Marciano Brunette Speaks Out on Jessi Draper's Divorce After Affair
The secret lives of some of the Mormon wives are coming to light.
Amid Jessi Draper’s divorce from Jordan Ngatikaura, it seems the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast member might be moving on with a familiar face.
During a recent party, Jessi was allegedly seen kissing Chase McWhorter, the ex-husband of fellow Mormon Wives cast member Miranda Hope, according to multiple outlets.
Shortly after that news broke on March 26, Miranda seemingly acknowledged the hookup when she revealed a bouquet of flowers she said she received from Jessi that was accompanied by an apology.
“I completely understand you being upset with me,” Jessi allegedly wrote on the card, which Miranda shared on her Instagram Stories, “but wanted to send you a little something to let you know I’m thinking about you and I am so, so sorry.”
Beneath the note, Miranda—mom to two kids with Chase—added with an upside down smiley face, “Received the prettiest flowers just minutes ago.”
Even with the apology note, a source close to Miranda tells E! News that "it's disappointing that such a close friend would break her trust."
A rep for Chase had no comment when contacted by E! News. E! News has reached out to a rep for Jessi for comment but has not yet heard back.
Days before her kiss with Chase, Jessi—mom to two kids with Jordan, as well as stepmom to his 13-year-old daughter—learned that her husband Jordan had filed for divorce, a move she described as him "blindsiding" her because “he wanted the headline first."
Miranda Hope/Instagram
"My heart sunk,” she said on the March 25 episode of Call Her Daddy, “because we agreed to tell our children together before filing and we haven't done that including his daughter, who's like 13 years old.”
Meanwhile, Jessi also appears to be getting a little flirty with Vanderpump Villa’s Marciano Brunette after confessing to having an emotional affair with him last year, which negatively impacted her relationship with Jordan.
Unique Nicole/FilmMagic; Chase McWhorter/Instagram; Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images
Although Jessi said on the Call Her Daddy podcast that she hadn’t spoken to Marciano in almost a year, he reshared the clip March 26 with the coy caption, “But why is she giggling?” to which Jessi responded, “Check mate” and “Hahahahah.”
For her part, Miranda explained on the Weekly Trash podcast in August 2024—the same month she announced her divorce—that she and Chase broke up because of “things that were issues far before” the infamous MomTok soft swinging scandal from 2022.
E! News has reached out to Jordan for comment on the divorce, but hasn’t heard back.
For where the rest of the Mormon Wives cast stands today, keep reading…
TikTok/@taylorfrankiepaul
Taylor Frankie Paul & Dakota Mortensen: Broken Up
While Taylor Frankie Paul's romance with Dakota Mortensen—with whom she welcomed their son Ever in 2024—bloomed on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, they called it quits due to Dakota's infidelity.
"Right after Ever was born, Dakota and I were living together and in bliss with our new baby, and I was even considering engagement," Taylor—who began dating the real estate agent in July 2022—revealed during the season two premiere of the Hulu series. "And then I learned that he was lying this entire time."
Taylor was told by a woman named Jenna that she and Dakota had been intimate and he had "spent the night more than once." (He has denied the claims, writing in a September 2024 TikTok that he "never cheated.")
On the series, Taylor said that Dakota accused Jenna of instigating their affair.
"No, it was him," she emphasized in the confessional. "He said he had just kissed her on the couch. No, he went on the couch, they hooked up on the couch, and then they went to the room and they hooked up."
Dakota Mortensen/Instagram
Since ending her romance with the Basin Tiling founder, the mom of three (she shares two kids with ex-husband Tate Paul) was set to find love once again on season 22 of The Bachelorette, but things got a bit thorny when news broke in March 2026 of an alleged confrontation between the exes weeks earlier.
A spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department confirmed to People that there was an open "domestic assault investigation," telling the outlet "allegations have been made in both directions.”
Days later, a video of a previous 2023 physical altercation between Taylor and Dakota surfaced online, prompting ABC to cancel the MomToker's season of the dating franchise.
