‘Sister Wives’: Kody Brown’s Ego Got in the Way of His Religious Beliefs and Ruined His Marriages

Sister Wives star Kody Brown admitted that being a polygamist was “all about ego.” So, did his self-importance ultimately ruin his marriages to Meri, Janelle, and Christine Brown?

Kody Brown admitted polygamy is ‘all about ego’ in Season 17

During the TLC series‘ Season 17 tell-all, Kody Brown shocked viewers and host Sukanya Krishnan when he said polygamy was “all about ego.” The statement came after Kody and the host discussed his marriage to Christine Brown in 1994.

Kody claimed Christine “basically asked to be in [my] family” and that he only agreed because he felt obligated to do so because of her status in the Apostolic United Brethren (AUB).

“I felt a lot of pressure. Christine was part of it; she was basically royalty in our church,” Kody explained. “It’s not fair, but I look back, and it was not fair for me to go, ‘Oh, this will make me look cool in our church.”

She suggested that marrying Christine was motivated by Kody’s ego. He responded, “Oh, I was a polygamist. It’s all ego, baby.”

Therefore, admitting his ego gets in the way of his religious beliefs when marrying Christine ruined his marriages to Meri, Janelle, and Christine. Yes, because he puts his needs ahead of the greater good despite always claiming, “Where we go one, we go all.”

It appeared that Kody used his wives to build him up emotionally, financially, and spiritually. With more wives, Kody was granted a place in his religion’s Celestial Kingdom. Therefore, pulling in more women expanded the number of people who would treat him as their king [Robyn Brown], and for someone who craves attention, that is the most considerable ego boost.

Why was marrying Christine Brown a coup for Kody Brown’s ego?

When Kody Brown decided to marry Christine Brown, he gained a third wife and a status symbol. Christine is part of the Allred and the Labaron families, which are very prominent in the AUB.

In an early Sister Wives clip, Kody admitted that her being a “blue blood” in the AUB caught his eye. However, as the clip progresses, Christine spills some truths that come to light in later seasons of Sister Wives.

“It’s not like I could just go into a family where I thought the wife was really cool. But if there’s no chemistry with the man, it’s not going to go anywhere,” she began.

“It’s not going to be a good relationship, or it’s going to be a relationship that you’re going to have to build and really, really work on,” Christine continued. “The reverse is true. If you only have a good relationship with the man, to have a plural family, [you have to have a good relationship with your sister wives] Meri and Janelle.”

Kody responded, “The relationship is ultimately with your husband. And by extension, it’s with the rest of his family.”

“I don’t think you understand that I never wanted a single man,” Christine concluded. She added, “I didn’t know you were complicated until we were married.”

Janelle, Christine, and Meri Brown’s exits were a further blow to Kody’s ego

After realizing that her marriage to Kody was, in effect, over, Christine Brown knew it was time to go. She was the first to leave her polygamist union in November 2021.

Janelle Brown was the next to separate from Kody. She left in 2022, ending their spiritual marriage.

Finally, Meri and Kody Brown announced their separation in January 2023. Theirs was the first legal union, beginning in 1990. They divorced in 2014 so Kody could marry his fourth wife, Robyn, to ensure her children from her first marriage were legally protected.

Kody had already emotionally distanced himself from Meri, so he didn’t push back when their marriage ended. However, he fought against the end of his marriages to Janelle and Christine and blamed them for the splits.

The end of his marriage to Christine was a massive deal for Kody, as he lost not only a wife but a deep familial connection to his religion. However, since the family no longer appears to follow the teachings of the AUB faithfully, it is unknown how this loss affected Kody spiritually.

Sister Wives is currently on hiatus. The series will resume with Season 19.