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Christine Brown isn’t looking for a spiritual release. As far as the Sister Wives star is concerned, her marriage to ex-husband Kody Brown ended in November 2021, and she doesn’t need a church official to sign off on the split. 

Christine Brown didn’t need permission to end her marriage to Kody 

Christine Brown and Janelle Brown of 'Sister Wives' pose for a photo on the red carpet
[L-R] Christine Brown and Janelle Brown at US Weekly and Pluto TV’s Reality Stars of the Year event on October 10, 2024 | Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images

Christine and Kody wed in a spiritual ceremony in 1994. But they were never legally husband and wife. After the relationship collapsed, Christine decided to walk away. And she didn’t think she needed anyone’s permission to do so. 

“I’m not even part of that church,” Christine says in a clip from the Oct. 20 episode of Sister Wives (via Instagram). “And I don’t respect any of the leaders of that church. And I don’t think they have any say over my life.”

Janelle Brown, who was also married to Kody Brown, also said that she didn’t feel compelled to pursue a spiritual release. 

“I don’t even know who to ask. I don’t know anybody at the church over there anymore,” she said. “And I just don’t feel inclined to [pursue it] … It’s not an issue for me.”

The Browns were part of the Apostolic United Brethren, a Mormon fundamentalist group that continues to practice polygamy. 

Christine celebrates Meri Brown’s spiritual divorce 

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Both Christine and Janelle were comfortable walking away from their marriage to Kody. But the same wasn’t true for his first wife, Meri Brown. In Sister Wives Season 19, she’s been pursuing a spiritual divorce from Kody. 

While Meri and Kody legally divorced years ago so that he could marry Robyn Brown and adopt her kids, Meri still saw them as bound together. 

“When each of us four ladies married Kody, it was through our church. Obviously, we couldn’t all be legally married, but it was what we called a covenant,” she explained. 

After years of hoping she and Kody could move past their differences, Meri eventually accepted that her marriage was over. So, she decided to speak to church leaders about being released from her vows to Kody. 

“I don’t want to be sealed to him for eternity if he doesn’t want me,” she said. 

After a meeting with religious leaders, Meri was granted her release. (Kody refused to participate in the process, saying he didn’t recognize the authority of church leaders.) 

“It was a very, very hard conversation. Hard meaning heartbreaking,” she said. “Because this is not what I wanted to do. This is not what I intended when I married Kody.”

Although Janelle and Christine chose a different path, both said they were happy that Meri was able to walk away from her marriage to Kody on her own terms. 

‘Good for her,” Janelle said. “I didn’t know you could do that. I didn’t know that we were eligible because we’re no longer part of the community. But I’m like, ‘Good. All right. Cool.’”

“I’m really glad that she did [the spiritual divorce],” Christine said. “I’m glad that she got the release. I think that’s really, really cool. Good for her.” 

Sister Wives Season 19 airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on TLC.

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