Tibrina Hobson/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Whitney Leavitt & Connor Leavitt: Married
Whitney Leavitt found the perfect dance partner in Connor Leavitt, whom she wed in 2016. But it wasn't always smooth sailing for the couple—who share kids Sedona, Liam and Billy—as they navigated life in the spotlight.
For instance, the Dancing With the Stars alum had to shut down rumors about her husband's sexuality.
"Do I need to put out a sex tape, or something? Like, trust me," she said on the Off the Vine podcast in October 2024. "We're good. Everything's fine."
"I think it's because when we were going through our personal stuff—and I know you haven't seen it—but he struggled through a porn addiction," she explained. "There's a scene where one of my friends says something along the lines of how they could see how he was confused sexually."
Through the ups and downs, the reality star emphasized that she and Connor—who were 23 and 22, respectively, when they got married—are stronger than ever. In fact, they even renewed their vows in February 2026 for their 10th wedding anniversary.
"We got married really young," Conner told Brides after their ceremony. "It felt like our wedding day, as much as it was for us, it really felt like it was for our families. So we really want to do something to make it ours, and this felt like a really fun way to do it."
Disney/Fred Hayes
Jen Affleck & Zac Affleck: Married
While Jen Affleck and Zac Affleck—no relation to Ben Affleck, despite jokes to the contrary—have been married since 2019, the couple has been at the center of breakup rumors since season one.
In fact, their fight after Jen attended a Chippendales striptease show in Las Vegas became a focal point of the first season. The couple—who share kids Nora, Penelope and Lucas—made up, however, and the Dancing With the Stars contestant later defended their relationship.
"It can be tiring and draining, just because it gets old having to hear the same things," Jen told E! News of the speculations in November 2025. "For me, I'm like, 'People will always talk and people will always have their opinions.' I think it is frustrating for him when people don't see what's happening behind closed doors and how much work and effort he's putting in."
So, she and Zac are focusing on what really matters: "We're working on just tuning out the noise of the world—I think it still is hard for him."
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Disney
Jessi Draper & Jordan Ngatikaura: Divorcing
Bumps in Jessi Draper and Jordan Ngatikaura's five-year marriage emerged after the hairstylist admitted to having an emotional affair with Vanderpump Villa's Marciano Brunette, though initially it appeared they were working towards smoother roads.
"We are back together," Jessi—who shares kids Jagger and Jovi with Jordan—told E! News in November 2025. "We're trying to work on it. Relationships are not perfect. I think a situation like ours—it's going to take time. It's not going to something that's just amazing overnight."
Sadly, the reconciliation appeared to be short-lived, with Jordan also dad to daughter Peyton from a previous relationship, filing for divorce in March 2026 after five years of marriage.
However, days later, Jessi said she was “blindsided” by his filing and accused him of rushing to submit the paperwork because “he wanted the headline first.”
Admitting that her “heart sunk” seeing the news, she explained, “because we agreed to tell our children together before filing and we haven’t done that.” (E! reached out to attorneys for Jordan for comment but haven’t heard back.)
Instagram/Mayci Neeley
Mayci Neeley & Jacob Neeley: Married
Mayci didn't expect to find love with Jacob Neeley. In fact, after the unexpected death of her boyfriend Arik Mack in 2015, when she was just 14 weeks pregnant with their son Hudson, she was prepared to be a single mom.
But it all changed when she met Jacob in 2016 at age 21, whom she would marry two years later.
"After everything I'd been through, I was very guarded, but Jacob was kind and we got on really well," Mayci said in her memoir Told You So. "For a long time, we remained just friends and because we weren't really dating, I was OK with him meeting my son."
"Jacob was amazing with him, which made him appear even more attractive," she continued. "I was terrified of getting hurt again but, after four months, I couldn't deny my feelings any longer. He was kind and funny and made me feel safe."
Mayci and Jacob went on to welcome daughters Harlow in 2021 and Charli in 2025.
Demi Engemann/Instagram
Demi Engemann & Bret Engemann: Married
Demi Engemann and her husband Bret Engemann tied the knot in 2021, one year after she and Blake Corbin divorced. As the couple's relationship played out on the reality show, their sexual explorations became a major plot point after Whitney gifted Demi a box of Fruity Pebbles.
