Meri Brown, from the show Sister Wives, knew her ex-husband, Kody Brown, firmly believed he could love multiple wives.
When she had trouble getting pregnant after their wedding in 1990, it was incredibly painful—especially when Kody’s other wives, Janelle Brown and Christine Brown, announced they were pregnant.
During a recent interview on TLC’s ‘One-on-One’ special, the 55-year-old admitted to feeling like she couldn’t do anything right at certain points in her life, even something as natural as having a child.
After welcoming her son Leon in 1995 – following Christine’s oldest child, Aspyn, being born months earlier and Janelle’s son Logan over a year before – Meri explained that she was no longer able to have children.
As the family expanded – Janelle and Christine each had six children, and Kody’s wife Robyn Brown had five – Meri started to feel like she was the problem.
Looking back on that difficult time, she said her former sister wives didn’t necessarily blame her for feeling hurt, but she wasn’t sure they truly understood what she was going through.
They certainly tried, Robyn insisted.
Kody Brown’s last wife explained to Sukanya Krishnan that they always told Meri about their pregnancies first. They did this to give her time to come to terms with the news before sharing it with others, acknowledging her unique situation.
Robyn explained her aim was to reassure her partner, letting him know she understood he was struggling and that she loved him, despite being pregnant herself.
This explains why Robyn volunteered to be a surrogate for Meri if she ever wanted to have more children with Kody. She said she wanted to be there for Meri, to acknowledge her sadness and understand what she was going through.
Still, the heartache was all-consuming.
As a lifestyle expert, I can tell you that watching a partner build a family with someone else is incredibly difficult. It’s one thing to see friends or family members have babies when you’re hoping for that yourself, but it’s a completely different and much more painful experience when it’s happening with your husband and other people. It’s a huge emotional challenge, and honestly, something no one should have to go through.
Although that was the biggest emotional challenge of her thirty years with Kody, she experienced other difficult times as well.
Meri shared that Kody and Janelle didn’t seem to realize how upsetting it was that they planned to get married on her birthday – January 16, 1993 – and that this might have contributed to some of the problems she experienced in their polygamous relationship.
Meri remembered that when they first discussed postponing the wedding, Kody’s mom stepped in to delay it by four days. Initially, Kody and others seemed unconcerned, suggesting they could simply celebrate on a different date. Meri was shocked by this attitude, feeling it did matter that the wedding was properly scheduled.
She definitely had mixed emotions when Janelle became a sister wife after marrying Meri’s brother, Adam Barber, especially considering they’d only been married for two years.
Look, I’ll be honest, I felt things, and apparently, that was my mistake. It was my fault for having emotions, according to everyone else. It just felt like I wasn’t allowed to feel anything at all.
As a committed polygamist, she explained that their faith requires them to persevere through challenges. She believes living this lifestyle is essential for achieving salvation.
Honestly, it was SO good to see Meri finally stand up for herself! After everything, she just had to end things with Kody in 2022, and I was cheering her on! She said it best – she’s completely done letting him walk all over her, and it’s like he doesn’t even know how to handle her not accepting that anymore. It’s about time she prioritized herself, and I’m so proud of her for it!
Get ready, because Meri is really starting to speak her mind! This season of the TLC series has been full of surprising confessions from her and the other women.
The Coyote Pass deal became complicated because the family hadn’t resolved issues from their time in Las Vegas.
After Meri sold her large house in Las Vegas, she gave the money to Robyn so she could buy a similar-sized house in Arizona. Janelle also contributed to the purchase.
Meri explained that the people featured on the January 18th One-on-One special purchased a house which quickly increased in value when they sold it, a fortunate outcome for them.
Which is when she and Janelle made clear that their loan wasn’t exactly on the house.
When it was time to sell their land in Arizona, Kody explained that several financial issues hadn’t been resolved. Janelle and Meri had previously given him and Robyn money to help buy Robyn’s house, and Kody held half of the profits from Meri’s former Las Vegas home. They wanted their share – 25 percent – of the Coyote Pass property, but Kody had contributed extra funds to the purchase. They also wanted to be reimbursed for the money they’d gifted for Robyn’s house, but he hadn’t been compensated for his contributions, leading to an impasse in negotiations.
Robyn mentioned they reached an agreement with Janelle. Janelle confirmed they had settled everything with her, but stated Meri still had outstanding issues.
