The tumultuous life of the Brown family, as featured in the TLC reality series Sister Wives, has been one of the network’s most popular stories since the series first aired in 2010. The polygamist family patriarch, Kody Brown, has been the source of much of the show’s most dramatic storylines.
The Brown family are members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), which permits polygamy among members of the Mormon faith. The laws surrounding polygamy in the United States are varying and ever-changing, with most states completely outlawing polygamist marriages. Throughout the series, the Brown family moved from Utah to Nevada, and later Arizona, to avoid criminal penalties for bigamy.
At the start of Sister Wives, Kody had four wives: Robyn, Meri, Janelle and Christine. He has maintained that he’s only ever been in one legally-binding marriage at a time and that the rest are “spiritual” marriages in compliance with U.S. polygamy laws.
Kody’s first legal marriage was to Meri Brown, from 1990 to 2014. As featured on the show, he requested a divorce from Meri in order to legally marry Robyn, which Meri obliged; however, the couple chose to remain “spiritually” married. Christine Brown was the first wife to depart from the polygamist sect in 2021, announcing that she and Kody had “dissolved” their spiritual union. The couple had been married since 1993 and had six children together.
Just one year later, Janelle Brown confirmed her split from Kody in December 2022. As reported by People, Kody differentiated his relationship status with Janelle and fellow ex-wife Christine. “I am separated from Janelle, and I’m divorced from Christine [Brown],” Kody explained. However, the couple remain separate and Christine has since become engaged to partner David Woolley.
After weeks of rumors circulating, Meri and Kody Brown confirmed in January 2023 that they were ending their marriage. The couple first legally wed 32 years before and had one child together. As of July 2023, Kody Brown only has one wife: Robyn Brown, who is also his legal wife. This means that Kody and the Brown family no longer practice polygamy. Janelle and Kody have never clarified their relationship post-“separation,” but the non-legality of their union means that they will never formally have to file for divorce.