[ad_1]
“Vanderpump Villa” star Marciano Brunette has sued Demi Engemann and the “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” manufacturing firm for defamation over sexual assault claims made on the present.
In paperwork shared by Brunette’s authorized group, Dynamis LLP, Engemann — who has appeared on each “Vanderpump Villa” and “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” — and Jeff Jenkins Productions are accused of allegedly damaging his status by calling him a “sexual predator” and accusing him of sexual assault on Season 3 of “Mormon Wives.”
Representatives for Hulu, Engemann and Jenkins didn’t instantly return TheWrap’s request for remark.
Brunette denies Engemann’s claims of sexual assault, through which she beforehand mentioned she was subjected to undesirable contact by him whereas filming Season 2 of “Vanderpump Villa.” Per his legal professional, Brunette maintains that their encounter was consensual and that it was “later twisted into one thing it wasn’t.”
“His core story is easy: they met whereas filming ‘Vanderpump Villa’ in Italy in August 2024, flirted, talked privately, and kissed consensually,” Brunette’s legal professional writes in a abstract for the lawsuit. “He says she even instructed him ‘I like you,’ and he responded in type. He says there was no non-consensual contact, no assault, and nothing ‘predatory’ about any of it.”
Based on the grievance, Brunette and Engemann maintained pleasant correspondence for months, which included repeated telephone calls, FaceTimes, texts and invites to go to. His legal professional defends this correspondence confirmed “heat and familiarity, not worry or avoidance.”
Nonetheless, the grievance alleges Engemann, who’s married, then “reframed the clearly consensual interplay as considered one of sexual misconduct after which as sexual assault” after dealing with “public (and personal) criticism over her conduct.”
“She used that accusation to assault Marciano’s credibility, suggesting others would ‘come ahead’ and portrayed anybody who questioned her account as performing in unhealthy religion,” the grievance provides.
Brunette additionally calls out Jeff Jenkins Productions in his swimsuit, noting the producer for “Mormon Wives” “amplified the identical accusations for revenue.”
“It constructed main storylines round Engemann’s claims, republished her sexual predator statements,” the grievance notes, “and aired the allegations in a manner designed to maximise impression whereas chopping Marciano out and denying him any significant alternative to reply.”
Brunette claims manufacturing had “apparent causes to doubt Engemann’s account, together with inconsistencies, delay and info recognized to Manufacturing that undermined the claims.”
By way of this lawsuit, through which Brunette alleges he’s suffered from psychological anguish and reputational hurt, the “Vanderpump Villa” star seeks damages, in addition to an injunction to cease Engemann/Jeff Jenkins Productions from repeating the statements.
[ad_2]
