Why is Kody Brown avoiding his children? 'Sister Wives' patriarch continues to be cold despite personal tragedy
FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA: It's evident that tensions between Kody Brown, his exes, and his children have reached an all-time high as 'Sister Wives' returned for a new season. He even accused the women of undermining him in front of his children as they moved forward without him.
Season 12 of 'Sister Wives' premiered on Sunday, September 15, providing viewers with an unfavorable update on Kody's relationship status with his wife Robyn Brown, his ex-partners Meri Brown, Christine Brown, and Janelle Brown, as well as his children. Furthermore, it appears the episode was filmed shortly after the end of the previous season, during which Kody, Meri, and Janelle all parted ways, leaving little time for things to improve.
Setting the stage, Kody said that, "Christine and I just don't talk. Janelle and I have been separated. Meri, do we say we're divorced? I don't think so. But we're not in a marriage, and I don't want to be in a marriage." Kody questioned, "Who am I without my family?"
Certainly, there’s plenty of room for growth in his relationships with his children. Kody declared that he felt "f*****g excommunicated from my own family" and that he wasn't sure where he belonged anymore. He added, "I have this marriage and these kids with Robyn, and then I have some relationship with some of the other kids and it's infrequent. And so I'm like, 'what do I do with all of this?' It doesn't feel like a family."
'Sister Wives' star Kody Brown refuses to mend relationship with Maddie Brown
Later, Christine clarified that not every child "has a great relationship with Kody," and Janelle mentioned that her daughter Madison Brush hasn't spoken to him in a while. "I know that Maddie has not had any conversations with her dad. He's not called, she's not called him, and she doesn't have any relationship with Robyn," she revealed. "She's pretty much written them both off. She doesn't really want him to have any contact unless he can commit to it like a consistent presence," she added.
When a producer asked Kody about Maddie, he abruptly ended the session by stating, "I won't talk about her. Nope." In her confessional, Robyn stated, "I don't understand why Kody's not reaching out to Madison or some of the other kids. I know he's in a very angry and hurt place, but he should just be putting in the effort. But I think the kids should be doing the same thing, too."
'Sister Wives' patriarch Kody Brown called out by daughter Mykelti Brown
In her own confessional, one of Kody's children, Mykelti Brown, shared her thoughts on the strained family dynamics. "I think the current state of my family is honestly heartbreaking," Mykelti said. "I mean, you look back 14 years ago when Robyn first joined the family, and we were all this like beautiful, united together against all odds vibe. It was really amazing. And then just life has gone on, and it kind of started to disjoint. It's really sad. It's honestly really sad."
'Sister Wives' Season 19 kicked off on a heartbreaking note
'Sister Wives' Season 19 debuted on Sunday, picking up where the previous season left off in Kody's family life. One of the six children that Kody and Janelle share, Garrison Brown, was honored in the TLC series. He passed away earlier this year. He died earlier this year. Before the episode’s debut, three quotation cards are displayed over a dark screen, setting a somber tone for the show.
In March 2024, Kody and Janelle announced the death of their son Garrison. According to Flagstaff, Arizona police, the 25-year-old appears to have taken his own life. 'Sister Wives' Season 19 will discuss Garrison's passing, according to TLC's confirmation. The season premiere also explores Kody's struggles with the fallout from his breakups with his first wife, Meri, and his third wife, Christine. Janelle and Robyn, his two surviving spouses, are also struggling. Since then, Janelle and Kody have separated. Kody also discusses the growing distance between himself and his children.
'Sister Wives' star Kody Brown has an ongoing tension with his children
'Sister Wives' has previously explored Gabe Brown's and Garrison's tense relationship, which seemed to break down due to the Brown patriarch's stringent Covid-19 rules. In a January 2023 episode of 'Sister Wives: One on One,' Kody expressed regret to his sons for how the Covid-19 situation was handled.
'Sister Wives' Season 19 airs Sundays on TLC at 10 PM.