Everything You Need to Know About Marciano Brunette’s Defamation Lawsuit
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and Vanderpump Villa collided in 2024, but it didn’t go as swimmingly as one would expect. Sure, ratings for the crossover were high, but rumors quickly swirled that not everything was on the up-and-up. Now, Marciano Brunette is suing a production company and Demi Engemann for defamation. This is everything that has gone down so far.
Marciano Brunette is suing Demi Engemann after she called him a sexual predator
Marciano Brunette is suing a production company and Demi Engemann for defamation, claiming that Engemann has labeled him a sexual predator and cost him his reputation, outside business opportunities, and has caused him distress. The lawsuit stems from Engemann claiming Brunette sexually pursued her, and touched her inappropriately during their time together in Italy while filming.
Engemann denies that any physical interaction with Brunette was consensual. She claims that she believes he sexually harassed her while they worked together. The reality TV star has reiterated those claims during season 3 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. She has also levied similar allegations on social media. Engemann has not provided any proof of sexual misconduct, nor is it clear if any footage of the alleged interactions exists.
Engemann was not the only cast member Brunette reportedly had a connection with. Brunette had an emotional affair with Jessi Ngatikaura, during filming, too. Ngatikaura, who is currently working through her own marital strife, claims she and Brunette connected emotionally. She has admitted that they shared a kiss while filming, though she insists it did not go further than that. Ngatikaura is not accusing Brunette of sexual misconduct.
Where does the lawsuit stand?
Marciano Brunette’s filing is very new. News broke on December 5 that he filed a lawsuit against Engemann and Jeff Jenkins Productions. According to The Wrap, the lawsuit was filed in court on the same day media outlets reported it.
According to reports, Brunette is suing both Engemann and the production company for defamation and is seeking damages. Brunette contends that Engemann called him a sexual predator without cause, and the production company allowed her to do so. He notes that the company willingly aired footage of Engemann stating that Brunette had sexually harassed and assaulted her, with no proof.
Brunette is also requesting that the court prevent Engemann and the production company from repeating the claims or re-airing footage in which Engemann makes claims against him that he insists are false. Because the filing is so new, no further court dates are yet available. It is not uncommon for lawsuits of this nature to take years to reach a judge, if they are not settled outside of court.
