‘Sister Wives’: Inside Kody Brown’s ‘Daddy Issues’ — Kody’s Brothers Detail Father Winn Brown’s Extremely Abusive Behavior
Sister Wives star Kody Brown admitted he has his own “daddy issues” he’s been working through and hopes he wouldn’t give the same to his 18 children. Kody’s younger brothers, Travis Brown and Michael Brown, open up about their father, William Winn Brown’s abusive behavior toward them on their podcast.
Kody’s brothers detail extreme abuse at the hands of their father, Winn Brown
Reality TV blogger, Without a Crystal Ball, broke the story about Kody’s childhood abuse after finding their podcast, The Brothers Random, where Travis and Michael discuss various topics, “ranging from theology, masculinity, movies, philosophy, books, pop-culture,” among other subjects. Viewers may recognize Michael from Sister Wives, since made an appearance on the show back in the earlier seasons.
In one episode, Kody’s brothers dig into their childhood upbringing in a “polygamist cult” or the Apostolic United Brethren (AUB) in Lovell, Wyoming. Kody and his nine siblings were raised on a cattle ranch or a polygamist compound, where they were ostracized from society when their father added more wives.
Travis and Michael are Winn Brown’s youngest sons and claim their father was extremely abusive. The brothers shared that their father was both physically and verbally abusive.
Travis claimed Winn’s father was abusive to him, and instead of breaking the cycle of abuse, he continued the brutality and beat his children. Kody’s brothers say they’ve stopped the cycle of abuse with their children.
Kody Brown talks about his own ‘daddy issues.’
In Sister Wives Season 17, Kody’s relationship with his sons, Gabriel and Garrison Brown, shattered during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. He demanded that everyone, including his adult sons, follow the same rules beyond the CDC guidelines, or he wouldn’t see them.
In Sister Wives Season 17, Episode 14, Kody demands respect from his sons. He doesn’t want them into his home for Christmas until they apologize to him.
During his interview, Kody stops and thinks about his own relationship with his parents. “The relationship between parent and children is really complex,” Kody said.
“I have my own vast complexities with my parents,” he admitted. “I have my own daddy issues. So now I’ve passed that on to my sons.”
Kody recognizes that unresolved issues with his father have now trickled down to the relationships with his own sons. However, he doesn’t specify where those daddy issues stem from.
Winn’s youngest sons, Travis and Michael, don’t seem especially fond of their late father, who died in 2013 at 78. According to Kody’s son, Paedon brown, When Winn’s wife, Sheryl Brown, died in 2020, Kody demanded that everyone forgive their late father at her funeral. Paedon said this didn’t go over well, and his demands offended his siblings.
Gwendlyn’s abuse allegations against Kody Brown
The news that Winn was abusive seems to match Gwendlyn Brown’s claims that her father, Kody, was physically abusive throughout her childhood. The 21-year-old daughter of Kody and Christine Brown claimed that her dad was physically abusive when he would discipline her with spankings.
“And I know some of you may disagree that spanking is abuse, and it is. It is an excessive way to discipline your children, and there are better ways to that won’t leave them emotionally scarred,” Gwendlyn said. “I remember personally being bruised a few times when my dad would spank me.” However, she seemed to have backtracked as she had completely removed the video with the allegations against her father.
It seems that the cycle of abuse has trickled down despite Kody’s efforts to be different than his father. Sister Wives hope more will be revealed in season 18, which is expected to premiere in late 2023.
How to get help: In the U.S., call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.
