It\u2019s a full house! Between his three spouses, one ex-partner and 18 children, Sister Wives<\/em> <\/a>star Kody Brown<\/strong><\/a> has his hands full at home.<\/p>\n The salesperson\u2019s family became the subject of intrigue when the first season of the TLC reality series<\/a> premiered in September 2010. At the time, Kody was courting Robyn Brown<\/strong><\/a>, his fourth wife and the first new spouse to enter the family in 16 years.<\/p>\n Kody was legally married to his first wife, Meri Brown<\/strong><\/a>, from April 1990 until their September 2014 divorce. While they are no longer considered a wedded couple by law, they continue to be \u201cspiritually married.\u201d However, their relationship hasn\u2019t been smooth over the past several years.<\/p>\n \u201cMeri and I have been in a very dark place<\/a> for a very long time,\u201d Kody told Us Weekly<\/em> exclusively in February 2021 ahead of the season 15 premiere of Sister Wives<\/em>. \u201cIt\u2019s been more about trying to get ourselves out of this hole that we dug ourselves into. \u2026 I hope that some communication heals things. It\u2019s been a long time and it\u2019s been very difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n Though things between them aren\u2019t always perfect, Kody said that he can\u2019t bring himself to completely abandon any of his wives. (Along with Meri and Robyn, he also \u201cspiritually married\u201d his second and third wives, Janelle Brown<\/strong><\/a> and Christine Brown<\/strong><\/a>.)<\/p>\n \u201cIn plural marriage, I don\u2019t feel like I\u2019ve got the right to say, \u2018This is over, this is ending,’\u201d he told Us<\/em> at the time, acknowledging that there\u2019s a \u201cdouble standard in some senses\u201d<\/a> in the polygamous community. \u201cI feel like [my wives] need to understand that \u2014 that they can leave. If it\u2019s not working for them, they can leave. Nobody\u2019s going to be a prisoner here.\u201d<\/p>\n Trouble hasn\u2019t only been brewing between him and Meri, however. While his family adjusted to the coronavirus pandemic throughout 2020, Kody noticed a \u201cpsychic tension\u201d between him and all of his spouses.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like my wives are living four separate lives, but I don\u2019t feel like I\u2019m living four separate lives,\u201d he told Us<\/em> in February 2021. \u201cI\u2019m sort of strung out on this relationship conveyor belt<\/a>. \u2026 In fact, it seems like my wives are in four different worlds. They\u2019re all actually at different stages of their life. \u2026 It\u2019s been a real challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n In November 2021, Kody and his third wife, Christine, announced they called it quits after more than 25 years together<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cChristine\u2019s decision to leave comes with a great deal of sadness,\u201d Kody wrote in a statement at the time, following Christine\u2019s split announcement. \u201cWe enjoyed many years together and I have a large amount of respect and admiration for her. Although we are moving forward on different paths, we will always remain committed parents.\u201d<\/p>\n As Sister Wives<\/em> grew more popular, the Brown family sparked plenty of controversy. In 2011, they sued the state of Utah and challenged criminal polygamy laws. The Browns were successful when the case was brought to a district court in 2013, but a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals unanimously dismissed the lawsuit three years later.<\/p>\n Keep scrolling to learn more about Kody and his unique family.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> Puddle Monkey Prods\/Kobal\/Shutterstock\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n It’s a full house! Between his three spouses, one ex-partner and 18 children, Sister Wives<\/em> <\/a>star Kody Brown<\/strong><\/a> has his hands full at home.
