Sister Wives: “Don’t Leave Me This Way!”: How Kody Broke Hearts Before Garrison’s Death
Kody Brown is a highly controversial figure in Sister Wives, and he famously broke three of his ex-wives’ hearts, leading to their separation. Kody is only in love with Robyn Brown, his only remaining wife, and has betrayed his former wives in various shocking ways. His lack of love, respect, and care for Janelle Brown, Christine Brown, and Meri Brown directly contributed to their desire to leave the Sister Wives patriarch. While Garrison Brown’s tragic death brought the Brown family together, Kody hurt Janelle, Meri, and Christine beyond repair before they lost a son.
Meri was Kody’s first wife; they got married in April 1990 and divorced in 2014, when Kody legally married Robyn to adopt her three children. However, Meri and Kody remained spiritually married until she left him in December 2022. Janelle and Kody married in January 1993, followed by Christine in March 1994. Kody and Robyn were spiritually married in December 2010. The introduction of Robyn into the Brown family caused friction between the wives, as Kody showed favoritism towards his final wife. Ahead of Sister Wives season 19, it’s time to revisit how Kody broke his ex-wives’ hearts.
In an episode of Sister Wives season 17, Christine admitted that Kody told her, “‘I am not interested in having an intimate marriage anymore.’” She responded, “I’m not okay with staying in a marriage where there is no intimacy.” Christine then moved Kody’s belongings out of her house, becoming the first wife to officially leave the Sister Wives patriarch.
” I’m not okay with staying in a marriage where there is no intimacy .”
However, Kody’s perspective was different. He shared on the show, “I never said no, that we weren’t going to be intimate again. I was at a point where I wanted her to address the rumors that I’d been hearing from the kids that she was threatening to leave,” Kody explained. Regardless, it was the last straw for Christine, and the confessionals confirmed the two hadn’t been intimate in a long time.
Before the explosive breakup, Christine openly discussed her unhappiness with the lack of romantic connection in their marriage. Similarly, Kody admitted that he was no longer interested in a physical relationship with Christine, likely because of his desire for Robyn. While Kody had another wife to fulfill his physical needs, Christine was left feeling unloved and unwanted.
Kody Brown Wouldn’t Forgive Meri Brown For Her Emotional Affair
Meri’s fallout with Kody was especially heartbreaking and embarrassing for the Sister Wives star. In 2015, Meri, feeling neglected and pushed out by Kody, began an emotional affair with someone she believed to be a man named Sam Cooper. This person turned out to be a woman named Jackie Overton, a notorious catfish. The relationship lasted six months, during which Meri shared intimate and compromising photos and voicemails, unaware that she was being scammed.
Meri entered into an emotional affair because she felt neglected and unloved by Kody, whose focus had entirely shifted to his marriage with Robyn.
Jackie, posing as Sam, leaked private and embarrassing photos of Meri, which included her kissing a banana and showing her leg in a bathtub with the name “Sam” written on it. These revelations not only humiliated Meri but exposed her deep dissatisfaction with her marriage to Kody, as Meri was heard in voicemails expressing her desire to leave Kody.
Kody, who already had a strained relationship with Meri due to her inability to have more children and his commitment to Robyn, found it impossible to forgive Meri. However, the affair just highlighted existing issues in their relationship. Despite Meri’s efforts to mend their relationship, Kody’s disapproval and emotional distance persisted.
Meri’s relationship with Kody never recovered, but his first wife wouldn’t have had an emotional affair if he had shown any love and affection towards her. Kody openly admitted he was no longer attracted to Meri, which she had learned to accept. However, the catfishing scandal was the catalyst Meri needed to leave her disrespectful, unloving husband.
Janelle’s decision to leave Kody was directly tied to his abandonment during the COVID-19 pandemic and following in Christine’s footsteps. She ended her spiritual marriage to Kody after years of tension, with their relationship crumbling after he increasingly favored Robyn. Kody’s decision to quarantine exclusively with Robyn left Janelle feeling abandoned and neglected. His absence highlighted Kody’s growing emotional distance and lack of support for Janelle and their children.
After Christine left Kody, Janelle found inspiration in Christine’s newfound independence. Witnessing Christine’s positive transformation and self-growth after leaving Kody, Janelle followed suit, though she floundered in Sister Wives seasons 17 and 18 with the decision. Similarly to Christine, Janelle was completely abandoned by her husband regarding physical intimacy and affection and felt she deserved better. He broke her heart long before the pandemic, but her place in the patriarch’s life became clear when he chose to quarantine with Robyn.
Kody wasn’t a good husband to Janelle, Meri, or Christine, breaking their hearts years before the separations and Garrison’s death occurred. He married his first three lives to fulfill his religious beliefs but didn’t truly feel love until he connected with Robyn. While this was understandable, it left his first three wives feeling lonely and unappreciated. Luckily, Christine married David Woolley, and Janelle and Meri have embarked on journeys of self-growth. Kody remains happy with Robyn as the last wife standing in Sister Wives.
