University of St. Thomas Law Journal

Truth Versus the Power of the Edit: Inside the Marciano Brunette and Demi Engemann Defamation Lawsuit  

Bailey Squires*

On November 13, 2025, reality television fans got to tune into the highly anticipated season three premiere of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (“SLOMW”).1 For those who have not watched SLOMW, the show is about a group of nine “MomTok” influencers who give a view into their friendships, families, and religion.2 Of course with these topics, plenty of drama ensues throughout the seasons.3 While there were several storylines that appeared in season three,4 this blog will focus on the relationship fallout between Demi Engemann and Marciano Brunette.5 Furthermore, this blog will cover their current lawsuit that developed due to the relationship fallout and the lawsuit’s implications for reality television editing practices.6 

In between season one and season two of SLOMW, a few of the SLOMW cast members went on another reality show, Vanderpump Villa, which involves Lisa Vanderpump and her staff running an Italian estate.7 While there, Brunette pulled Engemann aside for a one-on-one conversation in which they both confided in one another about struggles in their separate romantic relationships.8 Throughout the show, there are subtle hints that Brunette could be hitting on Engemann and Engemann denying Brunette’s moves at her.9 

After filming, Brunette posted a TikTok in which he said that Engemann was nervous that the footage from Vanderpump Villa would expose “the truth.”10 Engemann commented on the post by calling Brunette a “sexual predator.”11 At the end of season two of SLOMW, one of the cast members met up with Brunette to ask what really happened at the villa, to which Brunette answered that he had kissed Engemann.12 Between season two and three of SLOMW, Engemann went on The Viall Files podcast and stated that Brunette had groped and sexually assaulted her.13 In season three of SLOMW, Engemann again asserted that she was sexually assaulted by Brunette.14 However, the rest of the cast was not convinced by her account because Engemann provided text messages between her and Brunette, some of which were perceived as being sexually reciprocal in nature.15 Engemann defended herself by saying there is not one correct way to handle this, but she did not want the unwanted touch.16

On December 5, 2025, Brunette filed a lawsuit against Engemann and Jeff Jenkins Production, the production company of SLOMW, for saying and airing false sexual assault claims.17 

The Complaint

Brunette’s complaint against Engemann rests on two legal theories: defamation per se and defamation by implication.18 Defamation per se is a false statement that is inherently harmful and requires proving other standard elements of defamation.19 The elements of defamation require a false statement made by a person with at least negligence that is communicated to third parties.20 Defamation per se does not require proof of specific damages in order for the claim to be successful, because the statement is inherently harmful.21 In order for Brunette to succeed, he will have to prove those defamation elements.22 To prove that the statement was inherently harmful, Brunette could say that the false statement is harming his professional reputation, could lead to serious criminal conduct, or that the statements expose him to public scorn.23 An example of defamation per se is when Engemann called Brunette a sexual predator.24 From that statement by Engemann, Brunette has claimed that he has lost other filming opportunities, suffered interruptions in his DJ career, and received harassment from strangers.25 Defamation by implication is when an individual statement appears vague but, when viewed in a larger context, it would still accuse a person of defamatory conduct.26 Under this theory, all of Engemann’s statements about Brunette grouped together would accuse Brunette of committing criminal sexual conduct.27 Additionally, because the defamation claims stem around a sexual assault claim, Brunette will also have to prove that his and Engemann’s encounters were consensual.28 

Brunette also accuses Jeff Jenkins Production of denying his due process rights, showing the questionable claims for a profit, republication liability, and ignoring Engemann’s potentially false statements.29 These claims more specifically focus on Brunette being left out of the narrative about the alleged assault and Jeff Jenkins Production’s failure to investigate the truthfulness of the claims before they were aired.30 Additionally, Brunette claims that Jeff Jenkins Production’s conduct interrupted his career and caused him to be the subject of public scorn.31 To succeed on the claims against Jeff Jenkins Production, Brunette will need to prove Jeff Jenkins Production knew the statements were false, they communicated the false statements on third-party media platforms, and that Brunette suffered harm from it.32  

What Does This Mean for Reality Television? 

