‘Sister Wives’: Kody Brown, Wives Faked Happiness as Far Back as Utah
Sister Wives stars Kody, Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn Brown have historically pulled the wool over viewers’ eyes. The series presented their clan as a cohesive polygamist union. But the family’s happiness appeared to be faked for the cameras as far back as their days in Lehi, Utah.
Kody Brown, wives duped viewers
Sister Wives star Kody Brown presented his family as a loving, functioning unit. The Brown family, which at that time included Kody and wives Meri, Janelle, and Christine, debuted in 2010 ahead of the introduction of a fourth wife, Robyn, to their clan.
However, looking back at the family through the lens of time, there were plenty of cracks in the marriages between Kody, Meri, Janelle, and Christine that were glossed over for television. The issues between the family members only presented themselves publicly once TLC’s cameras were turned on.
Tensions were high even before Robyn Brown officially joined the family. Two instances stood out to viewers in particular.
One moment that showed there were issues with a fourth wife joining the family came after Kody Brown revealed he picked Robyn’s wedding dress. Christine was upset that Kody never appeared interested in their wedding.
A second moment occurred when Robyn asserted herself into the family schedule rotation. Robyn said she needed as much time as Kody’s other three wives to acclimate. She received pushback from Meri who said, “Everyone’s lives are going through big changes, not just your kids.”
‘Sister Wives’ viewers believe that Kody Brown’s at the center of his family’s demise
In a Reddit post titled, “Ugh,” Sister Wives viewers weighed in on how Kody Brown was at the center of his family’s demise. Fans believe the blame falls squarely on the patriarch’s shoulders on the genesis of why his family fell apart.
“I think it was pretty much impossible for [Meri, Janelle, and Christine] to call out Robyn. Knowing Kody will not only punish them for being bad sister wives, but he’d also punish their children in tandem,” wrote one viewer.
They continued, “Kody was never cut out to be a husband or father. Because he never wanted to put the effort into those relationships to have a functioning family. He wanted the women to do everything while he took credit for all their hard work, while acting like a teenage boy with his first crush with Robyn.”
“I think [money] played a huge role for the first few seasons. Season 1 and 2 had a euphoria that I recognize from times in my own life when I went from severe money stress to stability,” a second viewer noted.
A third fan wrote, “They lied to viewers, and they lied to themselves and each other. The alternative is that there would’ve been no show. I’m betting the wives would all still be with Kody because they would not have the financial means to leave.”
Ironically, many of these issues are clear upon rewatching the series
As the first seasons of Sister Wives evolved, fans were so interested in the idea of a polygamist family that many of the more serious issues surrounding the clan were pushed under the rug. The family may have been presented in one manner, but other problems presented themselves.
Kody became so fixated on his newfound television fame, the money that came with it, and his new wife that the wives who remained with him the longest fell out of favor. Their marriages never really recovered as their personal lives played out on television.
Kody decided to take Robyn on a 10-day honeymoon shortly after Christine gave birth to their sixth and final child. During that same time, Christine was tending to a newborn, her own five children and Janelle and Meri’s kids. Therefore, Kody’s decision to bend to his new wife’s desires to the detriment of his other wives set the stage for resentment that would ultimately break his family.
As the seasons rolled on, there were other instances where inequality between the women showed Kody in an unfavorable light. He continued to play each woman against each other, and as a result, each marriage suffered in kind.
Today, Kody and Robyn Brown remain in a monogamous relationship. He is no longer spiritually married to Meri, Janelle, and Christine Brown.
Sister Wives is currently on hiatus. Season 19 will air on TLC.
