'Vanderpump Villa' Star Marciano Sues 'Mormon Wives' Star Demi For Defamation And Fans Are Siding With Him

By Melanie VanDerveer on December 6, 2025 at 4:00 PM EST

Demi Engemann / Marciano Brunette
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The not-so-secret lives of “Mormon Wives” have dragged “Vanderpump Villa” star Marciano Brunette to the frontline of the drama - not once, not twice, and he’s had enough and is fighting back.

On Friday, attorneys for Marciano filed a lawsuit against Demi Engemann accusing “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star of making defamatory accusations of sexual assault. While this has been going on for weeks now, it continues to escalate, and Marciano is done sitting idly by while his reputation is tarnished by Demi's accusations.

Viewers of both reality shows are glued to the unfolding drama and an overwhelming majority of them are Team Marciano all the way! 

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Marciano Filed A Lawsuit Against Demi On Friday

Marciano Brunette
Instagram | Marciano Brunette

Marciano, 32, reached his boiling point with the accusations Demi, 31, has been tossing around - not only on the reality show, but also on social media with posts and comments.

According to US Weekly, Marciano's legal team claimed that Demi falsely described him as a "sexual predator," which is ruining his reputation.

The court documents state that Demi's claims of "unwanted touch" from Marciano during the crossover episode of "Vanderpump Villa," filmed when a few "Mormon Wives" stars visited Italy in August 2024, are false. Marciano also maintains that any physical interaction between them was entirely consensual.

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'They Shared A Consensual Kiss'

Demi Engemann
LISA OConnor/AFF-USA.com / MEGA

Marciano doubled down on the fact that what happened between him and Demi was consensual, and the court documents also outline what happened after taping the "Vanderpump Villa" episode.

"The truth is straightforward. Engemann and Marciano met while filming in Italy. They flirted. They spoke privately. They shared a consensual kiss. They separated," the court documents read. "After filming, Engemann stayed in contact with Marciano for months through calls, FaceTimes, texts, invitations, and even location sharing. That behavior confirms a continued relationship, not a person reacting to sexual assault."

Marciano's legal team further alleged that Demi's sexual assault claims have caused damage to Marciano's reputation.

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"They accuse Marciano of criminal sexual conduct he did not commit," the documents state. "They were published broadly, republished repeatedly, and framed to harden into 'truth' in the minds of viewers. The damage has been immediate and severe, including lost professional opportunities, harassment by strangers, and lasting harm to Marciano's reputation."

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Fans Speak Out On Social Media About Demi Vs. Marciano

Viral TikToker @stephwithdadeets, who covers a lot of the "Mormon Wives" drama on social media, shared the news of Marciano filing a suit against Demi.

"Marciano has officially sued Demi," she began her video. "It's about time. And no shocker here, he is suing for defamation."

She explained a little about what's in the legal documents saying that Marciano is suing Demi for claiming that she's destroying his reputation for "falsely calling him a predator and accusing him of SA." He also claims that Demi's story has "shifted over time" and the things she's claiming was to "give herself a storyline."

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"Marciano is also suing 'Mormon Wives' producer Jeff Jenkins," Steph said. "He says production aired the allegations in a way designed to maximize impact while cutting Marciano out and denying him any meaningful opportunities to respond."

Steph then read some of the texts between Demi and Marciano that were released.

What Fans Have To Say About Demi's Claims Against Marciano

Marciano of "Vanderpump Villa"
TikTok | Marciano Brunette

Many fans who have been following the reality star's situation have voiced their thoughts on it in the comments of Steph's video.

"Demi has me out here rooting for a man in 2025 and I take it personal," one viewer wrote. Another added, "Never in a million years would I think that I'd be Team Marciano but here we are…"

Another fan wrote, "Get your bag Marciano!!!" One other said, "Marciano dropped the receipts. Demi left season one a little too cocky. Her downfall has spiraled since."

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One viewer brought up the fact that Lisa Vanderpump spoke out about the situation and shared she's seen the footage from the villa. "I just want to point out that Lisa said, 'I have the luxury of having ALL the footage.' In the reunion, the husbands mentioned that Marciano was there when they just went to the villa. If it was true, HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED AGAIN!"

Marciano Has Been Sharing His Story On Social Media

Marciano hasn't shied away from telling his side of the story on social media. He's voiced his thoughts and shared receipts throughout the entire situation.

In a recently shared post on Instagram, he explained why Demi's behavior is "unacceptable."

"She is clearly downplaying how serious sexual assault is completely," he said. "I'm sorry, Demi, but this is nothing you should be playing with. This is my real life."

He continued to share some of the things that Demi has done that he called "unhinged."

"It's hilarious how her story continues to change," he said. "It's impossible to keep up with at this point."

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