Despite everything, Kody kept saying Meri would eventually receive her payment. He firmly stated, “Meri will get paid.” He also expressed his frustration, adding that he’d be upset because everyone had spent the whole time criticizing him instead of helping.
Robyn and Meri, who used to be close, are still facing tension. When asked why she didn’t warn Meri that Kody and Janelle might be making plans without her, Robyn explained on a recent special that she didn’t want to go against Kody’s wishes.
Robyn explained that if she and Meri had maintained a good relationship, she might be open to hearing an apology. However, because Meri has damaged their connection so much, and Robyn doesn’t understand why, that’s not possible right now.
Okay, so here’s what I think happened – Meri was totally talking bad about me, and I had no idea why! It was so sudden, one minute we were… well, maybe not friends, but cordial, and the next it was like I didn’t even exist to her. I swear, I’m so confused! She just flipped out at Kody, and somehow I got dragged into it. It’s like, what even happened? I genuinely don’t understand why things changed so drastically. It’s just… frustrating, you know? I wish she’d just tell me what’s wrong!
Turns out even Kody said “I do” to seeing his former bride marry her now-husband in October 2023.
He confessed on the January 18th show that he attended their wedding and was happy for them the whole time. He said it was wonderful to see Christine living her dream.
Now that her divorce from Kody Brown is final, Janelle Brown shared in the season 20 premiere of Sister Wives that she’s taking a similar approach to Meri Brown.
After 29 years of marriage, Christine Brown wasn’t legally married to Kody. She revealed on the show’s premiere that she’d considered ending their relationship spiritually a long time ago, but didn’t know that was even possible. When Meri pursued a spiritual divorce, Christine realized she could do the same and asked Meri for guidance.
Janelle’s former sister wife—who had previously been released from their church due to feeling abandoned—was glad to help connect Janelle with other family members. According to Janelle, she’s been assisting in getting in touch with everyone.
As someone who follows family dynamics closely, I’ve been observing Madison Brush’s journey, and it’s clear she’s still processing the fallout from her father, Kody’s, choices. She recently shared that she’s really struggling with their strained relationship and the separation – it’s a tough situation, and I can see it’s still very raw for her.
The mother of four admitted she hopes her husband’s father will be present, and that she desires a resolution to their issues. She acknowledged her own role in the situation, adding that she’s frustrated because she’s still working on managing her expectations and avoiding disappointment.
She’s having a hard time accepting him as he is. She explained that she’s working on understanding that he may not have known how to be there for her, and that he could be going through his own pain.
He also might not be willing to cede too much ground.
Kody expressed wanting to repair his relationships with Meri, Janelle, Christine Brown, and their children. He feels they’ve reached a standstill, stating that any progress depends entirely on them being willing to work on things.
Robyn Brown, Kody’s last remaining wife, says she always desired a family, not just a relationship with Kody himself. She shared on the September 28th episode that she had received marriage proposals before, though not always formal ones. She explained that several men had expressed interest in marrying her at various points in time.
She consistently stated her intention to enter a plural marriage, saying, “I told him I was open to the idea.” She added that if Kody hadn’t already been married to three other women, she would have given him the same answer.
Kody explained that, despite not planning to be exclusive, he and his partner had unintentionally become a monogamous couple, playfully declaring, “It’s just you and me now.”
Though he admittedly had one concern.
Kody hinted to Robyn that he desired a more fulfilling intimate life. In a private interview, he explained his perspective on relationships: he believed polygamy offered abundance, while monogamy often left people feeling unfulfilled.
Meri is actively dating and has a clear idea of what she wants in a partner. She’s looking for a tall man who loves to travel and, importantly, prefers dogs over cats, as she shared on the October 5th episode.
And she definitely needs someone who won’t scare easily.
She recounted a difficult dating experience, explaining that a man she was talking to ended the conversation as soon as he learned she practiced polygamy. He told her he wasn’t interested in continuing a relationship with someone who did, which she found very hurtful. She felt rejected simply because of her relationship style.
Meri explained that it was the first time she truly understood that some people wouldn’t even want to speak with her because of who she was.
Janelle firmly believes she was the only one in her large family who really desired to settle on Coyote Pass.
On the October 3rd episode, Janelle revealed that she never fully envisioned the entire family living on the 14-acre Coyote Pass property they bought before moving to Flagstaff, Arizona in 2018. She discussed the disagreements within the family regarding the land.
Although Kody’s second wife thought living there could work—she said it was a nice property and worth considering—she believed Kody and his other wives were only temporarily interested in the idea.
