‘Sister Wives’: Was Kody and Janelle’s Relationship the Most Unstable All Along?

Over 18 seasons, Sister Wives fans have watched three of Kody Brown’s four marriages fall apart. Christine Brown revealed she had been unhappy for a decade when she left Kody. Meri Brown recently noted that her relationship with Kody had always been a rollercoaster. By all accounts, it seemed like Janelle Brown and Kody, at the very least, had a stable relationship before tension over coronavirus (COVID-19) safety protocols caused a rift. As season 18 of the series rolls on, fans are learning more about Kody and Janelle’s union. Perceptions about the couple might not have been the reality of their situation. The couple revealed they separated “two or three” times in the past. Can we safely say Kody and Janelle’s relationship was the most unstable all along?

Janelle and Kody Brown split up “two or three times” before their current separation 

In a recent episode, Kody Brown dropped a bit of a bombshell on Sister Wives fans. Kody revealed that he found his separation from Janelle Brown troublesome, though it was not the first time the pair split up. He announced that he and Janelle Brown, his second wife, separated two or three times in the past. 

Kody didn’t elaborate on when those splits happened or how long they lasted. Janelle did mention living apart from the family at some point in their book Becoming Sister Wives. She only admitted to one separation, though, while Kody noted multiple splits had occurred. 

The admission surprised some Sister Wives viewers, as they had long pegged Kody and Janelle as the Brown couple who had the easiest partnership. Janelle’s logical nature appeared to play well into the dynamics of polygamy. Does Kody’s revelation suggest Janelle and Kody had the most tumultuous relationship behind the scenes? We don’t think so. 

Were Janelle and Kody the most unstable couple? 

Sister Wives fans can’t seem to agree on who the most unstable Brown family couple was. Still, you could argue that Kody and Janelle’s relationship was the most unstable and unhealthiest because they had multiple separations. None of Kody’s other wives have admitted to spiritually separating from Kody before publicly announcing their official splits. 

Does that make them toxic as a couple, though? Technically, no. According to Psychology Today, a conscious decision to take a break and live separately can be a healthy move for a relationship. Still, it’s only beneficial if some ground rules are set, and the couple spends their time apart working to strengthen the marriage and work through the troubles that drove them apart in the first place. Whether Kody and Janelle actually put in any work during their separation is anyone’s guess, though it doesn’t seem like Kody did a ton of soul-searching during their breaks. The Brown family patriarch remains adamant that he and Janelle split multiple times because of the sister wives, not him. This most recent breakup, which appears to be sticking, is very much about Kody Brown and his poor treatment of everyone except Robyn Brown and the five kids they share.