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Meri Brown and Kody Brown’s marriage officially ended in 2023. The couple announced the end of their union via Instagram in January. The couple, however, hasn’t had a real relationship in years. Sister Wives fans watched it unravel in painstaking detail. Let’s rewind and figure out where the couple’s disastrous love story all started. 

Kody Brown and Meri Brown met at church 

Meri Brown and Kody Brown met in a pretty traditional way—the couple, linked by religion, connected at a church event. According to In Touch Weekly, Meri befriended Kody’s sister when the Brown family began attending Meri’s church. From there, she was introduced to Kody, who had recently returned from a mission trip. After the introduction in October 1989, the couple began dating. Kody was 21, and Meri was 18. 

Meri Brown sits on Kody Brown's lap in an undated photo
Meri and Kody Brown | TLC/YouTube

Meri was raised in a polygamist family. Kody, on the other hand, was not. His father did not begin exploring polygamy until Kody was in his late teens. 

The couple had a short romance before getting married

Kody and Meri’s early romance was something of a whirlwind. After meeting in October 1989, they dated for two months before Kody popped the question. They were engaged in December 1989 and planned a wedding in just four months. 

The duo married in April 1990. She was 19, and he was 22. They remained monogamous until 1993 but had always planned to add wives to the family. Before Janelle Brown became Kody Brown’s second wife, Meri and Kody reportedly courted a woman who was still in her teens. She backed out of the relationship. Her identity has never been revealed.  

When their marriage officially ended is a bit ambiguous 

While Meri and Kody announced the end of their marriage in January 2023, Sister Wives fans knew it was over much earlier than that. Meri and Kody admitted that several times over the years, although they always seemed to back-peddle on those statements. 

Meri Brown and Kody Brown sit together after a skiing mishap during an episode of 'Sister Wives'
Meri Brown and Kody Brown | TLC/YouTube

So when did it officially end? Well, that depends on who you ask. Fans would argue that Meri and Kody’s relationship ended when they stopped having a sexual relationship. That occurred around the time Robyn Brown joined the family, according to a bombshell statement made by Meri Brown during the season 16 tell-all episodes. 

Kody would argue that the marriage was over sometime after Meri Brown was caught in a catfishing scandal. Meri might say that it ended when Kody stated that he no longer considered himself married to Meri during season 17 of Sister Wives

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‘Sister Wives’: Kody Brown’s Shortest and Longest Courtships

In the end, it doesn’t matter now. Meri and Kody ended the charade in January 2023 when they released a joint statement via Instagram stating that their marriage was over. It was the final word on the matter, and fans were happy to see it.