Sister Wives’ Christine Brown Reveals She’s Related to Ex Kody Brown

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Even though Christine Brown is no longer married to Kody Brown and doesn’t have the same relationship with his other wives, they still consider each other family.

During a recent episode of TLC’s Sister Wives, the star revealed to her husband, David Woolley, that she is related to Kody. Having grown up in a well-known polygamist family, the 53-year-old explained that she always knew she’d need to marry someone outside of the faith because she was related to almost everyone in the church. While she did marry someone who wasn’t raised in the faith, she later discovered she was also related to him.

When Christine’s husband, David, objected to something after learning about their family connection, she quickly explained that marrying third cousins, once removed, is completely legal – and she emphasized the point.

Although she admitted that plural marriage isn’t officially legal, she and Kody—parents to Aspyn Thomas, Mykelti Padron, Paedon Brown, Gwendlyn Queiroz, Ysabel Brown, and Truely Brown—are actually third cousins once removed.

While still within the bounds of the law, the situation became something of a family gag. 

Janelle Brown, who separated from Kody in 2022, shared that there was a running joke about her and Kody being distant cousins – so distantly related it was almost absurd. Shortly after Janelle’s announcement, first wife Meri Brown confirmed their separation as well, leaving Robyn Brown as Kody’s only remaining wife.

Janelle explained in a private interview that situations like this weren’t uncommon in polygamous families. She described the relationship as very distant – not one where they’d interact at family gatherings – but noted they often jokingly referred to each other as cousins, likely due to the close-knit nature of the community.

Although Christine and Kody are still related, the bond they once shared through their six children has weakened in recent years.

And Kody’s viewpoint is that the friction stems from his splits with Meri, Janelle and Christine. 

The problems weren’t caused by anything one of us did alone, but by things we experienced as a family,” explained the father of 18. “My difficult experiences with my children, and their pain, stem from a shared situation, not from anyone doing something wrong or hurtful.

He said he was ready to talk and truly listen, even if it meant hearing accusations like, “Dad, you did this, you did this, you did this.” He was prepared to allow those feelings and statements to be expressed without interruption or defensiveness.

Although he’s currently estranged from several of his children, many have spoken out about the issues between them. Continue reading to learn what Kody’s children have revealed about their strained relationship.

Gabriel Brown felt that Kody Brown’s apology came too late. They had initially disagreed about Kody’s strict COVID-19 rules and remained estranged even after restrictions were eased.

According to Janelle Brown, Kody felt his children – Logan, Hunter, Garrison, Gabriel, Madison, and Savannah – hadn’t been supportive of him or followed his rules.

Gabriel explained to Janelle in an October 2024 episode of Sister Wives that the other person kept making it seem like Gabriel was the one who needed to apologize. Gabriel eventually told him, ‘If you’re not willing to work on our relationship, we shouldn’t talk.’ A few days later, the person texted Gabriel, saying he’d been thinking about what Gabriel said and offered forgiveness, asking for forgiveness in return. Gabriel responded by asking, ‘Forgive me for what?’

He was very close to his father and often joined him on work trips, but he’s still trying to understand what went wrong. He told Janelle that he made it clear to his dad: if he didn’t change his behavior and take responsibility for his actions, their relationship was over. And he was prepared to accept that.

Kody Brown intended to share his affection among many children, but ended up spreading his time thin across his 18 kids. Because of this, Ysabel Brown worried that when David Woolley married her mother, Christine Brown, in 2023, he would become a replacement for her father figure.

In a November 2024 interview, Ysabel tearfully expressed her fear that she was losing the opportunity to build a close relationship with her father.

Not that she didn’t appreciate David as a stepdad. 

She commented that he seems like a very involved and loving father, and that’s wonderful to see. She added that she hopes to have a similarly close and positive relationship with her own father.

She continues to hope for a better relationship with her father, and in a November 2025 interview, she explained that they aren’t particularly close.

Despite seeing Christine as both a mother and a father figure, she didn’t consider her relationship with Kody completely over. Even though he wouldn’t travel to support her after her back surgery during the pandemic, she maintained, “He’s still my dad, and I love him.”

Kody would prefer Paedon Brown, one of Christine’s children, remain silent about him.

In a January 2023 interview with YouTuber John Yates, Paedon Brown described getting a surprise phone call from his father. He said the hour-long conversation went surprisingly well, leading him to feel hopeful about reconnecting with his dad. He thought, ‘Maybe I’m finally getting my father back,’ and was really pleased.

