All is not well with MomTok. On Thursday, Jessi Draper’s husband of five years, Jordan Ngatikaura, filed for divorce in Utah, court documents show.
That same day, ABC announced it was cancelling its upcoming season of The Bachelorette, starring Draper’s Secret Lives of Mormon Wives co-star, Taylor Frankie Paul. The cancellation came after a violent video of Paul assaulting her ex, Dakota Mortensen, was leaked just days before the season was slated to premiere.
Paul’s representative accused Mortensen of leaking the 2023 video “to distract from his own behavior.” Both individuals are currently under investigation over an alleged domestic dispute that occurred last month.
Draper, who owns the hair company JZ Styles, and Ngatikaura, manager of a solar energy firm, married in October 2020. The couple has two children together: five-year-old son Jagger Zayn and three-year-old daughter Jovi. Ngatikaura also has a daughter, Peyton, from a previous relationship.
“This has not been an easy decision and it comes with a heavy heart,” Ngatikaura told Entertainment Weekly Thursday. “I’m grateful for the shared memories and the lessons. 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.”
The Independent has contacted Draper’s representatives for comment.
The divorce filing comes weeks after fans noticed Draper had removed Ngatikaura’s Instagram handle — and the ring next to it — from her bio. Months earlier, she had also dropped Ngatikaura as her last name on Instagram, reverting to her maiden name.
Last November, Draper claimed to People that she had suffered “emotional abuse” in her marriage, which led to a 90-day separation. Ngatikaura addressed Draper’s allegations, telling the outlet in a statement: “I take full accountability for the pain I caused Jessi during our marriage.”
The couple’s marriage had been on the rocks for some time, with Draper admitting in season three of SLOMW that she had engaged in an emotional affair with fellow reality star Marciano Brunette during their separation.
“I wish I would have just left Jordan instead of cheating,” Draper admitted during the season three reunion episode, which aired in December.
Still, the two attempted to save their marriage, moving into a new house together in November in hopes of a “fresh start.”
“Marriage is so hard, and relationships in general aren’t easy,” Draper told Elite Daily at the time. “I just wanted to know that no matter what, whether we end up together or not, I gave it my all. I can say I don’t regret trying.”
