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A forgotten interview by the cast of Sister Wives reveals enormous holes in the Brown family backstory. Meri, Kody, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn Brown were adamant that they left Utah for Las Vegas, Nevada because they were under investigation for bigamy in the state. However, it appears the situation was quite different, and the information came from the very mouths of the series stars.

The cast of TLC's 'Sister Wives' photographed in 2012.
The cast of TLC’s ‘Sister Wives’ photographed in 2012 | Ethan Miller/Getty Images

The ‘Sister Wives’ cast exposed huge holes in a pivotal storyline during a 2011 interview

In a 2011 interview with Joy Behar, the cast of Sister Wives exposed a vast discrepancy in a story first broadcast during season 2 of the TLC series. The subplot took center stage, culminating in the family’s rushed move from Lehi to Las Vegas.

Per the family patriarch Kody Brown, the urgency was over the state of Utah reportedly investigating the Brown family once they went public with their lifestyle. However, a CNN transcript from the family’s interview with Behar reveals a different cause.

Behar asked Kody, Meri, Janelle, Robyn, and Christine Brown, “You’re being investigated for bigamy in Utah. The way I understand bigamy is you have to be legally married to more than one wife. You’re only married to Meri. So what’s the deal?”

Meri responded, “All we know about the investigation is stuff we’ve read about in the papers. We’ve never been contacted directly.”

“You know nothing else?” Behar asked. Kody responded, “We know exactly what was written in the papers, and we know nothing else other than that. You’d have to talk to a lawyer and understand their speculations on it to understand more than we understand.”

This contradicts the family’s claim that they knew and understood the reported claims against them by the state of Utah. The urgency, per the storyline featured on the TLC series, was all about the state investigating the Brown family once they went public with their lifestyle. 

Kody Brown’s move to Las Vegas, Nevada, was reportedly years in the making

The cast of 'Sister Wives' season 18 includes Christine, Janelle, Meri, Kody, and Robyn Brown.
Christine, Janelle, Meri, Kody, and Robyn Brown all appear on ‘Sister Wives’ season 18 | TLC/Discovery Press

The idea of the Brown family moving to Las Vegas always seemed odd to viewers of the series, who found the town’s lifestyle went against the family’s conservative views. However, Sin City was presented to viewers as a place where the Browns could live freely without restrictions.

But, Kody’s plan to move to Las Vegas was not a sudden decision. This move reportedly was in discussions for longer than fans were led to believe.

Janelle told Behar, “First off, Kody has been talking about moving to Nevada for years. He has always loved it.” She continued, “Surely, the investigation is one of the factors. But we also talked about like business opportunities, housing, the real estate opportunities.”

Would Kody Brown have been arrested had the family stayed in Utah?

Per a story regarding Sister Wives‘ Brown family published in a 2020 article for USA Today, the Utah Attorney General opted not to prosecute the polygamist clan. Instead, the state looks to see if other crimes have been committed in conjunction with polygamy.

The Browns were not charged with polygamy despite their case being so public. However, the suggestion that the clan could be torn apart made for compelling reality TV.  

While filming season 2 of Sister Wives, polygamy was still a felony in Utah. However, the state of Utah has since decriminalized polygamy.

Sister Wives participates in rolling filming. Therefore, the family continues to be filmed for the TLC series throughout the off-season. Season 18 of the TLC series is expected to air in the fall of 2023.

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