Then he called his mom. 

While speaking with Christine—who is also the mother of Aspyn Thompson, Mykelti Padron, Gwendlyn Queiroz, Ysabel, and Truely Brown—Paedon discovered that Kody had been attempting to influence producers to prevent his children from publicly criticizing him. He was trying to include clauses in their contracts forbidding them from saying anything negative about him online or in the media.

Paedon explained that a potential agreement fell through because of his mother. She told him he needed to rebuild a relationship with his children and earn their affection, rather than trying to control what they said about him. He then understood his father hadn’t called to genuinely connect, but to prevent him from speaking negatively about the family.

Gwendlyn admits it’s painful to see her father, Kody, being a good dad to his children with Robyn Brown, especially since she feels she didn’t receive that same level of attention. She shared this in a February 2023 YouTube video while watching him interact with his youngest kids, Solomon and Ariella Brown.

She’s glad her children have an involved father, but she points out that her own father wasn’t demonstrably pleased with her childhood accomplishments, like finishing lunch or making friends. She doesn’t recall him ever sharing those small joys with her.

That being said, she was still willing to play nice. 

In a January 2023 YouTube video she labeled their relationship as “very flip-floppy.” 

Gwendlyn shared that her relationship with her dad has improved, saying, ‘He’s sweet to me now.’ She invited Kody and Robyn to her wedding with Beatriz Queiroz in July 2023, explaining that while they’ve had disagreements, things are getting better, and seeing each other less often has helped them avoid conflict.

When she watches the show on Sunday nights, she admits she sometimes doesn’t like his behavior. But she quickly reminds herself that he’s going through a tough period, and that it’s hard for everyone involved. Ultimately, she remembers he’s still her father and he still treats her well.

Mykelti, one of the Brown children who maintained relationships with both her mothers, Robyn and Christine, and her father, Kody, often tried to mediate during Kody’s divorces.

Over the years, she’s appeared to distance herself from Kody Brown and his family, sharing her perspective on their falling out after she and her husband, Tony Padron, relocated to North Carolina with their three children.

She believes that if he simply took responsibility for his actions, at least some of his children might try to reconnect with him. She explained in an October 2024 fan Q&A on Instagram (@withoutacrystalball) that instead of blaming his kids, his other wife, their parents, or rumors, a simple apology and willingness to discuss what he did wrong would make a huge difference. She feels that saying, ‘I understand I messed up. I’m sorry. Can we talk?’ would go a long way towards repairing those relationships.

She strongly disagreed with his belief that he shouldn’t have to ask his children to fix things between them.

Regardless of any difficulties with her children, she always made an effort to repair things, consistently reaching out, apologizing, and trying to strengthen their bond. She explained that’s simply what parents do, even if it means enduring hurt and taking responsibility with an apology – even if it feels like a painful blow.

Leon Brown, who generally stays out of the public eye since appearing on Sister Wives, recently felt the need to respond to a statement made by Kody Brown. Kody claimed he’s tried contacting all of his children “multiple times” and that any lack of a relationship is due to them not responding. Leon, Meri Brown’s only child, broke their social media silence to address this claim.

Leon stated that Kody hadn’t called or contacted them, and pointed to a circulating video of Kody claiming he tries to reach out to his children. In a November 2025 Instagram post, Leon explained they hadn’t heard from Kody since their brother Garrison’s death in March 2024. Leon further added that Kody had ignored them at Garrison’s funeral, calling him a liar and a terrible father.

Maddie’s difficult relationship with her father isn’t just about her own feelings; she’s also thinking about other things.

After welcoming her fourth child, Emilia, in March 2025, she said on the November 30, 2025, episode of the TLC series that she’s willing to forgive and move forward. However, she explained that if her father wants to have a real relationship with her, her husband Caleb Brush, and their children – Axel, Evie, Josephine, and Emilia – he needs to prove he can be consistently reliable.

And judging by her scathing October 2025 social media rebuke, she’s still waiting. 

Maddie shared an inspiring quote on Instagram Stories about protecting your energy and explained how she learned to prioritize what deserves her attention.

She shared with a follower seeking advice that learning boundaries ‘happens really fast’ when a parent publicly spreads false information about you.

In a 2024 episode of her podcast, The Authentic Society, she explained her biggest problem with him was a lack of respect for personal boundaries. She said he expects people to follow his rules, and she’s unwilling to do that.

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2025-12-29 23:49