    One source claims that this current lawsuit is a rarity because of how it questions how television producers handle misconduct allegations.33 It will seek to answer whether producers have a duty to investigate claims for truthfulness and, if they choose not to, whether they can be held liable for those claims.34 As an avid fan of reality television, if the outcome of this case is a heightened producer duty to investigate, this will likely disrupt the storylines that are put on reality television viewers’ screens. When I was much younger, I can recall my mom warning me that none of these shows are actually “real.” My mom might have been right. The producers of reality television shows are trained to find what could be compelling to the viewer and then twist the scene, dialogue, and reactions to create character evolution for viewer enjoyment.35 The producer has the “power of suggestion” and can heighten a show’s energy through degrading the cast members’ self-worth to get a reaction that meets the producer’s needs.36 Through editing processes, a producer is able to create scenarios that possibly never happened.37 One form of this editing is called “franken-bites,” which involves piecing together sound bites that were once not said together.38 Most cast members sign contracts that allow this form of editing.39 Through these editing processes, a hero can be edited to be the villain, or a villain could become the saint.40 The more producers continue to work with editors to produce shows, the better they get at spotting a person that would fall into a producer set villain trap.41 Sometimes, the villain is the person that is not there to be friends and speaks their mind with little awareness of others.42 Two kinds of villains that producers spot are people who are “blinded by their narcissism” and individuals who suspect their personal behavior is guilty, but regardless believe their viewpoints are still valid.43 

    From this information, it makes one wonder if Jeff Jenkins Production followed these common editing practices to promote unauthentic and potentially untruthful statements if these editing techniques are common. An example of Jeff Jenkins Production doing this specifically in a context that is not the Brunette situation is when Engemann was confronted by another cast member addressing a cast member’s ex-husband “shoving” her.44 The so-called shove took place on camera in season two.45 In my personal opinion, it does not look like a shove at all but rather an invasion of the cast member’s personal space. In season three it was brought up again and Engemann tried to defend herself.46  Engemann was unsuccessful because the other cast members saw the shove and thought she was stretching the situation, and that her perception is harmful to actual assault victims.47 After this conversation, Engemann’s husband stated over the phone to Engemann some choice words on camera and insinuated they can turn this into “Jerry Springer.”48 During these scenes, Engemann falls into the I am guilty but I am still valid villain persona. Both Engemann and her husband demonstrated their willingness to stand their ground, even though there is clear evidence on camera they are wrong. If it was edited so easily in that context, then how much of what is shown to viewers is the truth edited into different contexts or played up producers’ desires for certain characteristics and viewership? If we are not being shown the whole story, then we are left to question how much of what Engemann said about Brunette on screen was clipped, taken out of context, or its overall accuracy. Separate from that, there is plenty of skepticism on screen to make producers question the truthfulness of the event, and that was exploited over other potential stories.49 

    Conclusion 

      The Brunette and Engemann lawsuit is still in its beginning stages. Engemann and Jeff Jenkins Production have yet to file an answer or motion to dismiss in the case.50 There is a possibility that Engemann could file an anti-strategic lawsuit against participation motion (“anti- SLAPP”) to try and dismiss the case.51 An anti-SLAPP motion is a motion that involves statements of matters that are of public concern protected by First Amendment rights to discuss first-hand accounts.52 Of course, there is the never-ending cast issue of “Can #MomTok survive this?”53 Apparently so!54 Grab your dirty sodas,55 because SLOMW season four premiered on March 12, 2026!56 

      *Bailey Squires, J.D. Candidate, University of St. Thomas School of Law Class of 2026 (Publications Editor). 

