Jessi Draper Accuses Ex-Husband Jordan Ngatikaura of Alleged 'Emotional Abuse' as She Speaks Out on Divorce

After PEOPLE confirmed that Ngatikaura filed for divorce from Draper on March 19, the MomToker made new allegations about their marriage on 'Call Her Daddy'

NEED TO KNOW

• Jessi Draper appeared on an episode of Call Her Daddy on March 25 and broke her silence on her divorce from husband Jordan Ngatikaura
• PEOPLE confirmed that Ngatikaura filed for divorce from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star on March 19
• Court documents obtained by PEOPLE show that Ngatikaura filed for a restraining order on March 20, though the order was opposed by Draper that same day. PEOPLE has reached out to Ngatikura for comment

Jessi Draper is opening up about the realizations that led to the end of her marriage to Jordan Ngatikaura.

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star appeared on an episode of Call Her Daddy on Wednesday, March 25, and spoke to host Alex Cooper about her fraught marriage. The interview comes less than one week after PEOPLE confirmed that Ngatikaura filed for divorce from Draper on March 19.

During her conversation with the podcaster, the MomTok personality recalled the first time she reckoned with the fact that she was experiencing "emotional abuse." She said the thought dawned on her during a conversation with her "energy healer," who Draper claims asked, "Are you safe?"

"I told her everything, and it was the first time I said it out loud, and that was like the moment also that I was like, 'I have to leave him,'" said Draper. "She goes, 'Jessi, this is emotional abuse,' and … it didn't click to me until in that moment."

Draper continued to say that she previously "justified" the issues as "Jordan's personality" and evidence of how "marriage is hard." However, she claimed that once another person labeled it "emotional abuse," she was able to start sharing openly with her friends and family.

"They were like, 'Jessi, this isn't normal.' It felt like the glass had shattered," Draper told Cooper.

Ngatikaura did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

In a November conversation with PEOPLE, Draper claimed that she experienced “emotional abuse” from her husband and that the pair agreed to a 90-day separation, working on their relationship in therapy.

Ngatikaura issued a statement to PEOPLE, saying, “I take full accountability for the pain I caused Jessi during our marriage."

Earlier in the Call Her Daddy interview, they discussed Ngatikaura filing for divorce, which Draper claimed she found out about from TMZ. She also claimed she learned from her lawyer that he tried to put a clause in the filing that would prevent her from talking about him on a podcast, but she didn't sign anything agreeing to that.

"He was definitely trying to get ahead of something, which is ironic 'cause I'm the one who ended it. I told him on Friday the 13th, so not that long ago, and I just said I want a divorce," Draper alleged. "He definitely didn't want it, and now he's the one rushing to do it, which is a little strange."

At another point in the episode, Draper claimed that Ngatikaura "hacked" her Instagram while they were separated. She also alleged that he was "blackmailing" her with information about her affair with Vanderpump Villa star Marciano Brunette.

"It got to a point where he was blackmailing me with Marciano texts, and he had them on a draft on his phone on TikTok and anytime he was mad at me he was like, 'I'm going to post them. I'm going to ruin your life,'" she claimed.

Draper and Brunette kissed about one month after she and her fellow Mormon Wives costars visited the Vanderpump Villa cast — including Brunette — in Italy in August 2024. In November 2025, she told PEOPLE that she was "terrified" about people finding out something happened between her and Brunette.

"I was terrified because I was like, 'Oh no, this could be coming out.' But also, that wasn't true. I never kissed him in public, so that rumor was a rumor," she said. "Obviously, I did kiss him and have an emotional affair, but there was a difference there. But I was scared. I was like, 'Oh no, maybe people just put two and two together. They figured it out.'"

Following the news of the divorce filing, Ngatikaura previously issued a statement, saying, "This has not been an easy decision and it comes with a heavy heart."

"I’m grateful for the shared memories and the lessons," he told PEOPLE. "While our paths are now moving in different directions, my priority remains my children and ensuring they feel loved, supported, and protected through this transition. I am committed to handling this next chapter with kindness and respect."

He asked for privacy and understanding as their family continued to navigate the situation. The exes — who married in October 2020 — share son Jagger, 5, and daughter Jovi, 3. Ngatikaura is also a father to his daughter Peyton.

Court documents obtained by PEOPLE show that he filed for a temporary restraining order on March 20, which Draper opposed the same day. The Sun was first to report the news.

Ngatikaura did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment at the time. A representative for Draper declined to comment.

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A week before their divorce, Draper spoke with PEOPLE regarding the current status of her and Ngatikaura's relationship, one year after the two had separated. She said that they were still “going to a lot of therapy” — both individually and as a couple — to work through their marital issues.

"It's taught us both a lot about how we are as individuals and how we are in a relationship, and it's just kind of still a work in progress,” she said earlier this month.

“I just wanted to share that because I know marriage is hard, relationships are hard, and it's normal to struggle,” she added. “Even in a good relationship, you're gonna have ups and downs. So I just think it's good to show people that it's worth fighting for, it's worth working through and it's something that's always a work in progress.”

The divorce filing also comes after the drop of the fourth season of Mormon Wives, which saw the couple continuing to work on their marriage. They are filmed through several intense fights, and Draper started to publicly use her maiden name (a decision Ngatikaura called “selfish” in the show) while other members of MomTok noticed that Draper was spending nights away from home at a hotel.

At one point in the season, Draper learned that her prenuptial agreement was not signed by a witness, putting its validity into question. She tearfully told other cast members that she could lose “millions” if she decides to get a divorce.

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