‘Sister Wives’: Janelle Calls Out Kody for Forcing Ysabel To Choose Between Him or Attending Her Senior Year
In Sister Wives Season 17, Janelle Brown is outraged that Kody Brown demands that his daughter, Ysabel Brown, choose between him and her senior year at high school. She says the whole situation is unfair to Ysabel and that what Kody asks of his daughter is “ridiculous.” This isn’t the first time Kody’s strict coronavirus (COVID-19) rules have affected his relationship with his daughter, Ysabel.
Ysabel wants to attend her senior year of high school in person
In the September 25 episode of Sister Wives, Kody sits down with his wives to discuss how they will move forward as a family with the schools reopening.
“Alright, let’s talk about school and COVID-19. The new school policies, what’s going on?” Kody, joined by Robyn, asks his wives Janelle, Meri, and Christine via Zoom call. Kody explains that he would prefer all his children to attend virtual classes instead of going back in person.
Kody revealed all of Robyn’s school-aged children would be going back to school virtually, as well as Jannelle’s daughter, Savanah. However, Ysabel is excited to return to school for her senior year.
“Ysabel’s a senior. After graduation, she doesn’t want to stay in Flagstaff. So, she always has known that, and because of it, she only has a few more weeks with her friends,” Christine explained.
Kody says Ysabel will have to choose between him or attending her senior year
In the episode, Christine asks Kody directly if he would come to visit her home and her kids, Ysabel, Gwendolyn, and Truely if her daughter chooses to go back to school. Kody said it’s her choice, but he wouldn’t feel comfortable visiting Ysabel out of fear of potentially exposing the rest of the family to coronavirus.
Janelle suggests that Kody goes to see Ysabel in an outdoor setting, “like six feet apart in the backyard or something,” to lessen the potential for spreading the virus.
But Kody didn’t seem too keen on the idea and called it a major “inconvenience” due to the cold weather. He says he’s willing to do it but isn’t promising it will happen much. He wants Ysabel to be aware that her choices have consequences and doesn’t want her to get “bitter” about it.
Janelle is outraged by Kody’s strict COVID-19 rules
A frustrated Janelle can hardly hold back her anger while discussing how Kody is upset about doing the bare minimum for his daughter. “It’s hard to not take it personally that he doesn’t want to come over. So I’m like, it’s your kid. The weather is getting better. It’s spring. Go see her in the backyard. Call her on the phone,” Janelle tells the cameras.
“I’m feeling really bad for Yse, having to choose between her dad and her friends,” Janelle says in the interview. “It frustrates me that Kody is making it so much like a, ‘If you go to school, I can’t see you.’ Cause, I think that’s ridiculous,” she says.
And during the family’s Zoom meeting, Janelle is having trouble not inserting her opinion regarding Kody’s strict coronavirus rules. “I wonder, though, Kody, when are you feeling like you could have a normal life again?” Janelle asks Kody on the call.
She admits that asking her husband is “crossing a line.” “But it just frustrates me so much that I can’t keep my mouth shut,” she concludes.
Meanwhile, Kody is getting frustrated by Janelle and Christine’s inability to conform to his strict rules, calling out their “sarcasm” and “snotty attitudes.” Robyn thinks that Ysabel should be able to have a relationship with her dad but finds that her decision to go back to school is “really, really stupid.”
As Sister Wives fans know, this isn’t the first time Janelle and Christine have been outraged by how Kody has neglected to be there for Ysabel. In season 16, when Ysabel had her major back surgery to correct her scoliosis, Kody opted to stay back in Flagstaff because of how much Robyn’s kids would miss him for the many weeks it would take. It will be interesting to see if Kody holds up his side of the bargain and meets with Ysabel in the backyard or not.
New episodes of Sister Wives Season 17 air Sundays at 10 p.m. EST on TLC.