She explained that no one was eager to live in that area, especially not Christine. Meri would have agreed to move if everyone else had been on board.
Janelle observed that Kody and Robyn’s former property, a two-acre home with five bedrooms that they recently sold for $1.7 million, felt unfinished despite being mostly built.
Janelle explained that despite the initial agreement to divide the land into four parts, she quickly realized after moving to Flagstaff that it wouldn’t work out.
Kody believes he knows why his relationships with most of his adult children (excluding Robyn’s oldest, Dayton, and her daughters Aurora and Breanna) aren’t very good.
He admitted on October 5th that he and his adult children have a difficult relationship. He explained that constant teasing and subtle jabs have created problems with trust and loyalty between them all.
And these days, not many of his grown kids are on Team Kody.
Even though Mykelti Padron, one of Christine’s six children, had seemed the most publicly supportive of her father, she shared her thoughts on the family split several months after moving to North Carolina with her husband, Tony Padron, and their three children.
She observed during an October 2024 fan Q&A on Instagram (@withoutacrystalball) that if he simply took responsibility for his actions, at least some of his children might try to reconnect with him. Instead of constantly blaming his kids, their feelings about his new wife, or others, she believes a simple apology and willingness to discuss his mistakes – like saying, ‘I understand I messed up. I’m sorry. Can we talk?’ – would make a huge difference.
When Coyote Pass was sold in April 2025, Janelle and Meri finalized their separation from Kody and received money from the sale. Christine had previously given up her share of the land in return for keeping the profits from selling her house in Arizona.
On the October 5th episode, Janelle playfully told Meri it felt like saying, “Goodbye, and I don’t expect to see you again.”
But she certainly wouldn’t have waved off an even nicer present.
She stated that if she had been legally married to Kody, she would have expected to receive half of his possessions, as she would have been entitled to it.
Kody and Robyn had to review the contract for their new $2.1 million home before they could finally give up on their plans for Coyote Pass. After a long process of discussing selling the large property with his former wives, Kody explained on the October 12th episode that they moved forward with selling Coyote Pass because they decided they really wanted the new house instead.
The father of 18 children is also looking forward to leaving behind the painful memories associated with their old house. He explained, “We’ve gone through a lot of difficult times here, and we’re hoping for a fresh start – a completely new chapter in our lives.”
Kody believed he could love multiple wives, but he admitted his attention wasn’t always spread evenly among them. He explained on the October 19th episode that he struggled to fully commit to each wife individually, and felt they didn’t always fully commit to him or to each other as a united family.
Looking back, he realized one mistake was giving Robyn a lavish lifestyle – a $1.65 million, five-bedroom house – while his other wives had more modest living arrangements. He admitted he didn’t understand why his marriages to Meri, Janelle, and Christine ended, but he believed the house created jealousy. He felt his wives struggled with him going to great lengths to provide security and comfort for Robyn.
Christine found it challenging to relax around Kody. As she explained on the October 26th episode, he was a very demanding husband with many particular preferences – from what he ate to how he maintained his appearance.
Bottom line, she noted, “It was a lot.”
Janelle isn’t interested in starting a new relationship anytime soon, especially after her breakup with Kody. She admitted to Christine and her husband, David Woolley, that being with Kody was exhausting, and she believes relationships in general require a lot of effort.
That’s why she’s pushing back against David’s suggestions that she join FarmersOnly. She explained to the cameras, ‘David just doesn’t understand that I’m not interested in dating right now. I keep telling him, ‘No, no, no!”
Kody was generally careful to address each of his wives by the correct name. Christine explained in a recent episode that he almost never miscalled them. She emphasized how hurtful it would be to hear another wife’s name in a private moment, and confirmed that this never occurred.
Though there were some close calls.
I often found myself starting arguments,” Kody confessed. “I’ve definitely done it before. I’d sometimes initiate a conflict and then quickly change the subject or direction of the conversation.
To hear Christine tell it, she felt quite stabbed in the kidney by her former sister wife.
She told David on the November 2nd episode that she felt deeply betrayed by Robyn, explaining she’d lost all trust in her. She shared that she used to tell Robyn private things, but then those secrets would get her into trouble with Kody, making her realize she couldn’t rely on Robyn to keep anything confidential. As a result, she stopped sharing personal information with her.
But Robyn insisted she was just trying to play marriage counselor.
Christine often told me she wished Kody understood what she was going through and how much she was struggling. I was a bit naive and thought I could fix things, but now I realize it would have been better to stay out of their issues completely.
