There’s a new update on one of the biggest Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cheating scandals (well, one of many). During the Season 3 reunion special, which premiered on Dec. 4, Jessi Draper opened up about the state of her marriage to Jordan Ngatikaura, after they temporarily separated while filming in the aftermath of her affair allegations.
On the Season 3 premiere, Jessi confessed that she had an emotional affair with Vanderpump Villa star Marciano Brunette, admitting she had cheated on Jordan, but denying Marciano’s claims from the Season 2 finale that they got physical. (Lie detector tests from Jessi and Marciano confirmed her version of events).
Jessi later opened up about what led to the affair, with claims of emotional abuse from Jordan, leading the couple to separate and reassess their marriage. But by the finale, they both agreed to move back in together and work on their relationship. During the reunion, Jessi revealed that she and Jordan’s marriage was still a work in progress, but they’re in a much better place.
“We’ve been in therapy for a while, and I have seen a lot of changes,” she explained. “I will say, I wouldn’t still be there if that wasn’t happening. Unfortunately, healing isn’t overnight, so we’ve had setbacks and there are still things I worry about. But overall, I do feel like he’s taken what I said and applied a lot of it. I just need time to see if it’s going to feel genuine.”
Sitting behind his wife, Jordan agreed and said he’s “had to make changes” for both the sake of his marriage and their future. “I’ve had to look at myself in the mirror and think about the kind of person I want to be,” he said. “Not for Jessi, but for myself. I’m proud of myself for the changes I’ve made, and I really hope that those changes are enough to have a chance at saving my family.”
Jessi’s Therapy Revelation
Moments before providing an update on her marriage, Jessi got emotional about Mikayla Matthews’ marriage issues stemming from her past with sexual abuse and admitted that she could relate, sharing that she had been raped when she was 19 years old.
“I’ve been doing a lot of therapy because of mine and Jordan’s situation, and I actually uncovered the memory that I was raped when I was 19,” she explained. “It really started a lot of my issues about going emotionally numb and pushing people away and feeling not good enough.”
Like Mikayla, Jessi said the revelation also caused strain on her own marriage with Jordan. “After uncovering that, me and Jordan already had our struggles, but it made it worse,” she said. “I don’t want him to touch me, and it’s not his fault. It’s so crazy how your body reacts, it’s not just your emotions, you know? That’s been another layer of healing for me.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit hotline.rainn.org.
