Highlights
- Kody and Meri Brown's marriage complexities were highlighted by polygamous issues, catfishing scandal, and strained relationships with other wives.
- Robyn's entrance into the family in 2014 led to Kody divorcing Meri for legal reasons, causing emotional turmoil in their long-standing relationship.
- After years of struggles and separation, Kody and Meri officially ended their marriage in 2023, with Meri attempting to move on with new relationships.
Reality TV couple Kody and Meri Brown found fame through their long-running show “Sister Wives'' which followed their unusual lives with Kody’s other three wives. For close to twenty seasons, TLC aired eye-opening details of their polygamous family, including how things turned sour between the couple.
Meri was Kody’s oldest wife, whom he married by law until 2014, when their family expanded. However, this became the genesis of their complicated union, leading to many messy moments. This article will explore the rocky dynamics of the TV couple’s relationship during the latter part of their marriage, where they stand now, and a look back at where it all started.
How Kody and Meri Brown’s Relationship Became Complicated
Kody and Meri Brown’s relationship dynamic played out on TV for fourteen years with issues ranging from polygamy, a catfishing scandal, finances, fertility, divorce and their eventual breakup. The couple’s marriage problems started manifesting when Kody married his fourth wife, Robyn Brown, in 2014. When he met Robyn, the TLC star had been married to his other wives, Meri, Janelle and Christine for about three decades.
According to the List, Kody and Meri Brown met Robyn together in 2009 and bonded over their interest in her. With time, Meri grew close to Robyn and eventually encouraged her and Kody to be in a relationship. However, her presence was the beginning of the end of Kody and Meri’s marriage. The first issue came when the “Sister Wives” stars tried having another child.
Over the years, Kody and Meri Brown, who have been open about their issues, faced fertility issues and were able to have only one child together, although they wanted more. When Robyn joined the family, she volunteered to be a surrogate for Meri, but Kody kicked against it, and Meri reluctantly agreed with him. It was indeed a trying time in their marriage.
Robyn, who was divorced with three kids from a previous marriage, met the other sister's wives, and in 2014, she married Kody. However, this took Meri and Kody on another complicated path. The patriarch had to divorce his first wife to marry Robyn and adopt her children. Meri felt the impact of the divorce the most. In an episode of “Sister Wives,” she shared:
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“I'm realizing now that while that divorce process was really hard... I feel like I've dealt with it enough that I can see a bigger picture.”
Meri Brown came to terms with the new normal in her marriage, but she did not love it. She was no longer Kody’s legal wife but had to make do with a spiritual marriage like the other wives. The next few years were fraught with drama as the Brown family dealt with jealousy and financial problems. Most of the sister wives were jealous of Robyn due to her bond with Kody.
At some point, Kody and Meri Brown sought therapy to hash out the issues in their relationship. However, this eye-opening experience further drove a wedge between the couple. According to The Sun, Kody revealed his regrets about Meri during one of their therapy sessions. He stated, “Meri mourns the loss of what we had... I regret what we had.”
Meri revealed a similar sentiment, noting that the relationship she had with her husband “is dead, gone, it’s over.” According to CheatSheet, Kody would further reveal his mixed feelings about Meri.He recalled how fast their courtship was amid a lack of communication. He stated about his first wife:
“I didn't know who I was marrying. As things unfolded, I started to become troubled and bitter by the situation I was in."
It became clear that Kody and Meri were in a loveless spiritual marriage when she got catfished in 2015. The TV star had been in a situationship with an unknown man online. However, he turned out to be a fake persona, and controversial details of her conversation with the individual emerged. According to ET, Kody felt betrayed by her.
Kody Brown's TV career and net worth per Celebrity Net Worth:
Kody Brown | |
Birthdate | January 17, 1969 |
profession | Sales agent, reality personality |
TV Career | Active since 2010 |
Net Wort | $800,000 |
Where Do Kody And Meri Brown Stand Now?
Following the catfishing saga, Kody and Meri Brown tried to salvage what was left of their marriage, but things further fell apart. By 2023, the mom-of-one had finally left her marriage of over 30 years. Leading up to this, the pandemic lockdown in 2020 sealed the fate of their marriage. After the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown was confirmed, Kody quarantined with Robyn while his other wives lived elsewhere.
It was clear that Meri did not see him for a long time until the lockdown was lifted. The following years did not get easier, with Meri missing Kody and wishing things would return to how they were. In the “Sister Wives” 2022 reunion, she admitted that she missed “physical intimacy with him.”
The feeling was not mutual, as Kody relayed that he would never “ever be in a conjugal relationship with her because "I'm not going to go through that emotional torture ever again.” The reality star added that he and Meri were amicable but had been “literally separated for four or five years.” Despite the glaring failure in their marriage, Meri was surprisingly not the first wife to leave. In 2021, Kody’s third wife, Christine Brown, ended her marriage, followed by Janelle the next year.
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As earlier mentioned, Kody and Meri finally went their separate ways in 2023 by releasing a joint announcement on Instagram. The longtime couple stated they decided to “permanently terminate” their union. The following year, in January, Meri debuted a new relationship. On Instagram, the TV star posted a photo of her and her new lover, Amos. She revealed they had been privately talking since October 2023 before going public with their romance.
However, this was short-lived, as Meri announced in February 2024 that they broke up. She later posted about new beginnings in April 2024, letting fans know she was single with a clear vision of what she wanted in a partner.
Inside The 'Sister Wives' Stars' Marriages
Meri and Kody Brown were quite accustomed to the polygamous family lifestyle when they met as young adults. After a brief courtship, the lovers tied the knot in 1990. Meri was 19, while Kody was 22. Not long after, the Wyoming native married his second wife, Janelle. The pair have six children together. By 2022, Janelle and Kody Brown became separated as the tension in their polygamous family grew.
According to ET, Kody’s bond with Robyn amid the pandemic lockdown contributed to the failure of his marriage with Janelle. Christine Brown, Kody’s third wife, always thought she would be his last wife until Robyn joined the family. They got spiritually married in 1994, with Christine staying in their polygamous faith until 2021. Like Janelle, she shares six children with her ex-husband.
Following their separation, Kody and Christine were locked in a custody battle over their youngest child, Truely. Christine eventually moved back to her home state, Utah, with Truely and bought a new home. In 2022, she announced her marriage to David Woolley, a Utah contractor. The pair met the same year. Robyn Brown is the youngest of Kody’s wives and his only legally married spouse.
She also shared six children with the patriarch, although her first three are from a previous marriage. Robyn’s relationship dynamics with Kody amid the COVID-19 lockdown were largely seen as a catalyst for their marital issues. With the other wives gone, Robyn is the only wife left, but she shared that the monogamous lifestyle was not what she signed up for, as Kody refused to take another wife.
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