Kody Brown On Sister Wives: On September 26, 2010, the first episode of the Brown family’s “Sister Wives” debuted on TLC, introducing the world to the Browns. Kody Brown, his three wives at the time, and their 12 kids were the show’s main characters (with one on the way).
When Kody was about 20 years old, he joined his father’s sect of the Mormon church, which practiced polygamy, which is described as “marriage in which a spouse of either sex may have more than one partner at the same time,” as he revealed on the show. The Apostolic United Brethren (AUB) branch of Christianity, which the Brown family belongs to, calls for men to take several spouses.
On April 21, 1990, Kody married Meri Brown in a religious ceremony as well as legally. In January 1993, he wed Janelle Brown in a “spiritual” ceremony. On March 25, 1994, Christine Brown married again, this time in a “spiritual” ceremony.
On a season one episode of “Sister Wives,” viewers saw Kody wed Robyn Brown, who would become his fourth wife. In May 2010, the pair “spiritually” married. In addition to the two biological children she and Kody would have together, Robyn had three children from prior relationships.
Nobody realized it then, but the cameras were catching the beginnings of the family’s eventual breakdown rather than portraying a functioning polygamous family as Kody has stated he planned to accomplish on “Sister Wives.”
Robyn is the only person with whom Kody is legally wed and romantically linked. His first three spouses are either alienated from him, separated from him, or divorced. Insider has put out a chronology to illustrate how and why Kody is (unintentionally) engaging in monogamy at this time. His marriages broke up gradually.
Robyn Has Received Special Treatment From Kody Since The Start of Their Relationship
On the season one finale of “Sister Wives,” which aired on October 17, 2010, viewers might catch glimpses of Kody and Robyn’s “spiritual” wedding, which took place in May 2010. But even before their wedding day, the episode detailed how Kody treated Robyn differently than some or all of his other spouses.
In an earlier episode of season one, as Christine gave birth to her youngest daughter Truly, he kissed Robyn. It could appear innocent for a polygamist to act in this way. Even still, the timing is not ideal, and it’s not apparent if the couple’s pre-marriage kissing violated any family or religious rules.
In addition, Kody admitted in an interview with “Sister Wives” that he had covertly assisted Robyn in choosing her wedding gown, something he had never done with any of his other three wives. Robyn spent as much time with Kody while courting as any other wife, even though she lived five hours away. The other women’s travels with Kody after their weddings were shorter than her 11-day honeymoon.
When Kody handled Robyn differently than they were treated, Meri and Janelle were honest about the problem, but Christine seemed to take it the hardest over time. One of the most well-known instances among viewers is when she leaves an interview as Kody discusses choosing Robyn’s wedding gown.
Years After His Daughter Truly Brown’s Health Scare, Kody Said That He Thinks It Caused A Strain In His Marriage To Christine
The suffering of Christine and Kody’s family was shown in detail in a season six episode of “Sister Wives” when Truly, their youngest child, fell ill and finally developed kidney failure.
Although Truely made a full recovery, Kody explained in a season 16 episode why he thinks his marriage to Christine deteriorated following Truely’s hospitalization in 2014.
In the episode aired in January 2022, Kody commented, “I think Christine hates me, partly because Truely almost died, and she thought that I had been careless.”
When Truely initially fell ill, Christine traveled to San Francisco with the other wives. According to the “Sister Wives” episode from season six, Christine decided to take Truely to the hospital when she got home. Kody claimed in the season 16 attack that their relationship changed as a result of the fact that he wasn’t present when she made a choice.
Kody’s Legal Wife Changed In 2014 From Meri To Robyn
Meri and Kody legally divorced in 2014, as shown in a “Sister Wives” episode from season eight. Later that year, Kody and Robyn were lawfully married. Meri chose this to let Kody formally adopt Brianna, Dayton, and Aurora, Robyn’s three children from a previous union.
There was no change in the romantic status of Meri and Kody’s marriage at the time; they were still “spiritually” married. The fact that Robyn and Kody were legally wed made it simpler for her to complete tasks like purchasing real estate and having her name on official documents.
Meri’s 2015 Catfishing Scandal Changed The Brown Family’s Dynamic Forever
Meri said in later episodes of “Sister Wives” that she started to feel more emotionally distanced from Kody and the family after getting a legal divorce. She eventually turned to the internet for solace and became a catfish.
According to the show and a People article from 2015, Meri connected with a man she thought was a Chicago businessman and developed an emotional bond with him. Later, she discovered that she had been conversing with a woman acting as a man.
“I didn’t know how to get out of the situation without putting myself, my family, and my friends at greater risk. It was a tough time. I had a lot of anxiety,” Meri told People at the time, noting that she became “fearful” once she realized she was conned.
“My family was very concerned for our safety and angry that we had been targeted,” she added. “They were relieved once I told them what was going on and saddened that I had been so afraid of involving them that I didn’t go to them sooner.”
In “Sister Wives,” the fallout from the catfishing affair was chronicled. However, Meri’s relationship with Kody was severely harmed, and they have never fully recovered, even though she had to mend fences with her sister’s spouses.
Kody and Meri kept up a united front in front of the camera during the scandal’s public backlash. Even though they acknowledged their marriage was having difficulties, no one seriously considered Meri leaving the family.
On the season 10 tell-all, likely recorded at the beginning of 2016, Kody admitted to host Erica Hill that he had no idea Meri was having an emotional affair while speaking to the catfisher.
In interviews on “Sister Wives,” Kody and Meri acknowledged that while Meri was still a part of the family, there was no romanticism in their relationship by season 12. Even Kody remarked that it appeared as if they were “divorced” but still sharing a house. The episodes were probably shot in the final months of 2016.
