‘Sister Wives’: 3 Red Flags in Robyn and Kody Brown’s Marriage Revealed in ‘Becoming Sister Wives’ Memoir
Kody Brown’s marriage to Robyn Brown is the only marriage of his that lasted all 17 seasons of Sister Wives. However, their relationship had red flags, as documented in the Brown family’s 2012 memoir, Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage. Here are the three biggest red flags in Kody and Robyn’s relationship.
Kody told Robyn he loved her on their first date
In 2009, Robyn met Kody at his church, where she recalls feeling the spark like “a bolt of lightning” when she looked into his eyes. Robyn’s cousin, Reba, introduced Kody and his wife, Meri Brown, to her. Weeks later, at a church dance, Kody and Robyn danced together. Afterward, Robyn and her sister hung out with Meri and Kody and ended up talking for hours.
As they pursued a relationship, Kody introduced Robyn to his other wives, Janelle Brown and Christine Brown, and his 12 children at a family BBQ. Then the couple started a correspondence by phone since Robyn lived many states away. Despite the difficulty of adding a wife to the family, Meri, Janelle, and Christine felt like Robyn was meant to be with Kody, which was the first step in courting another woman.
Kody approached the church leaders about courting Robyn and was granted permission to proceed. It wasn’t until he got permission from Robyn’s father that he could officially take her out on a date. And Kody wasted no time in professing his love to Robyn.
“On our first date, over lunch, Robyn and I confessed everything about ourselves to each other — stretch marks, smelly feet, bad habits. We wanted to get all the silly stuff out of the way. When we got back in the car, it had rained slightly and the sky was beautiful with sunlight pushing through the rain clouds. I looked over at Robyn, ‘I love you,’ I said. I couldn’t help myself. Saying those words was a relief — an absolutely cathartic experience.”
Kody Brown
Even by their church Apostolic United Brethren (AUB) standards, Kody moved quickly with Robyn by telling her he was in love with her on the first date. Even Robyn recognized that Kody was moving too quickly and put on the brakes.
Robyn and Kody kissed before they were married
In the memoir, Robyn said that she and Kody were “very chaste” when he visited her with other family members on weekends. She said they never even hugged, and the most they did was hold hands a few times, only to pray.
While Robyn said she wanted to follow the rules of chastity before marriage, as per their religious beliefs, they broke the rule of no kissing before marriage, which none of the other wives had done before. When Kody asked Robyn to marry her, he sealed their engagement with a kiss.
Kody defended his actions by saying his third wife, Christine, told him to do it.
“When Christine and I got engaged, she told me she wouldn’t kiss me until we were at the alter. After we were married, she realized she had made a mistake and made me promise that if I married again. I’d kiss my next wife before we said our vows. So I took Robyn’s face in my hands and I kissed her. Robyn leaped out of the car and began to dance around. She was so happy and joyful. I got out of the car and she jumped into my arms.”
Kody Brown
However, Christine recalls on Sister Wives Season 1 that she “freaked” out when she found out about their kiss a month after their engagement. She said it was “devastating” to her as she had waited to kiss Kody over the alter and expected the same respect from Robyn.
Robyn manifested fame
In 1999, 21-year-old Robyn married her first husband, David Jessop. During their 8-year-long marriage, they had three children, Dayton, Aurora, and Breanna. Robyn said in the memoir that when she divorced David, she did some self-reflection and wrote a list of what she wanted for her future. Interestingly, the single mother of three wanted more than just a husband — she also wanted fame and fortune.
“Several years before I married Kody, when I was at an absolute low point in my life, I made a life list of all the things I wanted to accomplish. Since things were going so badly for me at that time, I allowed myself to dream as big as possible. Here’s what was on my list; change the world, meet Oprah, write a bestseller, own a business.
I look back on that now and think, be careful what you wish for because you might get it — and then it may be something you don’t want. I can never underestimate the positive impact of Sister Wives, but there are days when I wake up and say to myself, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore. I want everything to go back to normal.’”
Robyn Brown
With Robyn joining the family, producers began filming Sister Wives for TLC. However, some fans speculate she started dating Kody because of the show. Regardless, the reality TV show allowed Robyn to achieve the life she desired for herself and her three children.
Despite breaking the rules and rushing into marriage, Kody and Robyn’s relationship seems to be the strongest as they are the only ones still married. On the Sister Wives Season 17 reunion, Christine said that Robyn was Kody’s “soulmate,” perhaps she was right, as they are now living a happy monogamous life together.
Sister Wives Season 18 is expected to premiere in September 2023.
