Jessi Ngatikaura Says Mormon Wives Season 3 Is Like A “Whodunit”

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 2 left off on a major cliffhanger when Vanderpump Villa star Marciano Brunette claimed that he had an affair with Jessi Ngatikaura, despite the rumors about his flirtation with Demi Engemann. Even after the reunion, which aired on July 1 (over a month after that jaw-dropping finale), there were plenty of unanswered questions about what really went down during MomTok’s trip to the Italian villa.

During the reunion, Ngatikaura played it coy when asked about the situation, but she promised more answers to come. “I'm glad I was able to address it a teeny bit to let people know there's more to the story. But you guys will have to see next season how it all unfolds,” Ngatikaura says. “I think Season 3 will be unlike the first two seasons. It is kind of like a murder mystery or a whodunit. We're trying to put the puzzle pieces together.”

Season 3 teases plenty more dirty soda and drama — particularly when it comes to Ngatikaura’s friendship breakup with Engemann. “I feel like Demi put herself in that position by doing what she did to me: the contract drama, the hair drama, and there's even more to come next season,” she says. And according to Ngatikaura, she has no regrets about opening up about their fallout. “If you don't want me to talk about you, then don't treat me badly.”

But before the craziness of Season 3 takes over, Ngatikaura is partnering with RumChata this summer, sharing her own Dirty Secret Soda recipe. “I do 6 ounces of cola with 2 ounces of RumChata, and it has the dirty soda taste. But it's spiked so it's even better,” she says. “We’ve been hosting barbecues and pool parties this summer, and it’s a hit.”

Here, Ngatikaura opens up about the Season 2 reunion and what fans can expect to see in Season 3.

Elite Daily: Going into the reunion taping, you weren’t allowed to comment on the Marciano rumors because it will be covered in Season 3. How did it feel, being asked questions about that situation when you know you can’t be fully transparent yet?

Jessi Ngatikaura: That was hard because a reunion is typically when you clear things up and get closure. But since my story is active in the next season, I had to be a little bit more careful. I don't think anyone expects what's coming. It's a crazy season.

But I will say, my saving grace through all of this has been the girls in the group — Taylor, Mikayla, and Mayci — have been there for me every step of the way. It was one of the hardest times of my life, but also the time I found real friendship the most. It was really rewarding.

ED: How did you feel leaving the reunion and heading back to finish filming Season 3?

JN: Good. Hashing out a few things on stage helped. Obviously, Demi wasn’t there, but I think that Whitney and I are good now. We were able to leave the drama there and move on. The only people that we had tension with were Demi and Whitney, and they aren't really involved in our main friend group. The rest of us are really close, so we didn’t get into it.

ED: The reunion also showed Demi defending herself over the comments she made about your salon and hair care brand, JZ Styles. What did you think of what she said?

JN: I think she was deflecting. She was trying to be like, "Well, I'm not the only one” to make herself look better. But Jen and Layla were both there, and they were like, "We didn't say that."

Jen explained it to me, “There was one time I wanted something tweaked, but I told you and you fixed it, and it was great.” That happens in the hair world. Layla told me, “Yeah, I asked you to take me blonde, and it didn't look good on me, so we went darker, but that doesn't mean you didn't do a good job. It just wasn't my look.”

Demi took those two things and twisted them into, "They think the same thing as me." It was just definitely a tactic to make herself look better, but I saw through it.

ED: Zac and Jen also shared clips of a phone call they had with Demi. They prefaced it by saying that she previously said unkind things about you, that she had “no respect” for you, and calling you “disgusting.” Did you know about that ahead of time?

JN: Jen told me about the recording a few days before the reunion. She showed it to me, and I knew it was not a great look for Demi.

The phone call actually happened right after that scene at my house where Jen, Zac, Demi, and I were sitting on the couches. Right after they left, they called Demi in the car. I already knew about that phone call from Demi's side. According to her, she was just trying to calm Jen down. So I didn’t really think much of it at the time.

ED: The Season 3 teaser featured some tumultuous moments for you. How are you doing right now?

JN: We're done filming now, so I’ve had a little bit of time to decompress. I’m doing better. Because when you're in the middle of filming, your emotions are heightened. We're so busy, it's one thing after another. When your real life is falling apart at the same time, it's so much worse.

ED: Your marriage seems to be a focal point of the upcoming season. On the Viall Files, when Natalie Joy asked, "Do you think that Jordan is a good role model for the men that your daughter should look for in a husband?" you said “no.” Do you still feel that way?

JN: Nick and Natalie are friends. I confided in them about what had been going on in my relationship. So they asked that question with that knowledge. I think they were trying to help me lay breadcrumbs that there’s more to the story since the rumor about me and Marciano had just dropped.

In the moment when it was just thrown at me, I was like, "Oh, crap." But it was good because I think it lays the foundation for what's to come. In Season 3, you’ll see so much of my relationship with Jordan and the ups and downs we go through. And I answered that question honestly.

ED: How did Jordan react to that?

JN: I told him about it right after, so he knew. Of course, he was like, "Why did you say that?" But I was like, "Sorry. Had to be honest. I also said that you need to speak on that." Maybe next season he'll go on Viall Files and share his side.

ED: When we talked to Taylor back in June, she described Season 2 as “exhausting.” Now that you’ve wrapped Season 3, how do you feel toward the rest of MomTok?

JN: I would echo that sentiment. Season 2 was exhausting because of all the trauma and Demi [drama]. Now it feels so much more stable. The girls in the core group — everyone besides Whitney and Demi — are all so close and supportive of each other.

We hang out all the time, even outside of filming. We're texting every day. It's just like a normal supportive friend group. You just had to get rid of some of the people who were causing issues. Maybe eventually we can work it out.

ED: What do you hope to accomplish in the new season?

JN: I definitely want to clear up the rumor. I’m excited there's a full story to share. It wasn't just about putting this rumor to bed. There is a whole journey I go on. I look forward to viewers seeing a more vulnerable and human side of me.

Over the last two seasons, Taylor was a great example to me because she's so open. Same with Jen. That's my role this next season. I'm excited to give a little peek behind the curtain on my real life, and I think it'll be inspirational to some people.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.