The truth behind the joke gift wasn't revealed until Jessi shared on Instagram in November 2025 that "grandpa Bret likes to drink her piss like it's dirty soda and he gulps it down like water."
But Demi and Bret aren't crying over spilled secrets—or pee. In fact, she told Entertainment Tonight that December that she and Bret "have nothing else left to do other than own it and have fun with it."
Although their sex life raised eyebrows, the couple has been embracing life with their blended family. While Demi shares daughter Maude with her ex, Bret is dad to his and The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City alum Angie Harrington's sons Rome and Cole.
"I've never seen a dad so involved or love their kids harder, the most devoted step-dad to Maude, and future father to our own children one day," Demi wrote on Instagram in June 2024. "Your ability to remain consistently loyal to your role as father/step-father while navigating all that life throws your way, will never cease to amaze me!"
Mikayla Matthews/Instagram
Mikayla Matthews & Jace Terry: Separated
Mikayla Matthews and Jace Terry have been through it all together. While The reality star first met Jace in 2015 when she was 15 and they welcomed their first son Beckham two years later. Since then, the couple—who tied the knot in 2018—welcomed kids Haven, Tommie and Lottie.
While Mikayla and Jace have been loving life with their four kids, Mikayla admitted that she hopes to grow their family even further.
"When people ask me how many kids I want, I'm like, 'I've always wanted three or four, but I could see myself having six,'" she told People in February 2025. "I'm excited to hopefully move into a new house. I want a big lot for my herd of kids."
However, Mikayla confirmed in the ninth episode of the show's fourth season that she and Jace were taking time apart amid ongoing intimacy struggles.
As Mikayla began unpacking her trauma surrounding years of sexual abuse as a teen, as well as her chronic illness—which causes flare-ups due to heightened stress—their marriage had been deeply affected.
"I think it's hard anytime you bring up the stuff with the sex or the intimacy," she admitted to Jace. "I feel like it's hard on me 'cause I feel like, again, my nervous system's already in fight or flight and I'm already maxed out. My bucket is full."
Layla Taylor/Instagram
Layla Taylor & Clayton Wessel: Divorced
After Layla Taylor and Clayton Wessel—who are parents to sons Oliver and Maxwell—divorced in 2023, the reality star teased her new romance with Mason McWhorter in July 2025.
Their relationship was a bit complicated on paper. Hang with us: Mason's brother is Chase McWhorter, the ex-husband of Layla's costar Miranda McWhorter. But the pair had been willing to put their romance to the test.
"Right now, I'm kind of scared of marriage but I just want to get to know somebody very well before I even consider that," Layla told Us in November 2025. "I'm just happy and content where me and Mason are. And if somehow that ever were to come up, then we would see."
Unfortunately, the mom of two confirmed that she and Mason had split in February 2026.
"I think we were just on two different paths right now, and he felt in order for him to grow, he had to be on his own," Layla shared. "I respect his decision, and I truly hope that he gets what he wants in life."
Miranda McWhorter/Instagram
Miranda McWhorter & Chase McWhorter: Divorced
Although Miranda is a newer addition to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, joining in season two, she played a major role in the infamous MomTok "soft swinging scandal." Despite the situation with Taylor, Miranda revealed that drama wasn't the reason for her 2024 divorce from Chase.
"The reasons why we decided to split were things that were issues far before that,” she explained on the Weekly Trash podcast in August 2024. "That might not have helped, for sure, but it definitely did not play a part in the decision process."
Nonetheless, she and Chase have been committed to parenting their kids Brooks and Cohen.
"With coparenting, you're always having to work on it," she reflected. “The thing is that if we got along perfectly all the time and it was just rainbows and butterflies, we probably wouldn't have gotten divorced."
"The thing with him and I," she continued, "we've always had a pretty good foundation of a friendship prior to even having a romantic relationship. I feel like that's something that set us up for some level of success when it comes to co-parenting."
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