The Brown Family Moved To Flagstaff, Arizona, In 2018
The Brown family decided to relocate to Flagstaff, Arizona, in 2018, seemingly out of the blue. At the time of the transfer, they provided a statement to People.
“We are looking forwards to cooler temperatures, the mountain air, scenic views, and the slower lifestyle of Flagstaff,” the statement read, in part.
According to LinkedIn, Dayton, Robyn’s oldest son, who will turn 23 on January 16, started attending Northern Arizona University around this time. In Flagstaff, the family purchased a piece of land called Coyote Pass, on which they intended to construct homes—at least one for each of Kody’s wives and perhaps a fifth for rental purposes.
Meri And Kody’s Therapy Session In Nevada Reveals They’re Still On Bad Terms
Back in Nevada, Meri and Kody saw their therapist for a session that was probably recorded in the summer of 2019. Even though they had earlier stated on the show that they saw the relocation to Flagstaff as a new beginning, their marriage was still in a terrible place.
“Meri laments the passing of our possessions. I find it frightful, but I regret what we had. “Reflecting on the session, Kody spoke to the cameras. He said that from the start of their relationship, Meri had “deceived” him.
He said he “didn’t know” who he was getting married to at the time, but he didn’t elaborate.
Kody Thought About Reuniting With Meri After She Gifted Him Rice Krispies Treats, But Didn’t Act On It
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Meri and Kody celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. Still, they were clear that they weren’t dating, and Kody hadn’t resided with Meri since shortly after the catfishing controversy when the family was still living in Las Vegas.
Kody told Meri that if she wanted him back, she would need to “court” him because he didn’t want to start their relationship again. He was uncomfortable with the concept when Meri asked him what he would do if she bent over and kissed him.
But in the “Sister Wives: One on One” episode from season 17, Kody claimed that Meri had given him a Rice Krispy treat for each year of their marriage. He remembered how Meri had made him his favorite dessert and put so much thought into it that he had thought about making up with her.
In the season 17 tell-all, he shared his thoughts with his other three wives. He explained that he didn’t act on those impulses when he had the chance because of Christine’s reaction to the concept.
Kody Eventually Stopped Visiting Every Wife’s House Except Robyn’s
Janelle advised Kody to avoid visiting her home during the COVID-19 epidemic because two of her adult sons who still resided there were hanging out with pals. Next, he stopped visiting Christine’s residence since she had decided to fly to see her kids.
He claimed that to try and prevent his family, particularly the young children, from contracting COVID, he had tight restrictions in place, such as requiring individuals to change clothes whenever they went outside and disinfecting their mail.
Kody’s rigorous standards brought on some of the first conflicts viewers ever witnessed between Kody and Janelle in 16 seasons of television. Janelle scolded Kody to “fuck off” for making her feel bad about wanting to visit her kids on Thanksgiving when the Brown adults came together to discuss their holiday plans.
His guidelines were complied with by every member of the Flagstaff family so that they may celebrate Christmas together.
His Choices During The Pandemic Also Caused Tension Between Kody And Many of His Kids
After he stopped visiting Christine’s residence, Kody decided not to go to the east coast with her and their daughter Ysabel in the fall of 2020. Surgery was being performed on Ysabel to treat her scoliosis. Christine later admitted in a People interview that Kody’s decision to miss Ysabel’s operation was one of the turning points in her decision to leave Kody and that she would be able to live alone.
Tension also developed between Kody and Janelle’s sons, who were living with her at the time, due to Kody’s refusal to attend any residence other than Robyn’s. On a “Sister Wives” episode, they confronted him, and, according to Kody and Robyn, they also phoned Robyn and accused her of setting the boundaries and severing their family. Kody insisted that he established the guidelines to safeguard his kids.
Christine claimed that her girls didn’t “respect” their father because he had “favorites” in the family on an episode of “Sister Wives” that was likely taped in the latter half of 2020. She was probably talking about Robyn and her kids.
Janelle Supported Christine’s Decision To Split From Kody And Left The Family
After more than 25 years of “spiritual” marriage, Christine and Kody announced their separation in November 2021. For many years, viewers had watched them on the show go to therapy to attempt and solve their issues. We will continue to be a strong presence in each other’s lives as we parent our lovely children and support our fantastic family, Christine said in her statement regarding her decision.
Later “Sister Wives” episodes would demonstrate how Janelle helped Christine through the emotional turmoil of her breakup with Kody. An unspoken conflict developed between Janelle and Kody as a result of this.
Janelle Defended Her Children, Which Caused Even More Tension With Kody
When Janelle defended her kids, who were upset with Kody over how he treated them during COVID, viewers of “Sister Wives” season 17 saw Janelle and Kody’s relationship deteriorate even more. Before allowing his sons to spend the holidays with Robyn at his house, Kody seemed to hint that he needed an apology from some of them. In an interview with the media, Janelle declared that she wouldn’t “kowtow” to Kody’s demands.
It’s unknown if Kody called his son Gabriel in October 2021 while suffering from COVID to apologize for forgetting his birthday.
Meri And Janelle Announced The Status of Their Relationships During The Season 17 Tell-all
Janelle said that she and Kody were “separated” in a single interview with “Sister Wives: One on One” host Sukanya Krishnan in the season 17 tell-all, which was probably shot around September 2022. Viewers have not yet seen the circumstances leading the couple to choose.
Meri claimed that Kody “made a choice” that their spiritual marriage was over in a separate interview with Krishnan for the program. She may not have left the family, though.
According to what is known to viewers now, Robyn and Kody’s legal marriage appears to be the only one that works for Kody.
On January 8 at 10 p.m. ET, “Sister Wives: One on One” will air part three.