‘Sister Wives’: Only One of Kody Brown’s Four Wives Has Never Been Legally Married
Christine Brown once said that she had always envisioned herself as a third wife within a polygamist family. Christine’s maiden name, Allred, has deep ties to the polygamist sects in Utah, and she has claimed that her desire to act as a third wife came from her upbringing. Christine probably never imagined she’d be the only one of four wives who never experienced a legal marriage, though. Of the four women Kody Brown married, Christine is the only one who hasn’t been legally married at some point.
Meri Brown was legally married to Kody Brown
Meri Brown was Kody’s first and legal wife for the majority of their marriage. The pair met in 1989 and dated briefly before becoming engaged. They married on April 21, 1990, according to the family’s book, Becoming Sister Wives. The first two years of their relationship were monogamous, but they always planned to add additional wives to the family.
Meri and Kody divorced in 2014 for legal reasons, but they remain spiritually bound to one another, at least by the family’s belief system. They do not, however, appear to enjoy a close relationship and rarely spend time with each other.
Janelle Brown had a legal marriage to Adam Barber
Janelle Brown may have never been Kody’s legal wife, but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t legally married. She was married before getting involved with Kody. In fact, her connection to the Brown family existed long before she became Kody’s second wife.
Before marrying Kody in a spiritual ceremony in 1993, Janelle was legally married to Adam Barber. Barber happens to be Meri’s brother. Janelle was married to Barber from 1988 until 1990. The marriage did not result in any children, and their divorce was reportedly completed quickly. Janelle rarely speaks about her first marriage.
Robyn Brown was married to David Jessop and is now legally married to Kody
Robyn, before joining the Brown family, was married to David Preston Jessop. The pair married in 1999 after Robyn found out she was pregnant with her first child, Dayton. The couple had two more children, Breanna and Aurora, before divorcing in 2007.
In 2010, Robyn joined the Brown family, marrying Kody in a spiritual ceremony. Their legal marriage, however, didn’t begin until 2014 when Kody divorced Meri to marry Robyn. The couple claimed they decided to marry so Kody could adopt Robyn’s three children. Jessop relinquished his rights to Dayton, Breanna, and Aurora shortly before Kody adopted all three children. Robyn and Kody had two more children together.
