Robyn Brown’s ex-husband was sometimes mentioned on Sister Wives, but what happened to him?
The Sister Wives reality television series has over the years presented viewers to a wide range of people. Others have remained for numerous seasons while others have come and gone. A new wife was introduced right at the start of the program. Three children from her previous marriage, to whom she was previously married, came to live with the Brown family.
Out of all the people that have come into the show, one that fans don’t hear about is the biological father of Robyn Brown’s oldest children and the husband of her first marriage. Who is this individual, and what role does he play within the family outside of being an ex-husband and father? Since Robyn has remarried, what has become of her first husband?
Robyn Brown Was Previously Married To David Jessop
When Robyn Brown was just 21 years old, she married David Jessop in Montana. The couple went on to have three children (Dayton, Aurora, and Brianna) before separating in 2007. Their divorce was finalized in 2009, and Robyn met and spiritually married Kody Brown the following year, in 2010. She then gave birth to their first child together, Solomon, in 2011.
Later, in 2014, the couple became legally married so that Kody could adopt Robyn’s elder children. To accomplish this, Kody had to formally sever his marriage to Meri and start a spiritual relationship with her. Kody was also spiritually wedded to Christine and Janelle. Two years after becoming legally married, Robyn and Kody had Ariella, the youngest Brown child.
Robyn’s first marriage was monogamous, in contrast to her second marriage, which included three sister wives and numerous children in a family that was already functioning. Robyn herself is a child of plural marriage, but this change was significant for both the old and new family members. Despite the fact that they lived in different houses and infrequently met, her mother was a sister wife in her own eyes, according to Robyn’s prior accounts. Therefore, although though Robyn was a member of a family with a plural marriage tradition, the structure of the family was very dissimilar from that of the Brown family and other Mormon polygamous families.
Jessop Is Related to Two Other Brown Family Members
While David Jessop is the ex-husband of Robyn Brown and the biological father to her three oldest children, he is more intermixed in the family than just that one relationship. Not only is he a third cousin to the family patriarch Kody Brown, but David Jessop is also a first cousin to Christine, the mother of six of Kody’s children Aspyn, Mykelti, Paedon, Gwendlyn, Ysabel, and Truely.
There are many nuances within the Mormon religion and polygamous culture that dictate who can rightfully be married to one another. Because of these stipulations, there are often common ancestors that span across different extensions of the family. While in monogamous marriages, it may seem odd to have a cousin in common or marry an ex-husband’s family member, this isn’t the case when it comes to Mormonism.
Where Is David Jessop Today?
Although the Brown family is going through a difficult time, it has been well-documented on the popular reality television series Sister Wives, David Jessop isn’t given much attention in the media or elsewhere. Robyn’s older children, whom she shares with Jessop, were reportedly visiting their father frequently in an early episode of the show; however, it seems that this halted a few years into Robyn’s marriage to Kody.
According to sources, Jessop first talked to Kody about the possibility of adopting a stepparent in order to avoid paying child support. Jessop realized that such a change would entail the removal of visitation rights, and the conversation came to an end.
While it hasn’t been confirmed, some speculate that Kody moved forward with the idea, and the courts sided with him after Jessop’s lapse in support payments for an extended time. Robyn Brown has made statements in the past that alluded to David Jessop being abusive and acting in a bullying manner towards her and her children during their marriage. While this accusation was never corroborated, Jessop was arrested for domestic assault in August 2018.
Robyn’s assertions about their turbulent and difficult eight-year relationship seem to be further supported by the incident, even though the penalty was ultimately reduced to disorderly behaviour and Jessop had to pay fines. Other information concerning Robyn Brown’s ex-boyfriend has surfaced outside of those incidents. Unfortunately, it was revealed in February 2023 that David Jessop, who is better known by his middle name of Preston, had been given a leukemia diagnosis.
It is unknown if his older children from Robyn are aware of the cancer or if they have spoken to him since it was found. According to the GoFundMe page his sister-in-law created, Jessop has remarried and has four children total with his new spouse.