Similar to how Taylor Swift prefers to avoid unwanted attention, Kody Brown’s former wives, Christine and Janelle Brown, also want to distance themselves from this story.
As someone who often talks about healthy family dynamics, I really resonated with what Christine Brown shared recently. She expressed feeling completely drained by being held responsible for Kody’s strained relationships with his adult children. And honestly, she’s right – it is his responsibility to nurture those bonds, not hers. It’s so important to set boundaries and not take on the emotional weight of someone else’s relationships, and she clearly feels that pressure.
Janelle admitted in a private interview that she wished she had more sway over her grown children, saying things would be much easier if she did.
Even after years of strained relationships with his adult children—with the exception of Dayton, 25, Aurora, 23, and Breanna, 21, his oldest three with Robyn Brown, his only remaining wife—she thinks his former wives may have unintentionally made things worse.
Robyn told Kody that she believes people are upset, there have been some miscommunications, and others have been trying to sway opinions – and that this manipulation has been quite strong.
Robyn explained that parents often underestimate how their words impact their children’s views of each other. She specifically pointed out that in a plural marriage like theirs, the father isn’t present as much as the mother, and even Kody’s former wives, like Meri Brown, may have unintentionally contributed to this dynamic by offering their opinions.
Recently, Kody has been completely absent, and Janelle shared on the November 9th episode that their oldest daughter, Madison Brush, hasn’t talked to him for years.
Maddie explained on her 2024 podcast, The Authentic Society, that she stopped speaking to her father because he doesn’t respect personal boundaries. She simply didn’t want to keep following his rules anymore.
But now Kody may be willing to change his strategy.
I was really glad to hear him talk about potentially seeing a therapist on the November 23rd episode. He mentioned wanting to work through some challenges he’s been having with his older kids and learn how to communicate with them more effectively. It sounds like he’s genuinely trying to improve things, and I think that’s a really positive step.
Even though he was the one who had to remove a knife from his kidney, he admitted that his own words could be just as hurtful.
Robyn pointed out that the situation was incredibly confusing and difficult for their children to grasp, and Kody agreed, admitting that his negative comments about their mothers contributed to the problem.
He’s currently trying to be solution-oriented and shared that he’s made repeated efforts to connect with each of his children. However, he feels that if they choose not to have a relationship with him, it’s because they aren’t responding to his attempts.
Ultimately, though, everyone was likely to suffer, Robyn surmised.
She explained that even though they might say otherwise, they’ll always miss her if she’s not around, and no one can truly fill that void.
This is just one of the many honest things she and the other cast members have revealed this season. Read on to see all of their confessions.
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.
Though they were married for 29 years, Christine was never legally married to Kody. She explained on the show’s premiere that she’d considered ending their relationship spiritually a long time ago but didn’t know that was possible. When Meri pursued a spiritual divorce, Christine asked her who she should contact to do the same.
Janelle’s former sister wife—who had been released from their church because she felt abandoned—was glad to reconnect everyone. Janelle explained, ‘She’s been really helpful in getting me back in touch with family and friends.’
Madison Brush is still dealing with the fallout from her father’s actions. Despite being estranged from Kody, Madison—one of his six children with Janelle—shared on the September 28th episode that she continues to struggle with their separation.
Speaking candidly, the mother of four admitted she hopes her husband’s father will be present. She also expressed a desire for them to mend their relationship, acknowledging her own role in the situation and admitting she’s still working on managing her disappointment.
She’s having a hard time accepting him as he is. She explained 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 kids, but feels like it can only happen if they decide to make it happen. He believes they’ve reached a standstill because the healing process needs to be led by them.
Robyn Brown, Kody’s last remaining wife, says she always desired a family, not just a relationship with Kody himself. On the September 28th episode of the show, she shared that she had received marriage proposals before, though they weren’t always formal. She explained that several men had told her they would marry her quickly if she’d have them.
She consistently stated her intention to enter a plural marriage, saying, “I told him, I plan to live a plural marriage.” She also clarified that if Kody hadn’t already been married with three wives, 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 view that polygamy offers abundance while monogamy often leaves people wanting more.
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 a recent episode of the show.
And she definitely needs someone who won’t scare easily.
She described 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 lifestyle.
Meri explained that it was the first time she truly understood that some people would be unwilling to connect 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.
