Demi Engemann says family helped her through fallout from Season 3 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives

Demi Engemann has described family as her primary source of stability following a turbulent third season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which placed her at the center of several conflicts and subjected her personal life to sustained public scrutiny.

Speaking publicly after the season concluded, Engemann said that retreating inward—toward her husband, children, and extended blended family—became essential as the fallout from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives unfolded.

Season 3 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives chronicled ongoing tensions within MomTok, leaving Engemann frequently at odds with other cast members. The reunion episode closed with partial reconciliations but no clean resolution, extending the season’s impact beyond the screen.

In the aftermath, Engemann said her focus shifted away from public response and toward private repair, crediting her family for helping her endure the period following The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 3.

Ahead of the holidays, in an interview with PEOPLE, Engemann said that family became her priority during the months following the season’s broadcast. She said she and her husband, Bret Engemann, relied on habits they had developed over years of marriage to withstand the pressure of reality television exposure. She said, 

“I’m so proud of us, truly. And I love full transparency around hardships, relationships. I have openly admitted that Brett and I had a rocky start blending our family and that there were multiple times where I thought this isn’t going to work out.” 

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and Demi Engemann’s family foundation

In the same interview, Engemann emphasized that navigating The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives placed unusual strain on her marriage, a challenge she said many couples do not survive. She said, 

“I’m so proud of us for being able to weather the storms that we have, and especially when it comes to navigating reality TV and being in the public eye. That’s extremely difficult, and as we know, the success rate is very, very low”.

According to Engemann, separating real life from what is portrayed on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives strengthened her relationship rather than weakening it.

Understanding the difference between lived experience and edited television became a recurring theme for Engemann as Season 3 aired. She said, 

“Understanding what their reality is like versus what is playing out on reality TV has ‘truly made us stronger.’” 

That clarity, she added, came from deliberate effort rather than circumstance:

“And I don’t say that lightly. We put in the work, we go to therapy, we openly communicate, we seek to understand each other, we forgive each other, and we just really strive to make sure that each other’s needs are met. And we genuinely, deep down, just love each other and respect each other to our core.”

During The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 3, Engemann frequently found herself isolated within the cast. While the reunion suggested limited progress with some members of MomTok, she said the ability to lean on family and a close inner circle offset the emotional toll of public disagreement.

Engemann has maintained that the version of herself shown on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives reflects her authentic personality, even when that authenticity creates friction. She said, 

“I will say with me, and you can interview every single person who’s known me for years and years, they will say with me, ‘What you see is what you get.’ And I mean that in terms of it is extremely difficult for me to be anything other than just myself.”

That directness, she acknowledged, sometimes appears unpolished. She added, 

“I think that shows in the way that there are times where I’m not as polished, I’m sometimes a little bit too blunt or a little cutting with my words. But I also have the biggest heart, and I care for the people that are in my life, and I’m extremely loyal and generous and all of the things. And you see all of that with me.”

The season also exposed details of Engemann’s marriage that became widely discussed online, including an NSFW storyline known among viewers as Fruity Pebbles-gate. Despite the attention, Engemann said the situation did not disrupt her family’s internal dynamics. Referring to her stepsons, Rome, 20, and Cole, 18, she said, 

“I was a little nervous, obviously, with the Fruity Pebbles and Bret’s kids, but they came together pretty immediately and were just like, ‘Let’s just make fun of the whole situation. What are you going to do? We just got to laugh.’” 

Engemann said her broader family followed the same approach: 

“So they were good sports about it, and my family jumped right in on social media and did the same thing. And really, I couldn’t be more grateful for the love and support that I have with them. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have that inner circle to rely on for that.”

Her role as both a mother and stepmother has been central to how she processed the experience of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Engemann is the mother of Maude, 8, whom she shares with ex Blake Corbin, while Bret Engemann shares Rome and Cole with ex Angie Harrington. Blending those families, she said, came with challenges long before cameras were introduced. She said, 

“It was rocky in the beginning, finding your footing. You’re finding your place in terms of, they already have parents, so where do I step in? What’s my role?”

The age gap between the children added complexity. Engemann said,

“Bret and I are in such different stages of life. His kids were entering their teenage years, where my daughter was 3, almost 4.” 

She described those years as difficult but formative: 

“We made it through the teenage years successfully, which, wow. I mean, really, every teenage parent needs to pat themselves on the back. And if you survive it, that is incredible because those were some rough years.”

Now, she said, the family is experiencing the benefits of that work: 

“We’ve made it through, and now we’re reaping the benefits of having relationships with Brett’s adult children, which is so crazy to say.”

Engemann has said that sharing both the successes and failures of her family life on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is intentional. She said, 

“I think it can help people who are going through a similar thing, watching us navigate that, and so I’ve tried to be transparent about even the hard times of motherhood and being a stepmom.”

She credited cooperative co-parenting with her ex and her husband’s ex as a stabilizing factor:

“Everyone truly just puts the kids first and just allows for there to be a space of everyone feeling heard and understood, and it makes such a difference.”

Looking ahead, Engemann said she hopes the next phase brings calm rather than conflict. She said, 

“I want to enter into a little bit more of a slower season of life.” 

As discussions continue about her future on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, she noted that family considerations remain central: 

“As we’re preparing to hopefully bring another little baby and expand our family and potentially start building a home, I really just want to bring in a softer, new, fresh energy that just more so staying in my lane, focused on me and my circle, and obviously, helping others where I can.”

Stay tuned for more updates.