      1. ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Season 3: Trailer, Release Date, Cast Updates, and More, Hulu (Nov. 7. 2025), https://www.hulu.com/guides/secret-lives-of-mormon-wives [https://perma.cc/XKG6-PM3D]; See Hannah Doster, A Recap of ‘The (Not So) Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Season 3, Her Campus (Nov. 25, 2025), https://www.hercampus.com/school/fsu/culture-will-momtok-survive-this-2/%5Bhttps://perma.cc/T9NS-BEXB%5D(“The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (TSLOMW) has taken over the lives of reality television junkies. . . .”). ↩︎
      2. See Hulu, supra note 1 (giving background of nine people that are a part of the show); Rosie Colosi, Inside the Scandalous World of Mormon #MomTok in ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’, Today (Sep. 13, 2024, at 14:26 PM CDT), https://www.today.com/parents/moms/secret-lives-mormon-wives-momtok-rcna168375 %5Bhttps://perma.cc/YQF9-4K9Z%5D(summarizing that the women on this show collaborate through making videos, care for their husbands, children, and home while also changing the cultural norms that are present in their religion). ↩︎
      3. See Colosi, supra note 2 (referring to a previous season of the show as a “roller coaster of drama”). ↩︎
      4. See Carole Glines, ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Season Three: The Six Moments That Had Fans Stunned, Parade (Nov. 13, 2025, at 12:00 EST), https://parade.com/tv/secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-season-3-top-6-most-shocking-moments [https://perma.cc/D33B-TZWN] (summarizing a few of the key storylines from season 3). ↩︎
      5. See Charlotte Roberts, Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Demi and Marciano’s Fallout Explained, Grazia (Nov. 26, 2025, at 17:30), https://graziadaily.co.uk/life/tv-and-film/secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-what-happened-between-demi-and-marciano-all-the-allegations-explained/ [https://perma.cc/4TTR-ZU8K] (demonstrating interactions between Engemann and Brunette that are negative).  ↩︎
      6. Id.; See infra Part 1–2 (discussing editing practices that allow producers to create potentially false scenarios).  ↩︎
      7. Eliss Watkins, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Joins Vanderpump Villa S2 as MomTok Star Forms Instant Connection With Employee, The Things (Mar. 29, 2025), https://www.thethings.com/vanderpump-villa-season-2-momtok-demi-engemann/ [https://perma.cc/Z7QP-Y6J5]; Jennifer Ianni, The Vanderpump Villa & The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Alleged Hook Up Explained (What happened between Marciano Brunette & Demi Engemann?), ScreenRant (Apr. 28, 2025), https://screenrant.com/vanderpump-villa-the-secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-alleged-hook-up-explained-what-happened-between-marciano-brunette-demi-engemann-explainer/ [https://perma.cc/AE95-44Z8].  ↩︎
      8. Marissa Dow, The SparkNotes on *That* ‘Vanderpump Villa’ X ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Crossover Episode, Betches (May 15, 2025), https://betches.com/demi-bret-marciano-vanderpump-villa-mormon-wives-what-happened/ [https://perma.cc/T5QN-VBAK].  ↩︎
      9. See id. (“Demi engaged in friendly small talk with Marciano, asking him about his exes in the Villa and expressing genuine surprise when he made it clear he was ‘allowed to make moves on the guests.’ I guess her mild excitement when she learned Marciano was ‘going to be hanging out’ with the entire group later that night was part of the reason Marciano . . . ‘didn’t know how to act’ around her.’”). See also id. (“When Marciano . . . probed Demi on if she ‘was living with regret,’ she said ‘no’. . . . She ends the heart-to-heart by thanking Marciano for making her think about her marriage and calling him a low-key amateur marriage therapist. LOL, the smoothest curving of all time.”).  ↩︎
      10. Sarah Klein, Marciano Brunette Lawsuit 2025, Reality TV Star Sues Demi Engemann for Sexual Assault Defamation Claims, All About Lawyer (Dec. 9, 2025), https://allaboutlawyer.com/marciano-brunette-lawsuit-2025-reality-tv-star-sues-demi-engemann-for-sexual-assault-defamation-claims/#what-is-the-marciano-brunette-lawsuit-about [https://perma.cc/CRT7-EKBC]. ↩︎
      11. Id.  ↩︎
      12. Roberts, supra note 5; Elizabeth Randolph, ‘Mormon Wives’ Star Layla Taylor Addresses Marciano and Jessi’s Rumored Affair (Exclusive), Distractify (May 29,2025, at 09:50 ET), https://www.distractify.com/p/layla-taylor-talks-marciano-brunette-and-jessi-ngatikaura-affair-rumors [https://perma.cc/YQF7-LZKH].  ↩︎
