Shock Split: A and B’s Marriage Falls Apart Over One Small Detail?
Demi Engemann is no stranger to some MomTok chaos, but season three sees perhaps her most dramatic year yet – with the star finding herself embroiled in the scandal surrounding Marciano Brunette and Jessi Ngatikaura.
At the end of season two, Vanderpump Villa star Marciano dropped the bombshell allegation that he had been involved in an affair with Jessi, as well as having kissed Demi. Jessi later admitted to having an ’emotional affair’ with the reality star, however she confirmed the two never had sex.
In season three, Marciano also touched on his experience with Demi. When the Mormon Wives jetted off to Italy for a Vanderpump Villa crossover, Marciano alleged that he shared kisses with Demi. Demi did speak of a kiss on the cheek during a game of truth or dare, but she shut down the allegations of any kisses off camera – later accusing Marciano of ‘unwanted touch’. The allegations raised eyebrows among her fellow SLOMW cast members, who questioned why Demi had continued to message Marciano after the alleged sexual assault.
As the situation unfolds, fans are naturally wondering where Demi’s husband Bret Engemann stands. Is he still married to Demi? Here’s everything you need to know about Bret Engemann.
Who is Bret Engemann?
While Bret is best known for being the husband of Demi on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, he forged his own career long before MomTok. Bret is a former NFL player, having played for the team Oakland Raiders (now known as Las Vegas Raiders) from 2003 until 2005. He then went on to work as an executive for a health brand in 2021, before working in social media. Now, he’s a managing partner for Armstrong Consulting Group.
How did Bret and Demi meet?
Although the pair officially began dating in 2020, 30-year-old Demi revealed in a 2023 TikTok that she actually met Bret – who is 16 years older than her – through family friends. According to People, Demi was nine years old when Bret was married to his first wife, Angie Harrington (best known for appearing on episodes of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City).
Demi explained, ‘I knew him through a family friend growing up. He was so much older than me. When I was nine years old, he was married to his first wife and having babies.’
‘I was over there [at our mutual friend’s] all the time and he was always over there all the time, but we always somehow missed each other, or maybe we didn’t realise because of our huge age gap.’
Admitting that she had an ‘innocent little girl crush’ on Bret when he played quarterback for Utah’s Brigham Young University, it wasn’t until they were older that they pursued a relationship.
Was Bret on The Bachelorette?
While SLOMW was Demi’s first foray into reality TV, Bret has previously appeared in front of cameras before.
Prior to marrying Bret, Demi was married to her ex-husband Blake Corbin. After crossing paths with Bret at a gym shortly after he ended his second marriage, Demi told TikTok how she and her then-husband submitted Bret for dating show The Bachelorette, which ultimately saw him cast in Clare Crawley’s season. The show was paused before filming started due to the 2020 pandemic.
Around the same time, Demi and her ex-husband Blake chose to separate. When Bret returned from The Bachelorette due to the pandemic, Demi revealed on TikTok how he quickly became her ‘support system’. The pair initially chose not to go on any ‘official’ dates out of respect for Blake (who’s divorce from Demi was not yet finalised.)
When the pair finally took their relationship public, frenzy ensued. At the time, Bret was yet to tell The Bachelorette producers that he would not be returning to the show, with Demi not yet informing her family and friends about her divorce. She explained, ‘Not only does Clare think Bret is two-timing her with some girl from his hometown, but I am also being labelled as a cheater.’
It all worked out in the end, though. The pair tied the knot in April 2021 – marking Demi’s second marriage, and Bret’s third.
Are Bret and Demi still married?
After denying that she kissed Marciano Brunette, Demi went on to allege that she had been the victim of assault while filming with Vanderpump Villa. It was a claim that raised the eyebrows of her fellow SLOMW stars, after the season two reunion appeared to show flirty texts sent between Demi and Marciano.
Describing the actions of her co-stars as being ‘the classic case of victim blaming,’ Demi explained during season three, ‘There’s no one way to handle this situation. Everyone is going to handle these situations differently. You never deserve unwanted touch.’
Marciano has denied the allegations, saying in June, ‘Demi has made some crazy allegations about me. But if that were the case, why are you following and DMing me and giving me your phone number and having a continued relationship after that? It doesn’t make sense to me whatsoever. All I’m going to say is there’s so much more of this that will come out.’
Bret has remained largely out of the spotlight during season three. However, Demi did touch on her and Bret’s relationship status in several episodes. When asked by Whitney if Bret was aware of her messages to Marciano, Demi answered, ‘Yes.’ Insisting she was ‘upfront and honest with Bret the entire time,’ she added, ‘He was not stoked about it, but it’s a testament to the trust and communication we have in our relationship.’
During episode nine, Demi was heard discussing the tension between her and her co-stars during a phone call with Bret – and it seems he’s firmly on her side.
He was heard saying, ‘I have no respect for any of these women, other than Whitney. They’re little lying, little yipping cowards.’
‘Just remember you are dealing with people who are not your friends. Good riddance. They’re not worthy of your friendship.’
Bret also weighed in on Demi’s clash with Miranda McWhorter over a season two altercation between Demi and Miranda’s ex-husband Chase. After Miranda disputed Demi’s allegations that Chase had nudged her during a Halloween party, Bret said, ‘That’s a typical response from someone who’s so deeply rooted in white trash, it’s incredible. Man, she is disgusting. I’m sorry.’
In the season three reunion episode, Bret continued to stand up for Demi and dispute Marciano’s claims. He also apologised to Miranda for the ‘white trash’ comment and said he took his frustration over the situation out on her.
Despite the drama, the pair are still married, and post plenty of pictures together over on their Instagram. Demi’s bio reads ‘blended family,’ with Bret’s reading, ‘Family first.’
Do Demi and Bret have children?
Having both been married before, Bret and Demi share a blended family. Bret is dad to two teenage sons, Cole and Rome, who he shares with his ex-wife Angie. Demi also shares her daughter Maude, seven, with her ex-husband Blake.
In season two of SLOMW, Demi candidly opened up about her fertility struggles. Speaking in a confessional, Demi revealed that after four years of trying to conceive, tests on Bret’s sperm showed they were ‘basically dead.’ The star also revealed that she suffers from endometriosis, with the couple turning to ‘holistic things’ to try and help.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season 3 is available to watch on Hulu and Disney+
Charlotte Roberts is a writer at Grazia UK, specialising in SEO. She spends her days covering everything celebrity, culture, and entertainment – from film review roundups to cast explainers.
