‘Sister Wives’ Fans Wonder if Janelle Brown Is the ‘Real Secret Villian’ of the Brown Family

Robyn Brown is, by far, Sister Wives  fans’ least favorite wife. The youngest of Kody Brown’s brides has been accused of being manipulative, difficult, and downright strategic in her dismantling of the Brown family. She has been cast as the villain in recent years. To be fair, it seems pretty clear that her entrance into the established polygamist clan did, in fact, upset a delicate balance. What if Robyn isn’t the villain in the family, though? Some fans wonder if Janelle has been the secret villain in this family’s dysfunctional story all along.

Janelle Brown has been described as the “logical” Brown wife 

Each of Kody Brown’s four wives has a persona and a role in Sister Wives. Meri Brown went from being “head wife” to the wife Kody doesn’t want anymore. Janelle has long been pegged as the “logical” and unemotional one. At the same time, Christine Brown is seen as the nurturer who was unfairly treated as the “basement wife,” and Robyn Brown is the crybaby of the family. 

Janelle’s “logical” persona has garnered her a few fans, but more than anything, it’s ensured that Sister Wives fans don’t think much about her at all. While some people do like Kody’s second wife, she has neither a massive fanbase like Christien Brown nor a massive group of haters like Robyn. But is she as reserved and easygoing as she claims? One fan doesn’t think so. 

Some ‘Sister Wives’ fans think she could be the secret villain 

Quiet and mostly unassuming, Janelle rarely, if ever, kicked up a fuss. While that certainly made her fly under the radar for many Sister Wives fans, not everyone is buying her laid-back persona. In fact, several fans theorize that Janelle has been the secret villain of the family’s story all along, and they are bringing receipts. 

A Reddit user pointed out that Janelle has shown a “shocking level of apathy” since the show’s first season. When you think back, it’s true. The mother of six has demonstrated little, if any, real concern for her sister wives or the 18 children inside the Brown family. She has mustered up enthusiasm only about her wants and the accomplishments of the six children she personally shares with Kody. 

She certainly has little consideration for the other wives’ wants, even if she purports to be close to them. In season 16, for example, she shot down the idea of the family returning to Utah, despite how important it was to Christine. Janelle was similarly oppositional regarding Meri Brown’s desire to open a bed and breakfast several seasons earlier.  

Coupled with how Janelle and Kody’s relationship started, a picture of someone more manipulative than Janelle advertised seems to form. In the family’s memoir, Becoming Sister Wives, Janelle admitted to finding Kody attractive while she was still married. Janelle and Kody Brown subtly admitted to dating secretly in the book, which is against their religion’s rules. They even initially planned to marry on Meri’s birthday. Janelle is also holding onto a grudge against Meri for slights from 20 years earlier. Is she the real family villain, though? It’s hard to say. She certainly doesn’t seem as innocent, logical, and laidback as she’s always claimed, though.

Janelle Brown appears to be using her association with Christine Brown to her advantage 

Whether they love Janelle or hate her, most Sister Wives fans can agree that her sudden, very outspoken allegiance with Christine Brown feels, at least, a little bit disingenuous. At the very least, Janelle’s decision to highlight Christine on her Instagram account feels strategic. 

Before Christine decided to step away from her plural marriage, her sister wives seldom featured her on social media. Christine rarely appeared in Janelle’s posts, in specific. That has changed in the months since Christine stepped away from Kody Brown and polygamy. The change in Janelle’s posting habits appears to coincide with the public’s very positive reaction to Christine’s separation announcement. There could be a benign explanation for Janelle’s sudden desire to highlight the friendship. Still, it may be a manipulative and strategic move. 

That’s not to say all fans would blame the mother of six if it was curated to benefit her public image. One Reddit user noted that being manipulative is almost a requirement. It would seem almost necessary to be manipulative in order to survive and thrive inside the Brown family. If Janelle is using her friendship with Christine to curry favor with the public, it would simply be an extension of how she curried favor, for many years, inside her plural marriage.