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Sister Wives fans spent several seasons watching Meri Brown and Kody Brown’s marriage disintegrate. To hear Kody Brown tell it, it would seem like the couple’s plural marriage hit a rough patch after Meri was caught in an emotional affair with a catfish. If we are being honest, we never believed that was the moment that did the couple in—several moments in earlier seasons hinted at trouble between the couple. Now, fans have uncovered a moment proving Kody abandoned his first marriage long before Meri carried on her emotional affair. 

‘Sister Wives’ fans think a conversation between Christine Brow and Meri Brown proves Kody Brown abandoned Meri Brown years ago 

While Kody Brown has argued that the catfishing scandal ruined his relationship with Meri Brown, fans are convinced there were problems much earlier than that. In fact, many viewers strongly suspect that Robyn Brown’s appearance in the family completely changed the dynamic between Kody and each of his original wives. 

A season 4 episode proves just that. Recently, a Reddit fan pointed out a scene between Christine Brown and Meri Brown that indicates there was unresolved tension between Meri and Kody for years before Sister Wives began. In the episode “Polygamist Date Nights,” Christine questions whether keeping sweet has improved Meri’s relationship with Kody Brown. 

The conversation was a meaningful one, with Christine pointing out that Meri has managed to be sweet to Kody at all times, and he still paid little attention to her. The statement suggests that Kody had ignored Meri Brown for years, despite her constant attempts to repair her relationship. The episode aired in 2012. Meri’s catfishing scandal did not come to light until 2015. 

Meri Brown made a bombshell statement in the season 16 tell-all episode 

The earlier moment between Meri and Christine hinted at serious trouble between Meri and Kody. Still, it was a one-off statement that could be interpreted in several different ways. There is more concrete evidence that Kody and Meri’s relationship died long ago, though. Meri cleared up any confusion about the state of her marriage during the season 16 Sister Wives tell-all episode. 

Meri Brown and Kody Brown sit together after a skiing mishap during an episode of 'Sister Wives'
Meri Brown and Kody Brown | TLC/YouTube

In the season 16 wrap-up, Meri was asked about the intimacy between herself and her then-husband. The small business owner was initially evasive but eventually admitted she and Kody hadn’t had an intimate relationship in over a decade. The bombshell admission proves that Kody had abandoned his marriage to Meri long before they legally divorced and many years before she found emotional comfort in what she thought was another man. 

Was Meri Brown justified in seeking attention from an outside party? 

Meri Brown didn’t get what she bargained for when she started an emotional affair with someone she met online. She thought she was speaking to a man named Sam. In reality, she connected with the woman who would go on to blackmail and expose her. Regardless, Meri entered into the emotional affair with intent. If the catfish had been real, it seems obvious that Meri would have left Kody in the dust. 

Recently, Mykelti Padron, Kody Brown, and Christine Brown’s daughter, argued that Meri Brown was wrong for cheating on Kody. She condemned her, despite Kody’s bad behavior. Given everything, was she justified in seeking an emotional connection with someone else? There are arguments to be made on both sides. 

While Meri technically cheated because, despite Kody’s emotional abandonment, the couple never agreed that Meri could seek outside relationships, it is somewhat understandable. After all, if Kody had emotionally abandoned his wife years prior, you could argue that he breached their marital contract first. Still, a conversation between the duo should have transpired before she sought another companion. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter now. Kody and Meri have permanently ended their relationship. They made the announcement via Instagram in January 2023.