‘Sister Wives’: Did Kody Brown Get COVID-19? What About the Rest of the Family?
The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the way that many reality television shows are filmed. Not only did the pandemic force many shows to go on hiatus or change their filming procedures entirely, but it also created new confrontations and conflicts between the stars of the shows. Notably, Sister Wives, a long-running reality show on TLC, has included plot lines related to COVID-19 in new episodes of the show, allowing viewers to see how the cast has handled the stress. Still, there are some unanswered questions, and many viewers have wondered if Kody Brown, or any other members of the Brown family, ended up catching COVID-19.
Kody Brown took COVID-19 precautions seriously
Kody Brown is the patriarch of the Brown family. While he has received criticism from viewers over the years for his lifestyle choices, Brown does seem to genuinely care for his family. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown was determined to keep his family as safe as possible. According to In Touch Weekly, Brown has been keeping each of his family units separate from each other since the lockdown began, including keeping each of his four wives and their children in separate family bubbles.
Brown alone has been traveling from house to house in an attempt to keep anyone from catching COVID-19. While he has allowed for some outdoor family gatherings, Brown has maintained strict social distancing precautions even during those rare events.
“I’ll spend the entire time stressing out about making sure that we’re not getting exposure to the virus from each other,” Brown said, talking about why he has been so strict about COVID-19 precautions. He also made sure to note that some of his children are immunocompromised, which could make them more susceptible to serious complications if they were to catch COVID-19.
Did Kody Brown get COVID-19?
In December 2021, Kody Brown revealed in a Cameo video shared via TikTok that he had, indeed, previously tested positive for COVID-19. In the video, Kody addressed a fan who seemed to have been struggling with COVID-19 — either personally, or with the pandemic as a whole. “I empathize with your situation with COVID,” he said. “Not completely, but I’ve had it and it did bad things to me, it was really hard. And boy, what a tough thing to deal with.”
It’s unclear whether any other members of the Brown family ended up testing positive for COVID-19 when Kody did. A sneak peek of the Jan. 23, 2022 episode of Sister Wives, shared by E! Online, revealed that Kody and Robyn’s nanny/tutor and her husband had tested positive, potentially exposing their family — who had all gathered together to celebrate Ariella’s birthday.
The only Sister Wives star to publicly share that they’ve been vaccinated for COVID-19 is Christine. In May 2021, she wrote via Instagram: “Celebrating CINCO DE MAYO with tacos and guacamole is my FAVORITE! I got my COVID vaccine today and if I’m feeling too sick to eat tacos, I’m going to lose it like a piñata loses it’s candy!”
None of the women on ‘Sister Wives’ could agree on how to handle social distancing precautions
Kody Brown’s wives haven’t always agreed with how he’s handled the social distancing precautions. In fact, each wife has had their own ideas about the proper way to deal with COVID-19. Robyn Brown has mostly agreed with Kody Brown’s strict rules, while Janelle and Christine Brown have generally set more relaxed guidelines for their households, allowing guests and permitting some travel. Meri Brown has also been open about traveling during the pandemic, although she has pointed out that she’s made sure to follow a 14-day quarantine before interacting with other family members.
Viewers have seen how the differing viewpoints have caused conflict within the Brown family, with Kody Brown admitting during a confessional segment, “I want to do the right thing, and it’s breaking my heart that I have been marginalized to the point where I am no longer the head of my household in a couple of home.”
Undoubtedly, more drama will come to light as the current season of Sister Wives continues to unfold. Catch new episodes on Sundays at 10 p.m. EST on TLC.
