Utah is basically the epicenter of reality TV right now. If you've been scrolling through TikTok or catching up on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, you’ve probably seen Bret Engemann’s face. He’s the older, athletic husband of Demi Engemann. But long before the "Momtok" drama and the swinging scandals, Bret was half of a different Utah power couple.
His first wife was Angie Harrington.
If that name sounds familiar, it's because she was a polarizing force on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City (RHOSLC). Honestly, their history is a wild web of BYU football glory, public divorces, and a very small-town social scene where everyone seems to be one degree of separation away from a snowflake or a viral dance.
The BYU Golden Boy and the "Friend Of"
Bret Engemann wasn't just some guy in Provo. In the early 2000s, he was the guy. He was the starting quarterback for Brigham Young University, standing 6'5" and carrying the weight of a legendary football program on his shoulders. This wasn't just sports; in Utah, being the BYU QB is like being royalty.
While he was at BYU, he met Angie. They were young, they were "Mormon royalty" in the making, and they eventually married. They had two sons together, Cole and Rome.
But the "golden boy" image wasn't always as shiny as it looked from the stands. There’s a lot of chatter on old BYU message boards—and even some Reddit threads today—about Bret’s time on the team. Some former teammates reportedly didn't vibe with him, and his professional career never quite hit the heights people expected. He spent some time with the Oakland Raiders (mostly on the practice squad) and played in NFL Europe for teams like the Berlin Thunder.
Why the divorce was such a big deal
When Bret and Angie split, it wasn't a quiet affair. In a 2023 interview with The Salt Lake Tribune, Angie admitted that her divorce was "very public" and happened right in the heart of Utah Valley. She noted that because Bret was the "golden boy of Provo," the fallout was intense.
"I've learned not to care what people think. I had a very public divorce... that prepared me for reality television." — Angie Harrington
The RHOSLC Era and the "Shahxposed" Drama
Fast forward a decade or so, and Angie Harrington pops up on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. She was never a full-time cast member, but she moved the needle more than most "friends of" the show.
She was often at odds with Lisa Barlow, and things got incredibly messy when it was revealed that Angie and her current husband, Chris Harrington, created a fake Instagram account called @shahxposed. The account was dedicated to trolling Jen Shah during her legal troubles.
It was a total "mask-off" moment for Angie. While she claimed it was about holding Jen accountable, the rest of the cast saw it as petty and manipulative. It’s funny how Bret Engemann’s name stayed mostly out of that specific drama, even though he was still co-parenting their teenage sons in the background.
Where is Bret Engemann now?
Bret has successfully transitioned from "former athlete" to "wealthy tech consultant." He’s currently a Managing Partner at Armstrong Consulting Group. People often wonder how the husbands on Mormon Wives afford their lifestyles, and in Bret’s case, it’s a mix of high-level sales roles and executive consulting.
✨ Don't miss: Ryan Seacrest Girlfriends List: What Most People Get Wrong
He’s now married to Demi Engemann, who is about 18 years his junior. Their relationship raised eyebrows because Demi actually knew Bret when she was a child—her family was friends with him and Angie while they were still married.
- Age Gap: Bret is in his late 40s (born 1977), while Demi is in her 30s.
- The Bachelorette: In a weird twist, Demi and her first husband actually encouraged Bret to go on The Bachelorette. He was cast for Clare Crawley’s season but dropped out when COVID hit.
- Blended Family: Bret and Angie seem to have reached a point of "civilized co-parenting." Demi has even tagged Angie in social media posts while attending the boys' football games.
Angie's Transition to Advocacy
While Bret is leaning into the Mormon Wives spotlight, Angie Harrington took a step back. She left RHOSLC because her youngest son (with Chris Harrington), Hart, was diagnosed with autism.
She realized that the high-stress environment of reality TV wasn't compatible with the care her son needed. She’s shifted her focus toward autism advocacy and public speaking, using her platform to talk about the realities of neurodiversity rather than fighting over who invited who to a catering event.
Practical Takeaways for Fans
If you’re trying to keep the Engemann-Harrington family tree straight, here is the breakdown:
- Check the Credits: If you see "Angie Engemann" in old Utah credits or local news, that’s her. She used Bret's name for years before her second marriage.
- Follow the Timeline: Bret and Angie’s sons, Cole and Rome, are now adults or late-teens. They are the bridge between the Housewives world and the Mormon Wives world.
- Watch the Background: In The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Bret often acts as the "voice of reason" (or the "alpha" figure), but his history as a BYU star is what gave him that status in the first place.
The reality is that Utah's social scene is tiny. The "degrees of separation" between a BYU quarterback and a TikTok influencer are non-existent. Bret and Angie might have moved on to very different lives, but their shared past remains the foundation of a lot of the social dynamics we see on screen today.
Next Steps for Followers
If you want to stay updated on this specific circle, follow Demi Engemann’s TikTok for the current family dynamic, but keep an eye on Angie Harrington’s Instagram for updates on her advocacy work. Most of the "real" info on Bret’s past is still buried in old BYU football archives—if you’re a sports nerd, digging through his 2002 stats gives a much better picture of the man before the Botox and the cameras.