In a week rife with drama involving \u201cThe Secret Lives of Mormon Wives\u201d cast, two stars of the hit reality series appear to be going their separate ways officially. <\/p>\n
Jessi Draper and Jordan Ngatikaura\u2019s marriage is coming to an end after five years, with the latter filing for divorce in Utah, according to TMZ,<\/a> which cited court documents. The estranged pair married in October 2020 and share two children. Ngatikaura is also the father to a teenage daughter from a previous relationship. <\/p>\n A representative for Draper did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. Ngatikaura, who also did not respond to The Times\u2019 request for comment, issued a statement about his filing to TMZ and People<\/a>. <\/p>\n He told the outlets his decision to divorce Draper \u201ccomes with a heavy heart\u201d and said he is grateful for their time together. Ngatikaura plans to prioritize his children, \u201censuring they feel loved, supported, and protected through this transition,\u201d according to People<\/a>. He said in his statement that he is seeking privacy for his family. <\/p>\n Before Ngatikaura\u2019s divorce filing, the pair\u2019s marital struggles had become public. In November, Draper broke her silence on allegations she had cheated on Ngatikaura and admitted<\/a> to having an \u201cemotional affair\u201d with \u201cVanderpump Villa\u201d star Marciano Brunette. At the time, Draper spoke to People about the \u201cemotional abuse\u201d she said she faced from her husband \u2014 he took \u201cfull accountability for the pain I caused Jessi\u201d \u2014 and said, \u201cWe both made mistakes for sure.\u201d <\/p>\n The spouses had agreed to a 90-day separation and to work things out together in therapy, People reported last year. <\/p>\n News of the \u201cSecret Lives of Mormon Wives\u201d divorce comes as the franchise reckons with star Taylor Frankie Paul, who faces new allegations of domestic abuse against her on-again, off-again partner Dakota Mortensen. Paul, who was arrested and charged in 2023 for a separate dispute involving Mortensen, was tapped to lead the latest season of \u201cThe Bachelorette\u201d set to premiere Sunday, but that all came to a screeching halt earlier this week<\/a>. <\/p>\n As Utah\u2019s Draper City Police Department confirmed it was investigating alleged incidents of domestic violence involving Paul and Mortensen, TMZ published video<\/a> Thursday of Paul kicking and throwing chairs at Mortensen in a 2023 dispute while one of her children was in the same room. ABC, home network of \u201cThe Bachelor\u201d and \u201cThe Bachelorette,\u201d acted swiftly and pulled the plug on Paul\u2019s upcoming season. <\/p>\n \u201cIn light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of \u2018The Bachelorette\u2019 at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family,\u201d Disney said in a statement Thursday.<\/p>\n \u201cTaylor is very grateful for ABC\u2019s support as she prioritizes her family\u2019s safety and security,\u201d read a portion of a statement provided by a representative for Paul. The statement went on to say Paul had suffered \u201cextensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation.\u201d<\/p>\n