Okay, so I was listening to Janelle, and she finally admitted something HUGE! She was talking about Coyote Pass, you know, the land they bought before moving to Flagstaff, and she basically said… she never really pictured them all living out there together! Like, ever! It’s so crazy because I’ve been following them for years and it always seemed like that was the plan, the ultimate dream. But apparently, it was never really her dream at all? I’m still processing it, honestly. It just feels… different now knowing that.
Although Kody’s second wife thought living there could work—she said it was a nice property and worth considering—she believed her ex-husband and his other wives were only briefly interested in the idea.
She explained that no one actually wanted to live in that area, especially not Christine. Meri would have agreed to move if everyone else had, but they didn’t.
Janelle observed that Kody and Robyn’s former property, a five-bedroom house on two acres 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 pieces, she quickly realized it wasn’t going to work after they moved to Flagstaff.
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 feels distant from his adult children. He explained that their relationships are difficult because of hurtful comments and subtle jabs, which have created problems with trust and loyalty for everyone involved.
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 she, her husband Tony Padron, and their three children moved to North Carolina.
She believes that if he simply took responsibility for his actions, at least some of his children would try to reconnect with him. During a fan Q&A in October 2024, shared on Instagram (@withoutacrystalball), she explained that instead of blaming his children, his other wife, their parents, or rumors, 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.
Okay, so it’s finally happening! With the sale of Coyote Pass in April 2025, Janelle and Meri are officially DONE with Kody – and they’re getting something good out of it, which is amazing. It’s like a little reward for escaping! And honestly, Christine was SO smart to get her share sorted out earlier – she traded her piece of the land to keep the money from selling her house, and it totally paid off. It’s just… good to see them finally moving on and getting what they deserve!
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 they would have been considered jointly owned.
Kody and Robyn had to finalize the purchase of their new $2.1 million home before they could give up on their plans for Coyote Pass. Kody explained on the October 12th episode that selling Coyote Pass only became possible once they found a different house they really wanted.
The father of eighteen children is also hoping to leave behind painful memories from their old house. He explained, “We’ve gone through a lot of difficult times here, and we’re looking for a fresh start, a completely new chapter in our lives.”
Kody believed he could love multiple wives, but admitted his attention wasn’t spread evenly among them. He explained on the October 19th episode that while he was committed to the idea of plural marriage and his family, he found it difficult to fully devote himself to each wife, and felt they didn’t always fully support each other or him either.
Looking back, I think one of the biggest mistakes I made – and it kills me to admit it – was getting Robyn that amazing house in Flagstaff. It was a beautiful, five-bedroom place, cost $1.65 million, and honestly, it was everything. I just wanted her to feel safe and secure, but I can see now it really upset Meri, Janelle, and Christine. I still don’t fully understand why things fell apart with them, but I realize now that giving Robyn that house… it felt like I was prioritizing her comfort over everything else. I fought so hard to make sure she was taken care of, and I think my other wives just couldn’t cope with that, and I feel terrible about it.
Christine found it difficult to relax around Kody. As she explained on the October 26th episode, he was a very demanding husband with many particular preferences, including specific diets and strict grooming habits.
Bottom line, she noted, “It was a lot.”
Janelle isn’t interested in starting a new relationship anytime soon, especially after her split from 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.
Honestly, I’m not surprised she’s pushing back on David’s suggestion to try FarmersOnly! She’s been really clear with the cameras – she just isn’t feeling the dating scene right now, and she’s told him, pretty emphatically, ‘No, no, no,’ and that’s that. It seems like he’s having a hard time accepting that she’s just not interested in dating at the moment.
Kody generally avoided accidentally calling his wives by the wrong name. As Christine explained on the November 2nd episode, he was careful, and she specifically recalled never hearing him mistakenly use another wife’s name during a particularly sensitive moment – a moment she described as understandably painful to imagine.
Though there were some close calls.
I often found myself doing that,” Kody confessed. “I definitely did it—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 that she’d lost all trust in her. She shared that she used to confide in Robyn, but Robyn would then reveal those private conversations to Kody, causing problems and making him angry. Because of this, she stopped sharing anything personal with Robyn.
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 that she was really struggling. I was young and thought I could fix things by helping, but now I realize I should have just let it be.
