‘Sister Wives’ star Robyn Brown ‘nags’ Kody to step up for all 18 kids — but here's why he really hesitates
The anticipated season 20 premiere of ‘Sister Wives’ finally aired on September 28. And it wasted no time diving straight into the family’s most pressing and painful struggles. At the center of the emotional episode was Robyn Brown. She opened up about the heavy burden she feels trying to keep husband Kody Brown engaged with all of his 18 children, not just the ones they raise together. The 46-year-old mother shares Dayton (25), Aurora (23), Breanna (21), Solomon (13), and Ariella (9) with Kody. She confessed that she often finds herself stepping into the role of mediator.
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She reminds the ‘Sister Wives’ patriarch of his responsibilities to his children from his marriages with Meri Brown, Janelle Brown, and Christine Brown. “I nag him about interacting with his other children,” Robyn admitted during an exclusive preview shared by E! News. “He pushes back, tells me to give him space.” Kody, now a father of 18 handling the aftermath of multiple separations, didn’t deny the distance between himself and much of his family. But he also made it clear that his longing for reconciliation hasn’t disappeared. “I literally just compartmentalize the heartbreak,” Kody said candidly.
He added, “I would love healing with Meri. I would love healing with Janelle. I would love healing with Christine and, of course, all of my children. But I think we’re in an impasse here because this healing can only happen on their terms.” For Christine, however, reconciliation cannot rest solely on the shoulders of the children or the ex-wives. It must be an active effort from everyone involved, including Kody himself. Christine is mom to Aspyn (30), Mykelti (29), Paedon (27), Gwendlyn (23), Ysabel (22), and Truely (15). She explained that healing requires more than words and that the family must reconnect in moments outside of grief.
“We all need to see each other again when it’s not around a funeral,” she reflected. Her words struck even harder, considering the timeline: the episode comes 18 months after the tragic death of Janelle and Kody’s son, Garrison. As per PEOPLE, he passed away at just 25 years old. Meanwhile, Meri, who shares Leon (30) with Kody, voiced her own hopes for the fractured family. Though her marriage to Kody ended years ago, she expressed that what she wants most now is a foundation of respect and peace. “I would absolutely love it if Kody and I, if Robyn and I, if me and Christine, me and Janelle, could just get to a place with each other that we can be kind and civil to each other.”
Robyn remains the most vocal about wanting Kody to show up consistently for all of his children, while Kody himself seems torn between regret and avoidance. Christine continues to push for action, not just intention, and Meri advocates for civility as the first step forward. Yet, beneath the individual voices, one theme is clear: the Browns are still grappling with what it means to move on from a plural marriage that once bound them all together. The question now is whether Kody Brown can truly rise to Robyn’s challenge and if his fractured family will let him.