 2020.
Ngatikaura told The Post that she found out about Brunette's wild claims while filming the next season.
'I think two months before it aired is when I found out about it, because it was going on in real time, like it was all coming out and things were being said,' she noted. 'Luckily we were filming, so you guys will see all of that unravel.'
12 Jessi Ngatikaura in an Instagram photo.
_justjessiiii/Instagram
'So I had a couple months to prepare for that ending, which was really great, but I knew it happened,' the Hulu star continued. 'But seeing it was so different, like I didn't realize exactly what he said about me and how he said it. So I was really upset and it was really hard to see.'
Ngatikaura added that she's 'excited' for fans to watch the reunion and the next season of the show to see how she handles the situation with Brunette.
12 Miranda, Jessi and Layla attend Hulu's Go Real House.
Getty Images
'It's a whole story. There's so much more than what he said, and it's not all accurate how he put it,' Ngatikaura insisted. 'So it's really good because I feel like it's going to give me a chance to tell my story. And this next season I'm going to be more vulnerable than I've ever been.'
Ngatikaura has struggled with not being able to speak out about the drama on the show.
'As social media influencers in the past, if there was a scandal or drama, we can just go address it online, right?' she said. 'But now we have certain things we can and can't say, and we are filming and you don't wanna ruin the story of what's coming out.'
12 Whitney Leavitt and Jessi Ngatikaura on 'This Morning.'
Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
'So that's probably been the hardest part for sure for me,' Ngatikaura added. 'But I'm like, okay, just a few more months and then more will be revealed. I just have to be patient.'
When asked how her husband has handled Brunette's claims, Ngatikaura told The Post that 'it's been a learning experience' for the couple.
12 Jessi Ngatikaura attends Hulu's Get Real House on April 22, 2025.
Getty Images
'I think that reality TV is not easy on any relationship, friendship, anything like that,' she said. 'So it's been a bit of a roller coaster that you're going to see coming up. But overall, he understands that this is my job and this is what I chose to do. And he's supportive of that.'
'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' reunion airs July 1 on Hulu.
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