"Slowly crumbled over time": Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' Jessi shares how loyalty issues ruined her bond with Demi

During her appearance on the May 23, 2025, podcast of Sofia With an F, Jessi addressed her fallout with her Secret Lives of Mormon Wives co-star Demi after host Sofia Franklyn asked about the tension hinted at in the show's early episodes. Jessi confirmed that their friendship deteriorated gradually, citing contract disputes and a breakdown in trust.

“I think we're all putting the work in and I just don't think Demi had that same stance so for me that was kind of the beginning and then it just, you know slowly crumbled over time and it's sad it really,” she explained.

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Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' Jessi explains how contract disputes and loyalty issues ended her friendship with Demi

Disagreement during contract talks

Jessi Ngatikaura said the conflict with Demi began while the group was finalizing contracts for the second season of the series. According to her, the issue started when she expressed willingness to accept a lower pay rate, while Demi pursued a significantly higher amount.

“She wasn’t happy with my stance on it and basically tried to get me kicked off the show,” Jessi stated.

The situation escalated when Demi reportedly sent messages to other cast members criticizing Jessi’s character. Layla Taylor, another cast member, added that Demi texted several people in the group, including herself, Jen, Macy, and Michaela, saying “the most horrendous things” about Jessi.

She noted that she thought their disagreement would not "get to that point." She also noted that Taylor, another Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast member, took a different approach.

“She was like, ‘Hey I started this, my story got us here but I never expect to make more than any of you,’” Jessi explained.

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Attempts at reconciliation and further conflict

Jessi cited that although she and Demi tried to reconcile after the initial disagreement, the resolution did not lead to a restored friendship. Jessi recalled that during their attempted reconciliation, Demi emphasized that Jessi owed her an apology and needed to "earn" her trust back.

Jessi said this dynamic placed Demi in a position of superiority over her.

“She kind of put herself on a pedestal above me,” she added.

She mentioned that the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' truth box segment later revealed additional information that Jessi had not been aware of during their earlier effort to reconcile.

Jessi explained that she had not known "all that information" at the time, and more details continued to surface afterward.

The situation worsened with the emergence of further disagreements, including what Jessi referred to as the “hair drama,” which will be shown in later episodes.

Jessi said the conflict became more obvious over time, with Demi continuing to speak negatively about her behind her back.

“I just kind of kept putting up with it,” she stated.

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Final break and shift in dynamics

The final break in their friendship appeared to come when Demi Engemann had a confrontation with Taylor and expected Jessi to take her side.

“She didn’t quite love that I wasn’t like attacking Taylor with her,” Jessi said.

Jessi instead took a neutral stance and told Demi that the situation was "her thing," which did not sit well with her. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star described the friendship’s decline as progressive rather than sudden.

“It was kind of like a slow incline of like all of it breaking down,” she explained.

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Season 2 of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is now streaming in full, exclusively on Disney+.