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> AP\/Shutterstock\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n The Wyoming native was raised Mormon by parents Genielle Brown and William Brown, who was also a polygamist later in his life and had three wives. “Every polygamous man has thought to himself how wonderful [monogamy] might be,” Kody told Us<\/em> exclusively in February 2021. “You know, ‘The grass is greener.’ … But every family in polygamy is very different.”\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> Courtesy of Meri Brown\/Instagram\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Meri, Kody’s first wife, grew up in California in a family of 25 siblings. The pair were introduced by one of Kody’s sisters in 1989 and tied the knot in April 1990. They welcomed their only child five years later. Kody and Meri were legally married until September 2014, when they got divorced in order for Kody to wed his fourth wife, Robyn.<\/p>\n In February 2021, Kody told Us<\/em> that his relationship with Meri had been “in a very dark place”<\/a> for quite some time. “It’s been more about trying to get ourselves out of this hole that we dug ourselves into,” he explained. “I hope time heals things. I hope that some communication heals things. It’s been a long time and it’s been very difficult.”<\/p>\n In June 2022, Meri and Kody’s child, Leon, came out as transgender and queer<\/a>. \u201cI was pretty young & unfortunately I grew up in a context that was incredibly gendered & restrictive,” they wrote via Instagram, adding that they also go by “Leo” and prefer to use they\/them pronouns. \u201cSo I continued to be socialized as a girl & later a woman. and here\u2019s the thing, I\u2019m finally ready to share my favorite self with the world. and that self is incredibly genderqueer, trans, and unapologetic.” Meri shared Leon’s post via her Instagram story, proudly proclaiming, “You are my sunshine.”<\/p>\n During the Sister Wives: One-on-One<\/em> special in December 2022, Meri revealed that Kody \u201calready decided\u201d their fate when he claimed he no longer \u201cconsidered\u201d the pair to be married. \u201cWe have a lot of history and I love him,\u201d she said during the tell-all. \u201cAnd he has chosen not to love me and not to want a relationship with me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> Courtesy of Janelle S. Brown\/Instagram\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Meri introduced Kody to his second wife, Janelle, who was not brought up experiencing polygamy in her family. The couple were “spiritually married” in January 1993 and later welcomed six children: sons Logan<\/strong>, Hunter<\/strong>, Robert<\/strong> and Gabriel<\/strong>, and daughters Maddie<\/strong> and Savannah<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The Arizona resident previously told Us<\/em> in April 2020 that she thought “there would be more camaraderie” between her and Kody’s other wives if they spent more time together<\/a> amid the COVID-19 crisis. “I really think it would have been easier to deal with being quarantined if we were all under one roof because we\u2019re having to be so separate,” she said at the time, noting that it would be “easier” for them all if they weren’t taking care of “separate households.”<\/p>\n Janelle and Kody became grandparents when Maddie and her husband, Caleb Brush<\/strong><\/a>, welcomed two kids<\/a> of their own: son Axel in January 2017 and daughter Evangalynn in August 2019.<\/p>\n In December 2022, Janelle confirmed during the Sister Wives: One-on-One<\/em> special that she and Kody had been \u201cseparated for several months.\u201d Kody, for his part, confirmed the news, saying, \u201cYes, we\u2019re separated. \u2026 Janelle has made it pretty clear to me that she\u2019s enjoying her life without me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> Courtesy of Christine Brown\/Instagram\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Kody met Christine through her sister in 1990 and the pair became fast friends. During their first date on Valentine’s Day in 1994, Kody proposed. They were “spiritually married” one month later. Kody fathered another six children with his third wife: son Paedon and daughters Aspyn<\/strong>, Mykelti<\/strong>, Gwendlyn<\/strong>, Ysabel<\/strong> and Truely<\/strong>. In September 2020, Mykelti announced that she was expecting her first child<\/a> with husband Tony Padron<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Having grown up in a polygamous family, Christine wanted the same situation for herself. “I only ever wanted to be a third [wife]. I never wanted to be a first, at all. … I only ever wanted to be a third because it sounded the easiest,” she once said. However, Kody told Us<\/em> in February 2021 that the dynamic was starting to get “weird.”<\/p>\n He added, “It feels more and more like it’s just these independent relationships and we’re less and less a family.”<\/p>\n The twosome announced in November 2021 that they were going their separate ways. \u201cAfter more than 25 years together, Kody and I have grown apart and I have made the difficult decision to leave,\u201d Christine wrote in a statement at the time. \u201cWe will continue to be a strong presence in each other\u2019s lives as we parent our beautiful children and support our wonderful family.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> Courtesy of Robyn Brown\/Instagram\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Kody and Robyn, a divorced mother of three, met at church in 2009 and were “spiritually married” one year later. The duo welcomed son Solomon<\/strong> in October 2011 and daughter Ariella<\/strong> in January 2016.<\/p>\n In December 2014, Kody and Robyn were legally married so that Kody could officially adopt<\/a> his fourth wife’s children from her previous marriage: son David<\/strong> and daughters Aurora<\/strong> and Breanna<\/strong>. While speaking with Us<\/em> in February 2021, Kody hinted that he might want to keep expanding his blended family.<\/p>\n “I think it’s up to Robyn,” he said at the time. “But whenever I ask her, she always goes, ‘Well, it’s up to us. We make this decision together.'”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n‘Sister Wives’ Family: A Guide to All of Kody Brown’s Spouses and Children<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
\nThe salesperson’s family became the subject of intrigue when the first season of the TLC reality series<\/a> premiered in September 2010. At the time, Kody was courting Robyn Brown<\/strong><\/a>, his fourth wife and the first new spouse to enter the family in 16 years.
