Jessi from Mormon Wives Responds to Demi’s Claim That She ‘Can’t Do Hair’
Jessi Ngatikaura is dismissing Demi Engemann’s assertion that she “can’t do hair.”
On Sunday, October 19, Jessi, 33, took to TikTok to humorously respond to Demi’s critiques of her hair salon, JZ Styles, which she founded in 2016.
In the video, she danced around her salon, lip-syncing to Taylor Swift’s track “Father Figure” from the artist’s latest album, The Life of a Showgirl.
“Some say I can’t do hair… but this empire is mine 👀🫶🏼,” she captioned the clip, drawing support from friends and fans in the comments.
“The best in the business 🙌,” remarked Jen Affleck. Another fan added, “Demi is so Actually Romantic 😍,” referencing another Swift song, which fans speculate addresses a rumored rift with pop star Charli XCX. Jessi liked the comment in agreement. A third user stated, “LITERALLY knew who JZ Styles was well before secret lives 💅✨.”
Jessi’s TikTok came two weeks after Demi, 30, underwent a lie detector test at a Cozy Earth event, where she was asked about her thoughts on her co-star’s salon.
@cozyearth guys this is literally my favorite show so I put it on the company card to fly the lie detector guy out 🫣 #bedrot #cozyearth #bedrot #bedrotting #challenges
“Do you think Jessi is skilled in color and extensions?” she was asked.
“No,” she responded, with the test administrator affirming her honesty.
Demi first revealed her doubts about Jessi’s skills during season 2 of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, at a time when they were close friends.
At a devils and angels-themed party, Taylor Frankie Paul informed Jessi that Demi had advised her against visiting her salon for hair services.
“She doesn’t think you’re good at hair,” Taylor, 31, said, elaborating, “She told me not to choose you for hair, which is why I went to another salon.” Taylor then challenged Demi, saying, “You don’t believe she’s good at hair, yet you feel compelled to go to her.”
Demi clarified that while JZ Salon is “great at extensions,” she wasn’t confident about their expertise in “color.”
Jessi expressed her hurt over Demi’s remarks, especially since she frequently provided free extensions and treatments to her and other co-stars.
After season 2 aired on Hulu, Jessi told Page Six that her friendship with Demi was irreparably damaged.
“Yeah, it’s over,” she stated, calling Demi’s actions “unforgivable.”
“I will never be friends with her again,” she continued. “And I’m usually quite forgiving, so this says a lot.”
Layla Taylor echoed Jessi’s sentiments, sharing she felt “very similarly.”
Jessi noted that the decline of their friendship was a “slow burn.”
During episode 6, Mayci Neeley alleged that Demi wanted Jessi removed from the show so she could profit more.
Taylor also claimed that Demi had been “talking mad s***” about Jessi behind her back.
That same month, Demi discussed their friendship during a May 15 episode of “The Viall Files” podcast.
“It was just a couple of things that stacked up,” Demi explained regarding the causes of their falling out. “Red flag.”
