<p id=”par-1_73″>Jessi Draper and Jordan Ngatikaura have not finalized their divorce. That is probably many months in the future. That isn’t stopping <em>The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives </em>star from moving on, and she is moving on with a familiar face. Draper recently admitted that she’s “casually dating” Marciano Brunette, the V<em>anderpump Villa</em> star with whom she had an emotional affair. Body language experts suggest there is more to it than casual romance, though.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-jessi-draper-says-she-and-marciano-brunette-are-casually-dating-at-the-2026-amas”>Jessi Draper Says She and Marciano Brunette Are “Casually Dating” at the 2026 AMAs</h2>
<p id=”par-2_85″>Jessi Draper made her most definitive statement yet about her relationship with Marciano Brunette. <em>The Secret Lives of Mormon </em>Wives star and the <em>Vanderpump Villa</em> cast member walked the red carpet together at the 52nd American Music Awards on May 25, 2026. The outing felt like a hard launch. After all, it was their first official public appearance as a couple. For fans who have been watching the drama of their connection build, it felt inevitable, but Jessi isn’t ready to really hard launch things.</p>
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<p id=”par-3_70″>Speaking with E! News at the AMAs, Jessi made her position clear, and she’s not committed to Marciano. “I’m single, going through a divorce, and dating around, having fun,” she said. “I have Marciano here tonight, but I’m just casually dating and living life.” Fans don’t believe what the pair has to say about <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/jessi-draper-and-marciano-brunette-heat-up-nashville-together.html/”>their romance, </a>though. Most agree that something deeper is building, and a body language expert agrees.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-a-body-language-expert-says-there-is-more-to-jessi-and-marciano-s-story”>A body language expert says there is more to Jessi and Marciano’s story</h2>
<p id=”par-4_72″>Jessi and Marciano claim they are on the same page when it comes to their romance, and a body language expert agrees that they are, in fact, on the same page. There is one key problem, though; they are both lying to the public. Body language expert Inbaal Honigman spoke with <a href=”https://www.casino.ca/”>Casino.ca</a> about the duo’s appearance at the AMAs and feels confident that they are not two singles casually having fun together.</p>
<p id=”par-5_67″>Honigman contends that Jessi and Marciano are committed to each other and are a couple very much in love. She also claims that the pair is purposefully keeping a secret, but that Marciano is terrified of saying the wrong thing. Is it possible that Marciano wants to scream about their romance from the rooftops while Jessi wants to remain discreet during her divorce proceedings? It seems so.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-how-marciano-played-a-role-in-jessi-s-divorce”>How Marciano Played a Role in Jessi’s Divorce</h2>
<p id=”par-6_73″>The AMAs were Marciano and Jessi’s first official outing, but the couple’s romantic connection has been heating up for a long time and was directly linked to <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/jessi-draper-details-jordan-ngatikauras-controlling-behavior-amidst-ongoing-divorce.html/”>Jessi and Jordan’s divorce.</a> When <em>The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives</em> and <em>Vanderpump Villa</em> clashed, sparks flew between Marciano and Jessi. Though she denied the connection, Marciano is apparently very willing to kiss and tell. He told Layla Taylor that he and Jessi had slept together.</p>
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<div class=”related-article related-article–simple”>
<span class=”related-article-flag”>Related</span>
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<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/real-estate-records-support-jessi-drapers-take-on-jordan-ngatikauras-divorce-filing.html/”>
Real Estate Records Support Jessi Draper’s Take on Jordan Ngatikaura’s Divorce Filing </a>
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<p id=”par-7_66″>Despite her early denial, Jessi eventually came clean, admitting that while she and Jordan were separated, she and Marciano had <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/marciano-brunette-accuses-jessi-draper-of-being-a-serial-cheater.html/”>kissed and developed an emotional connection. </a>She described feeling “terrified” that the affair would go public, as it eventually did. The slip had far-reaching effects and eventually led to her split from Jordan, though the couple’s problems were far more widespread than the single, emotional affair.</p>
<p id=”par-8_35″>Jordan Ngatikaura filed for divorce on March 19, 2026. Two weeks later, Jessi moved into a new home. Jessi claimed she had been “blindsided” by Jordan’s decision to file, but she sure has rebounded nicely.</p>