Meri used to be flattered by the idea that Kody favored her over his other ex-wives, but when he tried to chat with her over video about selling their house in Arizona, she wasn’t interested in being friendly.
He recalled helping Meri move to Parowan, Utah, saying it was a pleasant experience. He wondered what caused their relationship to change, noting that things have become awkward since then, as they discussed on the November 2nd episode.
However, Meri maintained she was only interested in business matters, especially after hearing Kody’s comments in earlier seasons of the show.
I had to be firm and set clear limits with him,” she said. “It’s frustrating when he acts friendly on video calls and pretends everything is okay after some of the hurtful things he’s said about me and my friends – I won’t tolerate that behavior.
Christine happily accepted her now-husband David’s proposal last year, but her ex-spouse believes he should have been consulted before the decision.
Kody explained that his youngest daughter, Truely, lives with David, and he feels he should get to know him better.
In fact, he mused, he “should have had the right, even, to discriminate David.”
Honestly, as someone who’s seen a lot of family dynamics play out, I wasn’t surprised at all by Janelle’s reaction. She was really looking forward to getting her investment back from Coyote Pass, but she wasn’t going to make a fuss about the money she’d already given to Robyn and Kody for their big house in Arizona. It’s about choosing your battles, you know? Sometimes, peace of mind is worth more than the cash.
She explained on the November 2nd episode that her children believe she should try to recover the money she invested in Robyn’s house, but she anticipates a difficult legal battle to do so.
She explained that trying to get money from Kody is difficult, because he always has a long list of excuses for why he doesn’t owe it.
He felt he’d already fulfilled his obligation to Janelle. He explained that Janelle had helped him and his wife purchase their house, and he’d repaid her in January. He recalled that she’d told him shortly after, in either January or February, that their debts were settled and he didn’t owe her anything further, stating it was more than a fair exchange.
Should Kody still be interested in having his love multiplied, there’s no shortage of options.
He told Robyn on the November 2nd episode that he’d received another email from a woman inquiring about plural marriage.
He told Robyn that his former wife was upset with his decision to end their plural marriage. Then, surprisingly, she offered to become part of their family – essentially asking to get to know him and Robyn with the intention of joining them as another wife.
Robyn didn’t immediately reject the idea. She later confessed that for a moment, she actually considered it, thinking it could be exactly what she’d always hoped for and wondering if it would be a good fit.
Ultimately, though, it was a no.
She was upset they contacted Kody directly. She believes it’s generally considered disrespectful to approach a man who’s already in a polygamous relationship; you should always go through his wives first.
Kody admits his strained relationship with his child is a major family issue, but he needs to make significant changes to improve things.
On a recent episode of the show, Janelle revealed that Maddie didn’t tell her father, Kody, about her fourth pregnancy. Janelle explained that there was no need to inform him, as they hadn’t spoken in two or three years. She added that he would eventually find out.
Janelle didn’t just want a relationship with Kody; she also wanted to be part of the existing family. Meri explained that when Janelle married Kody three years into his marriage with her—and after a short marriage to Meri’s brother—she felt Janelle was considerate and tried to be sensitive to her feelings. As Meri recalled on November 9th, Janelle seemed to make an effort to include her and avoid causing pain.
Meri admitted that she felt jealous and confused when they first started exploring plural marriage. However, she also said it made her feel cherished that her partner was willing to work through it with her.
Meri doesn’t back down easily. However, things became complicated when her family agreed to sell Coyote Pass, the 14-acre property they bought after relocating to Arizona.
During the November 16th episode, Meri said the problem seemed to be simply getting the correct names on the property documents. She added that she didn’t understand why the paperwork couldn’t have just been signed.
She was also puzzled by another of Kody’s moves.
She explained, clearly upset, that he was blaming her for the delays, claiming she was the one causing the problem. She clarified that the real issue was their insistence on her signing a confidentiality agreement she wasn’t comfortable with, and questioned their motives for trying to silence her.
To hear Robyn tell it, though, their discussions were nothing to howl about.
Meri and I have always been able to talk openly and honestly with each other. I was simply trying to understand what she needed, and I always want what’s best for her.
Christine says having more money has made life much easier. As a mother of six, she clearly remembers the stress of not having enough money for even basic groceries.
She explained that it’s really awkward when you get to the register and realize you’ve spent more money than you planned. You might be able to pay with a check, but it could bounce, forcing you to return items to stay within your budget.
