Signs Mormon Wives Star Jessi Draper And Jordan Ngatikaura's Marriage Would Never Make It

Although many "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" fans were stunned by the news of Jessi Draper and Jordan Ngatikaura's divorce, others thought it was expected. Several users on Reddit even declared "it was a long time coming." Part of the reason for that was the relationship was full of red flags.

First, there's the fact that Draper alleged she experienced "emotional abuse" from Ngatikaura. Then there's the history of infidelity. When the Season 2 finale of the show hinted at Draper's affair with "Vanderpump Villa" cast member Marciano Brunette, the news had everyone talking. Ngatikaura and Draper, who share two children, tried to save their relationship by separating for three months and enduring multiple rounds of therapy.But unfortunately, that did not work, with Ngatikaura filing for divorce officially in 2026, per TMZ.

According to marriage experts, cheating is one of the top causes of divorce, closely followed by a lack of communication, and constant disagreements. With that in mind, it's not surprising that the couple finally decided to call it quits, as it seems their holy matrimony was a recipe for disaster.

In an interview with People in November 2025, Jessi Draper revealed that there were problems in her marriage from the beginning. She told the outlet that after she and Jordan Ngatikaura wed in 2020,  their honeymoon phase didn't last long, which led her to notice issues with his behavior. "It starts off slow. It's not like one big dramatic thing happens. It's little behaviors over time, and then all of a sudden you look back and you're too deep in it and you can't do much about it," she explained. Draper added that she initially overlooked the issues because she thought it was "normal" that marriages had rough patches and communication problems. "Even in a good relationship, you're gonna have ups and downs. So I just think it's good to show people that it's worth fighting for, it's worth working through and it's something that's always a work in progress," she said in a separate interview with People in March 2026.

According to family lawyer Larry Hudspeth, communication issues are a leading reason for divorce. 
In a post shared to his website, he elaborated that a lack of communication has a domino effect on trust and intimacy and can escalate small problems into huge issues. "When partners cannot express their feelings safely and openly, trust and intimacy often suffer," he wrote, explaining that to foster a healthy marriage early on, couples should prioritize open conversations.

"The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" stars have answered many sex questions, but few have gone into detail about the emotional problems within their marriages. After Season 3 aired, Jessi Draper opened up about the alleged emotional abuse tendencies in her marriage to Jordan Ngatikaura. "I think when you see [Jordan] yelling at me, anyone who's been in a toxic or emotionally abusive situation will pick up on the fact that that was not abnormal behavior," she told People in a November 2025 interview. "In real life, it's usually 20 times worse," she added.

That same month, Ngatikaura appeared in an episode of "The Viall Files" podcast to address the toxic nature of his marriage. When the host asked why he speaks to women in a "degrading" way, Jordan explained that his "feminine wounds" were fueled by the end of his first marriage — when his ex-wife chose the Mormon Church over their relationship. Ngatikaura has since apologized to Draper and is receiving therapy. "At that time in my life, I was deeply unhealed," he said in a statement obtained by People. "I've been in consistent therapy and doing the hard work to understand the impact of my actions," he continued.

A survey published in Couple and Family Psychology found that around 23% to 25% of divorcees say that domestic abuse was a major reason for their divorce. In that same survey, subjects who were subjected to domestic violence reported that the abuse they experienced included not only physical abuse, but emotional manipulation, too. Per Page Six, Ngatikaura filed a restraining order against Draper ex in March 2026, which Draper countered.

In 2025, Jessi Draper became a central character in Season 3 of "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" when she joined the group of celebs who admitted to cheating on their partners. After denying claims that she and Marciano Brunette had a sexual relationship, she revealed that they had dated, going out for drinks and kissing twice. "We did have an emotional affair, if that's what you want to call it, but on my end, like I was just looking for validation," she said in the episode (via People). 

Although the definition of infidelity varies among individuals, some surveys have found many people consider having an emotional affair a form of cheating. According to experts, there are several reasons why these affairs happen. A 2021 study that interviewed 495 adults at a U.S. university and followed Reddit message boards dedicated to relationships found that emotional affairs were predominant among those feeling neglected in their relationship.

Although some couples are able to successfully stay together after infidelity with proper counseling, that isn't the case for everyone. For many couples, cutting ties and moving on is the healthier option. It seems Draper understood that divorce was the best route for her and Ngatikaura.
Per a November 2025 exclusive with People, she acknowledged that she and Ngatikaurhad both made mistakes. "Mine being the affair and his being the emotional abuse, but I think it takes two to tango," she said. "And having that toxic dynamic definitely got me into the mindset of where I was and why I did what I did," she continued.