Season 17 of Sister Wives ended with Christine Brown selling her share of the family home in Flagstaff, Arizona. Christine married Kody Brown in a “spiritual” union, joining fellow wives Meri (married 1990) and Janelle (married 1993).
Christine and Kody formally separated in Nov. 2021. Janelle and Meri split from Kodyin in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
“After more than 25 years together, Kody and I have grown apart, and I have made the difficult decision to leave,” Christine, 49, wrote via an Instagram announcement. “We will continue to be a strong presence in each other’s lives as we parent our beautiful children and support our wonderful family. At this time, we ask for your grace and kindness as we navigate through this stage within our family.”
But will Kody and Christine really end up being “strong presence in each other’s lives” after all?
As Christine and Kody’s separation occurred in the last season of Sister Wives, it is unclear how much of a presence she will have in Season 18.
The trailer for Season 18, released before the Aug. 20th premiere, starts with Kody saying Christine is “gone,” but she does appear in brief flashes in the trailer. Given the season’s new focus on Kody’s break-ups with Meri and Janelle, Christine’s appearance in future Sister Wives episodes may be very brief.
Will Christine Brown leave ‘Sister Wives’?
There are, however, some clues about her status in Season 18.
In December 2022 – in the midst of Season 18’s production and a year after their split – Christine Brown confirmed that she would appear in future episodes of the show.
“I am definitely not leaving Sister Wives,” Christine said in a TikTok where she showed TV production equipment in her new home in Utah. “I’m still doing Sister Wives. No worries, everybody.”
While perhaps taking a backseat to the new divorces in the Brown family household, Christine plays a big role in the new series. The recent premiere episode, “There’s No Such Thing as a Free Lunch,” centered around a very awkward reunion between Kody and Christine – the first since Christine left Arizona.
In the episode, Christine attempts to plan holiday get-togethers for the six children she shares with Kody, although the plans fall flat when she is met with a very hostile Kody. In a confessional set in her new home, Christine expresses her glee over their separation.
The premiere episode could be one of Christine’s final episodes in the series, but there is still unseen footage from the trailer that features Christine talking to Janelle and Meri.
In a new, joint interview with Christine and Janelle for People, the ex-wives reveal that they were in frequent contact after Christine left the family home, and Janelle would frequently call her for advice – which seems to be what the new trailer is hinting at. Christine told Janelle that she was “always so supportive” of her, even when they were no longer united through marriage, and that she would always be a “sister wife” to her.
Judging by what’s been shown of Sister Wives so far, it seems that Christine will play a prominent role in the new season – whether that is mostly on or off-camera. Given that Christine has moved to Utah, she may be bumped down to a more recurring role in Season 18, but the confessionals filmed at her new home show that accommodations have been made. It seems that Christine and her fellow sister wives have been in frequent contact, which will likely be the crux of her future appearances, even if she’s not speaking to Kody.