Jessi Draper and Marciano Brunette made their red carpet debut as a couple at the 2026 American Music Awards.
Draper, 34, was joined by the Vanderpump Villa star, 33, at the awards show held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Nevada on Monday, May 25. The pair wore coordinated black ensembles. Draper stunned in a black gown with white ruffles at the bottom while Brunette sported a black sports coat and slacks.
Brunette held the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star close as they posed for photos. At one point Brunette gave Draper a peck on the head.
Draper and Brunette met when the cast of Mormon Wives traveled to Italy to film for Vanderpump Villa season 2 in 2024 . Brunette works as a server on the Lisa Vanderpump-led reality series which aired in April 2025.
At the time of filming, Draper was married to ex Jordan Ngatikaura. However, Draper formed a close bond to Brunette while she was abroad. While she downplayed their connection at first, Draper later admitted to having an emotional affair with Brunette.
“We had been dealing with the affair for about six months behind closed doors. No one knew. During those six months, it got worse than it ever had. He was blackmailing me. He was threatening to send my texts to Marciano out to the world,” Draper claimed on “The Viall Files” podcast in November 2025, claiming that it was addressed on the show but didn’t make the final edit. “Anytime I did anything he didn’t agree with, he had it on his TikTok drafts and he was like, ‘I’m going to post it.’”
Earlier this year, Draper and Ngatikaura split after five years of marriage. The exes share two children: son Jagger, 6, and daughter Jovi, 3.
“This has not been an easy decision and it comes with a heavy heart,” he told Us in a March statement. “I’m grateful for the shared memories and the lessons. While our paths are now moving in different directions, my priority remains my children and ensuring they feel loved, supported, and protected through this transition.”
Draper claimed in her “Call Her Daddy” interview that she had planned to file for divorce from Ngatikaura herself — but he was first to file paper work.
Two months later, Draper reflected on her and Brunette’s scandal.
“Having an affair on-camera definitely shook up my life a little bit,” Draper told Vulture in an interview published in May. “But I hope to inspire, and learn from my mistakes, and hopefully let people know that everyone does make mistakes and it’s OK.”
Read the full article here
