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The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast member Jessi Ngatikaura has hit back after being body-shamed via social media.
“Just a gentle reminder that it’s never OK to comment on a woman’s post, ‘You’re looking more transgender by the day,’ or ‘Your features are so masculine,’” Jessi, 33, wrote to fans via her Instagram Story on Thursday, July 3. “Most of the time these comments don’t get to me, but I’m feeling very emo today and want to never post again so thank you trolls.”
In a follow-up post, Jessi explained that “trolls” were mocking the results of a jaw realignment procedure she’d had to fix her temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ).
“I have a defined jaw line because of a TMJ surgery I got, and I swear it’s the number one thing that people tell me makes me look like a man,” she revealed. “Sorry Karen, I can’t control that?! I also get roasted for getting plastic surgery done but then get endless comments about my looks that make me more insecure so you can never win.”
Later, Jessi returned to her Instagram Story to thank her followers for sending “nice messages,” though she stressed that she wasn’t originally seeking out compliments.
“Thanks so much. It means a lot,” she assured fans. “I think I’m just emotional today because, unrelated, I’m starting my period tomorrow. “
The reality star then explained that she was feeling “very emotional” because she’d been working through some long-standing issues in therapy.
“I’ve been doing a lot of trauma work to unpack childhood issues and other things I’ve been going through, and a lot of things that are coming up are that I’ve always felt not good enough,” she explained to Instagram followers. “I feel like maybe I’m hypersensitive to it, but I do feel like out of all the girls on the cast, I get the most hate for my looks.”

Jessi Ngatikaura in May 2025. Araya Doheny/Getty Images
Jessi went on, “It’s because everyone else is so beautiful, but I feel like I get the most criticism for it. Like, I look old. Like, I look like a man. It’s always something.”
“I’m trying to work through trauma of not feeling good enough and clearly I have insecurities, so anyway, not to ramble, don’t be mean to people on the internet,” she concluded. “It’s not nice. You never know what people are going through! It ruins someone’s day. Don’t do that.”
Earlier this year, Jessi confirmed on “The Viall Files” podcast that she was “working through” marriage issues with husband Jordan Ngatikaura, following a bombshell accusation from Vanderpump Villa star Marciano Brunette that he’d slept with her. (Jessi and her Secret Lives of Mormon Wives costars previously visited the Vanderpump Villa cast in Italy in 2024, and she was later allegedly spotted with Marciano in Los Angeles. Jessi has denied kissing Marciano during their L.A. meetup.)
“There’s a lot more to the story, and it’s not what you think it is,” she insisted on the podcast in May.
While Secret Lives of Mormon Wives viewers will have to wait until season 3 for the fallout of the scandal, Jessi promised Us Weekly in June that she would “just be honest” about the situation when cameras rolled.
“I’ll say I’m an open book. Even though there were things I hadn’t shared yet — once I was in the position to share them — I have nothing to hide,” she told Us. “I was willing to just lay it all on the table.”
Jessi also acknowledged, “I’ve made mistakes. My husband has made mistakes. Everyone in their life has made mistakes. I think sharing those is relatable and hopefully people can get something out of it.”
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream via Hulu.