Skip to main content

Were the signs there all along? 

Sister Wives fans have often accused Robyn Brown of being the architect of the Brown family’s demise. Kody Brown’s fourth – and currently only – wife joined the family in 2010. Her arrival created tension in the family that was never fully resolved and contributed to fractures between Kody and his other wives that eventually led to divorce. It’s exactly what Robyn herself feared might happen when she and Kody wed. 

Robyn Brown said she was sorry for making the other ‘Sister Wives’ stars struggle

In 2010, Kody and Robyn, along with Meri Brown, Janelle Brown, and Christine Brown, were guests on The Oprah Winfrey Show. They were there to discuss their then-new TLC show, Sister Wives, and their life as a plural family. 

The Browns had recently added Robyn and her three kids from her first marriage to their family. But adjusting to life with a new sister wife wasn’t easy for everyone. It had been 16 years since Kody had married his third wife, Christine, and Robyn’s arrival seemed to upset a delicate balance. 

“They had a really wonderful thing, and I’ve stirred it up,” Robyn said at the time. “I’m so sorry. I know I’m making you struggle. I’m so sorry. I hate this.” 

Christine Brown feared Kody was ‘replacing’ his family with Robyn and her kids

Christine admitted she struggled with jealousy when Kody started courting another woman. When he left for weekend visits to Robyn, she feared the worst.

“There was a couple times where I’m like, ‘You really can’t go,'” Christine told Oprah. “‘You can’t leave me. You can’t leave your family. You are here. You are replacing your family with Robyn and her kids.'”

Christine was also upset when she learned Kody had kissed Robyn before their wedding, a big no-no in their conservative faith. 

“I found out that Kody sealed the engagement with a kiss, and I freaked,” she said. 

Meri Brown also struggled with jealousy

Robyn Brown, Meri Brown, Kody Brown, Christine Brown and Janelle Brown from "Sister Wives" arrive at the grand opening of Mike Tyson's one-man show "Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth - Live on Stage" at the Hollywood Theatre at the MGM Grand Hotel/Casino April 14, 2012
Robyn Brown, Meri Brown, Kody Brown, Christine Brown and Janelle Brown in 2012 | Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Related

Kody Brown’s Luau Meltdown in ‘Sister Wives’ Season 10 Showed His True Colors 

Meri also struggled to adjust to Robyn’s presence in their lives. 

“I’m not going to lie—there are jealousy issues,” she said. “Those are natural. Hopefully, that’s something that I can overcome.”

At the time, Meri was Kody’s only legal wife. However, a few years later he divorced her so that he could legally marry Robyn and adopt her kids. 

While Kody’s wives had to work through their feelings of jealousy toward another woman, Kody didn’t have to deal with the same thing. In fact, in an early episode of Sister Wives, he admitted he couldn’t stomach the idea of any of his wives being involved with another. Later, Meri’s online affair with a catfish would significantly damage their relationship. 

“That’s just not something I’m comfortable with imagining,” Kody said in a Sister Wives episode when Meri asked him how he’d feel if she was with another man. “The vulgarity of the idea of you with two husbands or another lover sickens me. It seems wrong to God and nature. I understand this seems somewhat hypocritical, and I don’t know how to get around it.”

For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel.

Best in Entertainment