\n
\nKody was legally married to his first wife, Meri Brown<\/strong><\/a>, from April 1990 until their September 2014 divorce. While they are no longer considered a wedded couple by law, they continue to be “spiritually married.” However, their relationship hasn’t been smooth over the past several years.
\n
\n“Meri and I have been in a very dark place<\/a> for a very long time,” Kody told Us Weekly<\/em> exclusively in February 2021 ahead of the season 15 premiere of Sister Wives<\/em>. “It’s been more about trying to get ourselves out of this hole that we dug ourselves into. … I hope that some communication heals things. It’s been a long time and it’s been very difficult.”
\n
\nThough things between them aren’t always perfect, Kody said that he can’t bring himself to completely abandon any of his wives. (Along with Meri and Robyn, he also “spiritually married” his second and third wives, Janelle Brown<\/strong><\/a> and Christine Brown<\/strong><\/a>.)
\n
\n“In plural marriage, I don’t feel like I’ve got the right to say, ‘This is over, this is ending,'” he told Us<\/em> at the time, acknowledging that there’s a “double standard in some senses”<\/a> in the polygamous community. “I feel like [my wives] need to understand that \u2014 that they can leave. If it’s not working for them, they can leave. Nobody’s going to be a prisoner here.”
\n
\n[jwplayer V9TewLZM-l3ahXupL]
\n
\nTrouble hasn’t only been brewing between him and Meri, however. While his family adjusted to the coronavirus pandemic throughout 2020, Kody noticed a “psychic tension” between him and all of his spouses.
\n
\n“I feel like my wives are living four separate lives, but I don’t feel like I’m living four separate lives,” he told Us<\/em> in February 2021. “I’m sort of strung out on this relationship conveyor belt<\/a>. … In fact, it seems like my wives are in four different worlds. They’re all actually at different stages of their life. … It’s been a real challenge.”
\n
\nIn November 2021, Kody and his third wife, Christine, announced they called it quits after more than 25 years together<\/a>.
\n
\n\u201cChristine\u2019s decision to leave comes with a great deal of sadness,\u201d Kody wrote in a statement at the time, following Christine\u2019s split announcement. \u201cWe enjoyed many years together and I have a large amount of respect and admiration for her. Although we are moving forward on different paths, we will always remain committed parents.\u201d
\n
\nAs Sister Wives<\/em> grew more popular, the Brown family sparked plenty of controversy. In 2011, they sued the state of Utah and challenged criminal polygamy laws. The Browns were successful when the case was brought to a district court in 2013, but a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals unanimously dismissed the lawsuit three years later.
\n
\nKeep scrolling to learn more about Kody and his unique family.
\n
\n[podcast_block]<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Kody](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Kody-Brown.jpg?w=800&quality=47&strip=all\" "\\"Kody")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nKody Brown<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Meri](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Meri-Brown.jpg?w=800&quality=86&strip=all\" "\\"Meri")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nMeri Brown<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Janelle](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Janelle-S.-Brown.jpg?w=800&quality=86&strip=all\" "\\"Janelle")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nJanelle Brown<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Christine](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Christine-Brown.jpg?w=800&quality=86&strip=all\" "\\"Christine")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nChristine Brown<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Robyn](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Robyn-Brown.jpg?w=800&quality=86&strip=all\" "\\"Robyn")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nRobyn Brown<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n