Reality television star Marciano Brunette has publicly addressed and firmly denied allegations of inappropriate touching made against him by The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast member Demi Engemann. The serious claims emerged following a crossover episode between the two popular reality shows.
The Crossover Incident and Initial Allegations
During the second season of Vanderpump Villa, five cast members from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, including Engemann, travelled to Italy for a special crossover episode. It was during this filming that Brunette confessed his attraction to Engemann, though the married reality star instead offered him relationship advice, referencing her marriage to Bret Engemann.
The situation escalated when Engemann later alleged she had been groped at the villa. The allegations first surfaced publicly in May 2025 when Engemann appeared on Nick Viall's podcast. While she didn't name the individual involved during the podcast appearance, she recounted telling her SLOMW co-stars about the incident and clarified that she didn't wish to file an official police report.
Brunette's Firm Denial and Response
Through his representatives, Brunette has maintained his innocence from the beginning. In a new statement to People, his representative reiterated his position: "I want to be absolutely clear: I am taking this matter extremely seriously. This is the most difficult situation I have ever faced, and the allegations against me are not only entirely false but profoundly damaging. I remain committed to addressing this issue fully and transparently."
Brunette appeared to respond indirectly to the allegations through an Instagram reel posted earlier, which has since been deleted. The caption read: "uninvited to the function cus a 30yo mormon wife's scared I'll tell her husband the truth." This post was reportedly referencing a Get Real House event hosted by Hulu on April 22, 2025, which notably Brunette did not attend, though it featured numerous reality stars including Engemann.
Ongoing Drama and SLOMW Season Three Discussion
The controversy continued to unfold across social media platforms. Engemann commented on a since-removed fan account post about the drama, writing: "Grown men acting like a child cause they couldn't bag a woman that was beyond out of their league and MARRIED <<< the clout chasing is on another level."
The interaction became a central discussion point during the recently released third season of SLOMW. Members of MomTok questioned whether Engemann and Brunette had any physical connection. While Brunette told the women they had kissed, Engemann firmly contradicted this, stating that any touching between them was "unwanted."
In a powerful confessional during season three, Engemann declared: "Everyone is going to handle these kinds of situations different. You never deserve unwanted touch. No matter what it looks like, no matter what your relationship was like before or after, unwanted touch is unwanted touch."
Meanwhile, Brunette became involved in another controversy during the same period, engaging in what was described as an emotional affair with another SLOMW cast member, Jessi Draper Ngatikaura, who is married to Jordan Ngatikaura. This affair prompted a 90-day separation for the couple, though they have since reconciled.
The Independent has reached out to representatives for Engemann for additional comment regarding the ongoing situation.