Meri used to be flattered by the idea that Kody favored her over his other former wives. However, when he tried to chat with her over video about possibly selling their house in Arizona, she wasn’t interested in being friendly.
He reflected on a conversation with Janelle, recalling that things used to be good with Meri – he specifically remembered helping her move to Parowan, Utah, and it being a positive experience. However, he noted that their relationship has become strained since then.
However, Meri maintained she was solely concentrating on work, especially after hearing what Kody had shared on camera in earlier seasons.
I had to be firm and set clear limits with him,” she said. “It’s frustrating when he acts like everything is okay on these video calls, pretending nothing happened after some of the hurtful things he’s said about me and my friends. I won’t accept that behavior.
Christine happily accepted David’s marriage proposal last year, but her ex-husband believes he should have been consulted beforehand.
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.”
Janelle was happy to get her investment back from Coyote Pass and wasn’t upset about the money she’d already given to Robyn and Kody for their house in Arizona.
She explained on the November 2nd episode that her children think she should try to recover the money she invested in Robyn’s house, but she anticipates a difficult legal battle to do so.
Let me tell you, dealing with finances in complicated relationships is never easy. I’ve seen it time and time again, and in this situation, it seems like trying to get Kody to contribute financially is a real struggle. Honestly, there’s always an excuse – a never-ending list of reasons why he feels he doesn’t owe the money. It’s incredibly frustrating, and a pattern I’ve observed far too often.
He felt he’d already fulfilled his obligation to Janelle. He explained, “Janelle helped us buy our house, and I paid her back in January.” He recalled her telling him shortly after, “We’re even – that more than covers it.”
Should Kody still be interested in having his love multiplied, there’s no shortage of options.
He told Robyn on November 2nd 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 plural marriage. Then, surprisingly, she offered to become part of their family, essentially asking if she could join Kody, Robyn, and their existing family.
To be honest, Robyn didn’t immediately reject the idea. She later confessed that for a moment, she wondered if it might actually be what she’d always dreamed of, and 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 is already in a polygamist relationship; you should always go through his wives first.
Kody admits his strained relationship with his child is a major family problem, but he needs to make significant changes to improve things.
On the November 9th episode of the show, Janelle revealed that Maddie didn’t tell her father about her fourth pregnancy. Janelle, Kody’s second wife, explained there was no need to inform him, as they hadn’t spoken in two or three years and he would find out eventually.
As a lifestyle expert, I’ve seen dynamics like this play out many times. It’s clear Janelle wasn’t just seeking a relationship with Kody; she really wanted to be part of the existing family. Looking back, it was a complicated time. Meri recently shared that when Janelle married Kody – about three years into his marriage with Meri, and after a brief marriage to Meri’s brother – Janelle made a conscious effort to be considerate of Meri’s feelings, trying to navigate the situation with sensitivity and inclusion. It was a lot to process for everyone involved, and Meri recognized that Janelle seemed to be trying to soften the blow.
Meri admitted that she felt jealous and a mix of other emotions as they navigated the challenges of trying to make plural marriage work. She also said it made her feel uniquely valued that she was included in the process.
Meri doesn’t back down easily. However, things became difficult when her family decided to sell Coyote Pass, the 14-acre property they bought after relocating to Arizona.
You know, looking back, a big part of the problem was simply making sure the property paperwork was correctly titled with everyone’s names on it. It sounds so basic, but we spent a lot of time talking around it, and I honestly don’t understand why it wasn’t just taken care of right away. It felt like an unnecessary complication!
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 said this stemmed from their insistence that she sign a confidentiality agreement, which she refused to do. She questioned why they wanted her to sign it and accused them of trying to prevent her from speaking out.
To hear Robyn tell it, though, their discussions were nothing to howl about.
“Meri and I have always been able to talk pretty frankly with each other,” she explained. “I was really just trying to find out what she needed and it really, like my intention is always in her best interest.”
Christine says having more money has made life much easier. She remembers a time when her family struggled financially, and even buying groceries was a challenge.
She explained that it’s awkward when you get to the cashier and discover you’ve spent more money than you intended. Even if you try to pay with a check, it might not go through, forcing you to return some items.
Other times they had to walk back plans to pay for certain essentials.
Meri explained that they used to have regular meetings – either weekly or monthly – to decide which bill was the most urgent to pay.
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2025-11-24 09:19