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Marciano Brunette Sues Demi Engemann and Jeff Jenkins Productions for Defamation Over Assault Claims

The Vanderpump Villa personality says a consensual kiss was later portrayed as sexual assault and that producers amplified the allegation without giving him a chance to respond.

Overview

  • Brunette filed the lawsuit on Dec. 5, naming Engemann and Jeff Jenkins Productions and alleging reputational harm from statements on social media and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
  • He denies assault and asserts the Italy encounter in August 2024 was a consensual kiss, according to the complaint summarized by his attorneys.
  • The filing cites alleged months of continued contact, including calls, FaceTimes, texts, invitations, and location sharing, as evidence countering the assault claim.
  • The suit says Engemann called him a “sexual predator” and that production built storylines around the accusation despite reasons to doubt it and without a meaningful on-air reply from him.
  • Brunette seeks unspecified damages and a narrowly defined injunction barring repetition of any statements a court finds defamatory, and outlets report Engemann and the production company have not commented; Hulu representatives did not immediately respond.