The Hulu Reality Shows Are Cross-Contaminating

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The reality TV world associated with Hulu is becoming as chaotic as Bravo’s, with tensions running high between the casts of ‘Vanderpump Villa’ and ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.’ This crossover has led to claims of infidelity, violence, and harassment. You may be familiar with MomTok, a faith-based content creators group in Utah that faced accusations of “soft swinging” on TikTok in 2022 and later became a reality TV show on Hulu. However, you might not know about Marciano Brunette. Prior to being dismissed midway through filming season two, Brunette was being groomed as the next Jax Taylor on ‘Vanderpump Villa.’

Prior to the May 15 debut of “Secret Lives” season two, a select group of women – Jen Affleck, Jessi Ngatikaura, Layla Taylor, Mikayla Matthews, and Demi Engemann – featured on an episode of “Vanderpump Villa”. Their destination was Italy, where they interacted with the local staff. However, it appears that there were more happenings off-screen than what was shown on television. Following the broadcast of the April 24 episode, Marciano Brunette heightened the tension with a cryptic Instagram Reel. Here’s a rundown of the drama involving Marciano Brunette, the MomTok ladies, and… Scheana Shay? She seems to have a knack for uncovering gossip.

Why are they fighting when cameras are down?

The story began when Brunette posted a caption on her April 21 Reel, stating she wasn’t invited to a function because a 30-year-old Mormon wife feared Brunette would reveal the truth to her husband. This event in question was Hulu’s Get Real House gathering held in Los Angeles on April 22. Many reality show stars from Hulu were present, including the Kardashians, Bachelors, Dancing With the Stars contestants, and even Brunette’s former girlfriend, Hannah Fouch. Despite this star-studded guest list, Brunette was not among the attendees.

At the gathering, Engemann and Whitney Leavitt, his co-star from Secret Lives, expressed some criticism towards him (as Leavitt didn’t attend Italy). According to Leavitt, when speaking to Decider, “Some individuals are seeking popularity at this moment. I believe that’s the situation.” She further added, “That’s the real gossip.

“Thank you,” Engemann added. “You took the words right out of my mouth.”

Later, Engemann responded to a fan’s post about the drama with this comment: “Grown men behaving immaturely because they couldn’t date someone who was out of their league and was already married. The level of attention-seeking is astounding.

Later on the same day, Engemann asserted that Brunette was excluded from the Hulu gathering not for any secrecy regarding her husband, but rather due to allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior against him.

Whoa, that’s a serious allegation. What happened on the show?

During the excursion for the show “Secret Lives”, the team at Vanderpump Villa appeared to be growing increasingly flirtatious. It seems that Lisa Vanderpump herself is promoting such intimacy among her guests and staff. For instance, recently divorced Layla Taylor was seen kissing bartender Sam Terry after one of the post-dinner parties at the villa.

In that particular episode, Brunette expresses during his monologues that he immediately formed a deep bond with Engemann, both physically and emotionally. Later on, during the post-dinner gathering, he takes her aside for a heart-to-heart chat. “I’m interested in getting to know you,” he tells her. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask some questions. I believe it’s important for both of us.” Instead of reciprocating his advances, Engemann offers him advice on relationships. Brunette inquires about any regrets she might harbor, to which she replies negatively. Once the conversation ends, he embraces her warmly and plants a kiss on her forehead.

In the fourth installment, the character known as Brunette and his former partner are let go due to an unconnected incident, yet he seems to hint at the “Secret Lives” crossover in the preview for the reunion on May 8th.

What have the other Mormon Wives cast members said?

Indeed, the second seasons for both “Vanderpump Villa” and “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” have been released – the former on April 24th, and the latter on May 15th. The buzz around these shows is growing, with many excitedly sharing their thoughts!

In a contrasting manner, it appears that other wives appeared to contradict Engemann’s accusations. While Taylor merely responded with “OOOP” and a surprised emoji on Brunette’s post, Jessi Ngatikaura wrote “The truth will eventually surface,” in comments (now deleted) dismissing the assault claim as false.

Jennifer Affleck countered Engemann’s remark by saying, “Sexual predator? That’s intriguing, given we were video chatting a week later and she invited me for dinner 🤨.

On her Instagram Story posted on April 25th, Engemann emphasized that “unwanted physical contact equals assault. End of story.” She criticized those who knew about the incidents and observed her struggling to deal with this individual’s actions, yet went on to publicly discredit her, label her a liar, and pass judgment on how she handled it. She stated that these individuals are contributing to the reason why victims hesitate to speak up about such issues, saying “You are inadvertently perpetuating the very problem as to why victims don’t feel safe discussing these matters!” This upcoming reunion is bound to be an awkward encounter.

How does this affect Scheana Shay?

It’s appreciated! The person is asking pertinent questions. Previously on Vanderpump Rules, the star Shay commented “what is going on here” on Brunette’s post from April 21st. Earlier this year, Shay and her husband Brock Davies attended a Giggly Squad show with Brunette and Ngatikaura. Given this connection, she is familiar with everyone involved in the situation. Regardless of whether it’s a valley or villa, all paths ultimately lead to Scheana.

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2025-05-03 00:54