Scheana Shay suggested that Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Demi Engemann thinks she’s “the star” and demanded more money for season two amid contract negotiations, as a producer hinted that certain cast members thought they were “Taylor Swift.”
Season one of the new Hulu show was incredibly popular, and the castmates saw worldwide recognition. In the first episode of season two, which recently aired, it was mentioned that fame had already gotten to their heads.
“When [castmate] Jessi [Ngatikaura] was coming to do my podcast, Demi was supposed to do my podcast with her,” recalled Scheana on Scheananigans. “They were coming to L.A. together. And then Jessi tells me, ‘Oh, Demi’s not coming, it’s just me.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, okay, that’s fine, but like [is] everything okay?’ And she was like, ‘[It’s about] contract negotiations.'”
“And so I’m kind of being painted this picture of like, well, Demi as the fan fave thinks she’s the star and she wants all of this money [in order] to come back,” Scheana continued. “It was kind of the vibe I got.”
According to Scheana, she also got the impression that Demi wanted the entire cast to “band together” to request more money.
“I think maybe the girls took that as Demi thinks she’s the star, and she wants so much money. [But] Demi’s like, I’m trying to be a girls’ girl here. I’m trying to get all of us more money, but not everyone cared about more money,” said Scheana. “They cared about another season of the show, which I also understood because I’ve been in that boat before, too, where I’m like, just accept what they’re gonna give us. The exposure is worth it. And you know, it’ll pay off one day.”
In a recent interview for the Viall Files podcast, a producer shared his fear for season two.
“I think the bigger danger that I’ve experienced is when you do a season, and it is received well by the public, and the cast then [thinks] … ‘I am Taylor Swift, and I must have XYZ,'” said the producer, via @realityops on Instagram. “But I always tell cast members, don’t believe your own hype, your own press, because it can all go away in a heartbeat.”
