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It is no secret that Meri Brown is absolutely the least liked member of the Brown family. The mother of one’s relationship with her husband, Kody Brown, never recovered from her catfishing scandal, and the relationship she has with her fellow sister wives is in shambles, too. With her only child officially out of the house, fans have been wondering exactly why she doesn’t just leave behind the Brown family and forge her own path.

Kristyn Decker suggests Meri is close to leaving

Kristyn Decker, who spent 50 years in the world of polygamy before leaving, believes Meri’s decision to travel solo during filming breaks suggests she’s on her way out. Decker, who happens to be Christine Brown’s aunt, has penned a book about polygamy and is an outspoken opponent of the practice. Speaking with Radar Online, Decker claims the solo trips are a good indication that Meri is feeling out what it would be like to ride solo.

The decision, however, would not be an easy one. Meri, after all, was only 19 years old when she married Kody Brown after a few short months of courtship. She was in her early 20s when Janelle Brown and Christine Brown joined the family. After nearly 30 years of building an identity around polygamy, it wouldn’t be easy to leave. Another factor, fans believe, is Meri’s daughter, Mariah, as well as how the community treats people who choose to leave the movement.

The pull of religious doctrine is painful to break away from

Meri was born into a polygamist family. Her entire social circle seemingly consists of other polygamists, and the family’s belief system suggests she would be heavily punished for leaving the movement. According to Glamour, sects that practice polygamy believe that plural marriage is the only way to get into heaven. For men, that means having at least three wives, and for women, that means remaining in the marriage and “keeping sweet”, regardless of their level of happiness.

A former member of a polygamist sect told the publication that women are taught that they are never to share a negative emotion, such as jealousy. If they do express those negative sentiments, they are told they are not abiding by the rules and are failing to live a godly life. The implications attached to leaving are heavy, and they seemingly get heavier the longer one stays in the movement. Meri’s entire life is tied to polygamy, making moving on a pretty painful prospect

Fans think Mariah has played into Meri’s decision to stay

Mariah is Meri’s only child. Now living in Chicago, Mariah isn’t living according to the church’s playbook. She does not believe in polygamy and is currently engaged to Audrey Kriss, but once upon a time, she was one of the only Brown kids who said they’d consider plural marriage as a lifestyle choice. That doesn’t mean she’d support her mother leaving, though. Even removed from the movement, fans fear Meri is staying with Kody and her sister wives because she believes Mariah would side with the Brown family over her.

Mariah largely shunned her mother after her catfishing incident was exposed. She also doesn’t appear to want to craft a one-on-one relationship with her. Reddit fans note that while the pair appear to be working on their relationship, there is no emotional closeness, and it seems like Mariah would choose her father, sister moms, and siblings over her mother if it came down to it. The notion that Meri would be separated further from her only child is likely holding her back, ascertain some family followers.

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