‘Sister Wives’ patriarch Kody Brown tears up to save face amid Meri Brown split
After years of estrangement, Meri Brown is defending her choice to remain spiritually married to her now ex, Kody Brown. In the 'Sister Wives' episode that aired on Sunday, November 17, Meri shared her confusion over the final ten years of her 30-year marriage to Kody, which ended permanently in 2022.
Although Meri and Kody were married in 1990, they formally separated in 2014 to allow Kody to wed Robyn Brown, his fourth wife, to adopt her children from a previous marriage. The following year, Meri became embroiled in a catfishing affair with a woman posing as a man online, exposing the flaws in her new relationship with Kody.
The teaser for the November 24 episode reveals how devastated Kody was before Meri's big decision. As they left Meri's house in Flagstaff, the former couple appeared to be in good spirits, with Kody even calling Meri his "favorite ex-wife." But when Kody began crying over losing Meri, everything started to unravel. Is Kody attempting to make a good impression on his church and society by doing this?
Fans have often seen Kody disparage Meri, so it will be hard for him to convince anyone of his sincerity at this moment. Kody appears to be shaken by the church calling him out for abandoning Meri, and now he’s going out of his way to seem sad and heartbroken over their divorce. But let's be real—he’s been asking her to leave for the past 10 years.
'Sister Wives' star Kody Brown saw the split coming ages ago
Before the widely reported event, Kody and Meri, the first of Kody's four wives, acknowledged that their marriage was having difficulties. Meri went on to say that she has been really confused about the state of her relationship with Kody ever since the family moved from Las Vegas to Flagstaff, Arizona, in 2018.
Meri added that after moving to Flagstaff, Kody was "very involved" in her life. She even recalled a memorable wedding anniversary the pair shared, which offered her hope for a reunion. Kody, on the other hand, saw things differently, stating in his confessional, "We were not even like a dating couple. We were like a completely estranged couple that were on the brink of divorce for eight years."
'Sister Wives' star Kody Brown admits to not liking Meri Brown for 6 years
In an episode of 'Sister Wives' from October 2024, Kody had a tense conversation with Meri, his ex-wife. The complexity of their relationship was laid bare during their heated exchange. Kody acknowledged, "Where we are now is… I actually like you now." After years of unresolved conflict, Kody made the unexpected revelation, saying, "I didn't [like you] for six years at all."
He should have told her years ago that he no longer wanted to be with her. He seemed to believe that Meri was so emotionally worn down that she wouldn’t seek a release or a religious divorce from their church, the AUB. Furthermore, he feared that he might lose his Celestial flying suit as a result of the AUB questioning Meri and the other spouses.
'Sister Wives' star Kody Brown may be missing Meri Brown's money
Kody may have disliked Meri, but he was clearly in love with her money. He's a selfish, greedy individual who was afraid she might stop supporting them financially. That’s all Kody cared about—the money. He wanted the money from her spending to be funneled into the family fund.
After marrying Robyn, he wanted to spend all of his time with her. He began to despise the first three wives and children fairly early on. If it hadn't been for the show and the money and attention it provided, we believe Kody would have abandoned the OG three wives and children years ago. Anyone or anything that diverted his time and attention away from Robyn was a problem for Kody.
'Sister Wives' Season 19 airs on Sundays at 10 PM ET on TLC.