Mormon Wives’ Jessi Ngatikaura Reveals Why She Was ‘Horrified’ by Her Reunion Photos
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast member Jessi Ngatikaura is clarifying her feelings about the recent reunion photos of the show.
“When they dropped the reunion photos, I was honestly horrified,” Jessi, 32, shared on TikTok on Monday, December 1. “They took our pictures at the end of a long day when we were totally spent, and when you watch the reunion, you’ll see why I feel this way.”
She mentioned that after an “explosive” reunion, the last thing on their minds was posing for pictures.
“Next year we’re definitely going to take some great photos, and I hope those are the ones they use,” Jessi remarked.
Jessi further explained that she’s discovering her personal style and that she hired a stylist “after the reunion.” She wanted to share the story behind her corset dress paired with a white-and-silver sequin skirt.
“A month prior to the reunion, I was busy creating mood boards and texting the girls, ‘We need a color scheme because during the last reunion, some of us were in jewel tones while others were in pastels. The styles didn’t match at all,’” she recalled. “It really bothered me.”
Jessi elaborated that the color scheme decided upon with “a few girls” included burgundy, emerald, antique gold, sage green, ivory, and charcoal.
“I had my dress picked out the moment we confirmed the reunion,” Jessi explained. “I had this amazing dress stored away for something special.”
She displayed a photo of the red dress, which featured a sweetheart neckline and a fitted silhouette. Jessi intended to accessorize it with diamonds and matching red heels. She even arranged for her husband Jordan Ngatikaura’s suit to be custom-made to match her outfit.
@_justjessiiii A little tea on reunion looks 🤫
“Just 12 hours before the reunion, production called and said, ‘You need to change your dress,’” she revealed, explaining that host Stassi Schroeder was choosing a similar style and could not change her outfit.
The production team ultimately selected the white dress from her closet. Jessi remarked, “It’s not really what I would have chosen for a reunion … and I felt really, really sad about it,” adding, “But the show must go on, and I’m a team player.”
Jessi concluded her video by stating that if there’s another reunion for Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, she’ll be collaborating with a stylist and “will not” be altering her outfit “at the last minute.”
For the reunion, she wore the white dress with diamond necklace and bracelets. Her makeup comprised a full beat with tan foundation, bronzed cheeks, filled-in eyebrows, pink lips, and long lashes. Her freshly-dyed brunette hair was styled with loose curls and parted down the middle.
Jessi wasn’t alone in her disappointment regarding the reunion photographs. After the pictures were shared on social media by Hulu and the show’s official Instagram, other cast members voiced their frustrations in the comments.
“You’ll [be] hearing from my lawyer after these,” Miranda Hope quipped. Mikayla Matthews added, “Not too late to delete 🥲,” while Jessi commented, “I will never understand why we take these photos after a full 12-hour day of screaming and crying😂😢 — we look terrible and disassociated every time.”
Fans echoed the sentiment that the pictures did not do justice to the cast’s beauty.
“Who’s taking these photos? You have a group of stunning women and the lighting and angles are just off,” one noted. Another user mentioned, “Are you upset with the girls? The lighting did nothing for them… 🥲,” while a third questioned, “This show is making all of you millions, and you can’t provide a decent reunion photoshoot??? Were these taken with a phone? I’m so confused.”
