There is a straightforward answer as to why TLC hasn’t paid the Brown children from Sister Wives. The idea of reality television has dominated television in recent decades. Instead of only watching sitcoms and soap operas, viewers can now watch a variety of shows to see people’s real-life experiences. Many of these programs, including the highly regarded Sister Wives program, may be found on the TLC channel.
Throughout the years, fans have seen the family grow in many different ways. There have been cross-country moves, new babies, divorces, and the enjoyment of everyday life with such a large family. One curiosity that remains is how the pay is structured. With such a significant paycheck from the TLC corporation, how much do the kids pocket, if any?
There Are 18 Brown Kids Who Appear On The Sister Wives
Kody Brown has 18 kids total between his four spouses. Although it hasn’t been confirmed, the possibility that the father of many children is through having children is still open. Robyn Brown had made hints in previous episodes that she wants to have another child with the father of the family. The more recent seasons, though, haven’t made any mention of this wish.
The television network TLC has pursued many different avenues when it comes to representing families that differ from the norm. In addition to the Sister Wives show, audiences have seen programs about large families like the Duggars, multiple shows that center around life as little people such as Little People, Big World, and The Little Couple, and many series that speak to niche medical topics like Dr. Pimple Popper, My 600 Pound Life, and Unexpected.
While the Sister Wives show centers around the plural family and how they conduct themselves with such unique needs, it’s likely that the younger family members have never profited off of the series despite being part of its production.
The Brown Kids Don’t Appear In Every Episode Of Sister Wives
The Brown kids have grown up and spread out across the nation over the course of the many seasons of the show. Many have married, some have started their own families, and many have gone off to college. These explanations lead logically to the conclusion that the kids aren’t portrayed as frequently on the television. They didn’t appear in episodes frequently before, but, either.
Fans have over the years learned about the activities that the kids are involved in, but it hasn’t always come from the kids themselves. Instead, viewers frequently get updates from parent interviews or quick clips that specifically feature the kids.
While the kids aren’t purposely left out of the show, the focus isn’t on following them around. Additionally, there are so many of them that spreading appearances out among them all would still result in limited air time per child.
There are legal protections in place for child actors through labor laws and the Coogan regulations that require 15% of the child’s earnings to be set aside in a trust for them to access when they reach 18 years old.
Unfortunately, those rules don’t apply to reality television programs or influencer families. Therefore, there are no legal obligations for parents to pay their children from the earnings that come from starring in videos or television shows when it comes to reality programs.
It’s likely that the Brown children haven’t received compensation due to the minimal time in which each child is shown on the program. Although they may not have a steady paycheck or a trust set up from the show, there are many ways in which the kids have benefited financially.
Several have had elaborate weddings, most of the children have gone on to college, and multiple family vacations have been shown throughout the seasons.
Not Being Paid As Kids Is Common In Reality TV
There have been numerous contract negotiations over the course of the television series’ run, as is customary for all shows. Fans have witnessed the wives transition into other careers in addition to participating in the reality series, which is probably because the family’s income has decreased.
The youngest TLC stars had a history of not getting paid for their appearances in their separate series, in addition to the fact that they didn’t frequently appear on the show. The Duggars, another well-known big family, have claimed they never got paid for the labor they did as kids for the cameras.
When it comes to the family members of Jon and Kate + 8, it is speculated that the parents set aside a portion of the funds for the kids’ futures, but that hasn’t been confirmed.
Work is being done to change laws and regulations in favor of children who work in reality television and social media. With a massive increase in family vlogging and the ability to earn an income as such, the legal side is behind in providing protections for the children in those situations as they do for those who work as child actors.