Other times they had to walk back plans to pay for certain essentials.
You know, when things were tight, my family and I would have these regular check-ins – sometimes weekly, sometimes monthly. We’d basically sit down and honestly assess our bills, figuring out which one absolutely had to be paid that week. It was a really practical way to stay on top of things when money was limited.
Robyn was determined to ensure everyone received a fair share of the money from the sale of Coyote Pass. As she explained on the November 23rd episode, she insisted that she, Kody, Janelle, and Meri each get a quarter of the profits, and she didn’t hesitate to strongly disagree with Kody to make that happen. She admitted they had several heated arguments about it.
Ultimately, Kody explained that when the 14-acre property was sold in April 2025, they decided to simply resolve the situation and ensure everyone received their 25% share.
Janelle didn’t directly say Kody had a mid-life crisis, but she explained in a recent episode that his behavior changed noticeably after he turned a significant age.
By the time Kody turned 50, he was married to his fourth wife, Robyn, and began complaining about the burden of supporting the entire family. Janelle explained that he seemed to believe Robyn was his true soulmate and that keeping up four marriages had become too draining for him.
But Kody took issue with the idea that he didn’t put in the work.
He firmly stated that he’d always fulfilled his duties within the family. He prided himself on consistently giving his all, but felt that effort wasn’t reciprocated by other family members.
He joked that dealing with his three divorces felt like everyone was going through menopause at the same time. He explained it by saying men can experience hormonal changes too, and he likely lost the motivation to keep trying because his testosterone levels probably dropped significantly.
When Janelle Brown’s mother, Sheryl Usher, discovered her daughter was considering plural marriage, she initially tried to intervene, believing Janelle was getting involved with a dangerous group. Janelle explained that her mother “came to save me from the polygamists.” However, in a surprising turn of events, Sheryl herself ended up marrying Kody Brown’s father, Winn Brown, just three months before Janelle and Kody tied the knot in October 1992.
Let’s be real, blending families isn’t always simple, and their marriage definitely added a layer of complexity to things. I remember thinking when they decided to tie the knot, ‘Okay, this is going to require some explaining!’ It felt a little strange at first, adjusting to everything, but honestly? It turned out to be a good thing. It was nice having someone else to lean on and share life with, and that sense of connection was really valuable.
Ysabel Brown says she wishes she’d had more one-on-one time with her father, Kody. On a recent episode of the show, she explained that she and her dad aren’t particularly close.
Ysabel shared that her mom is wonderfully capable of being both a mother and a father, and she does both roles perfectly. She also thinks her stepdad, David, is fantastic.
You know, when it comes to family, things are rarely black and white. While things with Kody are definitely… complicated, I wouldn’t say our relationship is broken. He’s still my dad, and that connection, that love, is still there. It’s important to remember that even when things are tough, family bonds run deep.
Though Janelle still feels the family had something special, that spark wasn’t apparent early on.
Janelle felt hurt that her ex-husband didn’t always support her, often siding with others instead, especially early in their relationship. Combined with existing issues of jealousy and insecurity they were both dealing with, it created a difficult situation.
Janelle Brown became pregnant with her first child, Logan, less than a year after marrying Kody. Because Kody was often away for work as a traveling salesman, Janelle felt she had to prioritize keeping things calm and ended up losing touch with who she was as an individual.
If Kody wants to have a good relationship with Meri after their split, he needs to get along with her friends. He helped her move after they separated, hoping they could remain amicable – as he explained on the December 28th episode, they agreed to be kind to each other. However, he was surprised and hurt to find her friends were openly critical of him.
He explained that he confronted her aggressively over the phone, demanding her friends stop talking. He admitted to scolding them, and believes she was deeply hurt by it.
Kody explained that conversations with his ex-wife often quickly became arguments. He said they were unable to have calm discussions during their marriage, and if they want to have any kind of connection going forward, they’ll need to learn to manage their explosive reactions.
Although Christine and Kody are no longer married, they remain family through a surprising connection. As Christine revealed on December 28th, they are actually third cousins once removed, a legally recognized relationship.
You know, it became a running joke within our family, but honestly, the connection was so distant it was almost comical. I think this kind of thing happens a lot in polygamist communities, just because of how interconnected everyone is. It wasn’t like they saw each other at every family gathering – it was a really far-removed relationship. But they always playfully talked about being cousins, which was funny because it’s such a small community, everyone’s somehow related to everyone else!
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2026-01-26 07:20