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Jessi Draper and Marciano Brunette made their red-carpet debut at the 52nd American Music Awards on Monday, as the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star addressed the status of their relationship.
Earlier this year, Jessi’s husband Jordan Ngatikaura filed for divorce. Last season on the show, Jessi revealed that she and Marciano had an emotional affair, though she was already having marital issues with Jordan at the time. In recent weeks, she and Marciano have made cozy posts together, shocking many fans.
At the 52nd AMAs at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 25 in Las Vegas, Jessi and Marciano were interviewed together for the first time on the red carpet.
An ET reporter asked what it was like to be together at the event and not have to “keep it a secret” anymore.
“We were saying how ironic it is, like the last month that we’ve been able to go to restaurants and just be seen,” said Jessi. “Obviously, at first it created a commotion, but now it’s just normal life, and we’re just having fun.”
When asked if they’ve defined the relationship, Marciano answered, “No, we haven’t. I think the main thing for me right now is I want to be a support system for her. I’m a best friend first, and then anything after that is something that, yes, do I want, but maybe one day down the road when she’s ready. I think we both are gonna be working on that together.”
Speaking with E! News at the same event, Jessi was a bit more specific.
“I’m single, going through a divorce and dating around, having fun,” she said. “I have Marciano here tonight, but I’m just casually dating and living life.”
“I’m having a lot of fun [with Jessi],” Marciano added. “I’m enjoying it every day. It’s a blessing, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Later on, they were asked how they handled all the media attention surrounding their time together.
“I guess we’re a little bit used to it because of the show, but I feel like it’s just part of the job,” said Jessi. “It’s a side effect of it, right? So you just have to take everything with a grain of salt, and we knew it would be heightened at the beginning, and now, it’s like people are getting used to seeing us together.”
Marciano stated, “I think the main thing for us was that we had an open line of communication. We were honest with each other, and we didn’t want to hold anything back, so we could move past it and get forward.”
In a photo, Marciano kissed Jessi’s cheek at the arrivals.
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