It’s now no secret that this “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” friendship is over.
Jessi Ngatikaura reveals her friendship with Demi Engemann is “done for good” after “unforgivable” behavior on the latter’s part.
Ngatikaura, 32, asserts during an exclusive interview with Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea,” that she will “never be friends with [Engemann]” again, adding, “And I’m a pretty forgiving person. It’s a lot for me to say that.”
The JZ Styles Salon & Hair Extension Co. founder is reticent to share more details about their fallout as she wants fans to see how it plays out in Season 2 of their hit Hulu reality show.
However, Ngatikaura notes that Engemann allegedly took aim at her business and family, a combination that propelled her decision to sever their bond.
“It was a slow burn, though. You’ll see. Like, we were …really close and then it kind of just naturally … like, things start coming out and you’ll see the friendship start to break apart,” she shares, teasing that a mysterious act, in particular, that led to the demise of the ladies’ dynamic.
“And in real life, it’s just getting worse and worse.”
It is said that Engemann emerges as a villain in the sophomore installment of “Mormon Wives,” snatching the crown — or headband, rather — from Season 1 antagonist Whitney Leavitt.
“I think each season, naturally, a new villain kind of will emerge and show themselves for sure,” says cast member Layla Taylor, who joined Ngatikaura during her chat with “Virtual Reali-Tea.”
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Taylor, 24, now points out red flags that she was only able to see after bearing the brunt of Engemann’s purported impropriety herself.
“Season 1, she was already kind of showing some characteristics that were honestly borderline bullying in some scenarios. But we always kind of brushed that under the rug and we’re like, ‘Oh, she’s passionate,’ or, ‘She’s funny,’” she explains. “She does it in a funny way that for, a long time, we all were kind of like, ‘Oh, it’s fine.’”
Ngatikaura concurs, also describing Engemann as a “bully” — citing her treatment of Leavitt, 32, during a girls’ trip to Park City, Utah, that aired in Season 1.
“Whitney was the victim of [Engemann’s behavior] and we hated Whitney. So we were like, ‘Go, Demi!’ And if you watch it with a new lens now, she was kind of a bully to Whitney in Park City,” Ngatikaura tells “Virtual Reali-Tea.” “And we’ve now seen it to more people, ourselves included. So that’s a characteristic.”
Incidentally, Engemann and Leavitt have grown close — a development that feels predictable to both Ngatikaura and Taylor.
“It’s very convenient. It’s because they have no one else,” says Ngatikaura, who is on friendly terms with Leavitt these days — when the aspiring actress isn’t hanging out with Engemann.
“That’s hard for me. I actually really like Whitney but when she’s with Demi, I just keep my distance.”
Taylor is also keeping her distance from Engemann, who apparently blitzed the young mom with a slew of insults that jeopardized her mental health.
“I saw the behavior that she did towards Jessi and it was multiple things. It’s not like it was just this one thing that we were like, ‘We all hate Demi.’ It was a bunch of things that stacked up and then the last thing she did is so damning that I can’t just kind of turn my blind eye to that and act like it didn’t happen,” she divulges.
“And then when I did confront her about this, she flipped on me and [was] saying mean things about me and name-calling me. I see her true colors and unfortunately, for me and my own mental health, I can’t be around someone that makes me feel bad about myself.”
“The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” is available to stream on Hulu.