      13. Klein, supra note 10.  ↩︎
      14. Roberts, supra note 5; Klein, supra note 10.  ↩︎
      15. See Roberts, supra note 5. ↩︎
      16. Roberts, supra note 5. ↩︎
      17. Amy McCarthy & Sara Belcher, Marciano Brunette Sues Demi Engemann for Defamation Following ‘Sexual Predator’ Claim, People (Dec. 5, 2025, at 23:22 EST), https://people.com/marciano-brunette-sues-demi-engemann-for-defamation-following-sexual-predator-claim-11863532 [https://perma.cc/8F9T-A42Q].  ↩︎
      18. Klein, supra note 10.  ↩︎
      19. Klein, supra note 10.  ↩︎
      20. Klein, supra note 10.   ↩︎
      21. Klein, supra note 10.   ↩︎
      22. Klein, supra note 10.   ↩︎
      23. Klein, supra note 10.   ↩︎
      24. Klein, supra note 10.   ↩︎
      25. Klein, supra note 10.   ↩︎
      26. Klein, supra note 10.   ↩︎
      27. Klein, supra note 10. ↩︎
      28. Klein, supra note 10. ↩︎
      29. Klein, supra note 10. ↩︎
      30. Klein, supra note 10. ↩︎
      31. Klein, supra note 10. ↩︎
      32. Klein, supra note 10. ↩︎
      33. Klein, supra note 10. ↩︎
      34. Klein, supra note 10. ↩︎
      35. Russ Adams, The Dirty Edit: The Dark Side of Reality TV, The Creature Designer (Aug. 19, 2025), https://thecreaturedesigner.substack.com/p/the-dirty-edit [https://perma.cc/KZW6-5YAJ]. ↩︎
      36. Amy Kaufman, How the Bachelor Producers Manipulate Its Contestants, News.com.au (Aug. 5, 2018, 01:13), https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/reality-tv/the-bachelor/how-the-bachelor-producers-manipulate-its-contestants/news-story/b3139715ed0c5142464d32d5ebfa8aca [https://perma.cc/4N6P-BC5U]. ↩︎
      37. Timothy Hedden, I Edit Reality TV Shows. Here’s What I Wish Fans Knew About the Industry, Huffpost (Sep. 24, 2025, 05:45 EDT), https://www.huffpost.com/entry/reality-tv-show-problem_n_66d75086e4b09a3ee66ca635 [https://perma.cc/3D86-9U7J]. ↩︎
      38. James Callenberger, How to Create a Reality-TV Villain, Vulture (June 9, 2016), https://www.vulture.com/2016/06/reality-tv-villain-how-to-create-one.html [https://perma.cc/BG93-ADSD].  ↩︎
      39. Id. ↩︎
      40. Id. ↩︎
      41. See id. (detailing patterns of people that become villains in television shows).  ↩︎
      42. Id. ↩︎
      43. Id. ↩︎
      44. Olivia Crandall, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Recap: The Vibe Definitely Seems Off, Vulture (Nov. 14, 2025), https://www.vulture.com/article/secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-recap-season-3-episode-9-the-book-of-judgement-hulu.html [https://perma.cc/WS5N-HKYJ]. ↩︎
      45. Olivia Crandall, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Recap: MomTok Is My Chosen Family, Vulture (May 15, 2025), https://www.vulture.com/article/secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-recap-s2-episode-2-book-of-accountability.html [https://perma.cc/2U28-UKGE]. ↩︎
      46. Crandall, supra note 44. ↩︎
      47. Crandall, supra note 44. ↩︎
      48. Crandall, supra note 44; “The Jerry Springer Show” was a talk show that often featured guests acting outrageously or contentious topics, and was known as being “trash TV.” Jerry Springer, Britannica (Nov. 27. 2025), https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jerry-Springer %5Bhttps://perma.cc/3Q8U-D9VP%5D. ↩︎
      49. Klein, supra note 10.  ↩︎
      50. Brunette v. Engemann et al., No. 2:25 cv1102 (D. Utah. Filed Dec. 5, 2025); Klein, supra note 10.  ↩︎
      51. Klein, supra note 10.  ↩︎
      52. Klein, supra note 10.  ↩︎
      53. Lia Beck, Everything You Need to Know About ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Season 3, Cosmopolitan (Oct. 22, 2025, at 13:35 EDT), https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a65924248/secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-season-3-news/  [https://perma.cc/3ZSQ-4Y49].  ↩︎
      54. See Jake Viswanath, Hulu Reveals The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 4 Release Date, Bustle (Jan 21, 2026), https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-season-4-release-date-teaser %5Bhttps://perma.cc/XP5B-484N%5D (stating that there will be another season of SLOMW). ↩︎
      55. See Alex Portée, What is Dirty Soda? MomTok’s Favorite Drink is Bubbling Up Across The Country, Today (Oct. 4. 2024, 15:19 CDT), https://www.today.com/food/trends/what-is-dirty-soda-rcna26689 [https://perma.cc/Y5JZ-XQKX] (defining what a dirty soda is and giving an example of SLOMW cast drinking it in an episode). ↩︎
      56. Viswanath, supra note 54.  ↩︎

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