The ‘Sister Wives’ Family Dynamic Started With Meri Brown & Ends With Who?

Kody Brown is now down a wife. Shortly before Season 16 of Sister Wives premiered, Christine Brown announced her marriage to Kody was over. Additionally, she had moved to Utah and was not looking back. So, what does this mean for the Brown family as a whole? Is Kody looking for another wife to fill in the gap left behind by Christine? Here’s the family dynamic starting from the beginning.

The Original Family Dynamic Started With Meri Brown

Many viewers and fans are surprised Meri is still in the family. Admittedly, she and Kody have no real relationship. During COVID, they barely saw or talked to each other during his rotation and had become more like friends. A lot of this had to do with a crack that had occurred a handful of years prior which led Meri to seek an online relationship. Ultimately, she got catfished and it wrecked her familial relationships for a long time, including the one with her daughter, Mariah.

However, it must be reminded that she is the original wife who Kody legally married in 1990. They were together for three years before Janelle entered the picture. When she arrived, her marriage was of a spiritual nature since polygamy was illegal. The following year, Kody started courting Christine. He claimed he was not initially attracted to her. They were on a date and she ate nachos in a way that repulsed him yet they wed in 1994.

Janelle was the first to give him a child, their son Logan followed by Christine with daughter Aspyn. Meri had Mariah shortly after. Unfortunately, Meri struggled to give Kody more than one child while his other wives gave him six each. This was an issue documented on Sister Wives as Meri still wanted to find a way to make their family grow. At the same time, a new member was joining them in a completely different way.

Welcome, Fourth Wife

It was not until 2010, the same year the show premiered, that Kody took another wife, Robyn. In fact, it was Meri Brown who encouraged her husband to go talk to Robyn when they were out one night. She told him to go ask her to dance and the rest is history. They went on to wed and have two biological children of their own. Yet, Robyn needed something only Meri could give her.

In 2014, in order for Kody to adopt Robyn’s three children from her first marriage, Meri let go of her title of legal wife. She and Kody divorced so he and Robyn could get married thus he could go through with the adoption process. Though Kody and Meri always had their ups and downs, this was when the marriage really began to suffer. It was extremely visible to viewers in Flagstaff during COVID. Meri claimed Kody would not be there for her if she fell ill.

Furthermore, he would not even give her any physical contact during their thirtieth anniversary. Meri tried her hardest but was rebuffed at every turn. He preferred to be with Robyn and her kids. It only made sense Meri wanted to dedicate herself and time to her bed and breakfast and LulaRoe business. No one expected the family was about to really fall apart.

What Comes Next?

On November 2nd, third wife, Christine announced she and Kody were ending their marriage. After what Meri had been through with the disconnection from Kody, it was a shock she was not the one leaving. Christine not only left Kody but she had also left Flagstaff for Utah. In the Season 16 premiere, the wives are seen taking a tour of their Coyote Pass land. Each gets a lot, including Kody but Christine is just going through the motions.

Meri continues to post elusive messages on her Instagram stories leaving followers wondering if she has checked out, too. Though Kody is apparently not looking for another wife, he is used to having four by his side. He went sixteen years with three wives before Meri encouraged him to court Robyn. Will she play matchmaker again? Does it begin and end with Meri?

Only time will tell. Keep watching the family dynamic as it unravels on the new season of Sister Wives Sundays on TLC.