Sister Wives has been documenting Kody Brown’s tumultuous relationships with his wives for the duration of the series, but when did things start?
Throughout the course of the series, Sister Wives, Kody Brown’s complicated relationships with his wives Meri Brown, Janelle Brown, Christine Brown, and Robyn Brown have been chronicled. However, many viewers are interested in learning when these connections first started. The family has been together for years, with some spouses being in Kody’s life for a longer period of time than others, even though Kody and his wives are all in their mid-lives. Since she joined the family, Robyn, Kody’s most recent and only surviving wife, has been the family’s favorite wife, but things had changed repeatedly before Robyn wed Kody. The Brown family’s nuclear structure has been upended.
Since the Brown family has seen constant change, many people have wondered how Kody and his wives’ plural marriage began. Although Meri, Janelle, and Christine played a significant role in Kody’s life before he married Robyn, little of their time together has been discussed in Sister Wives season 18, which is surprising given that many of Kody’s relationships have ended or are about to terminate. There are still unanswered issues regarding the timeframes of the ties between the members of the Brown family because the series focuses more on the present than it does on the past.
How Long Has Sister Wives Been On The Air?
Although Sister Wives season 18 is currently on the air, the show hasn’t been on the air for 18 years. After debuting in 2010, Sister Wives began captivating viewers with an inside look at a family living in plural marriage. The series originally had shortened seasons, but things expanded as the show gained traction and got popular. For Kody, Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn, the decision to go public about their family was a tough one. They had to weigh the pros and cons of keeping their lives quiet or sharing their family with the world.
As Sister Wives has aired year after year, the Brown family has continually shared the most personal parts of their lives. From family drama to interpersonal relationship issues and health crises to public scandal, the Browns have been airing out their secrets on reality TV for 18 seasons over the span of 13 years. Though there have been times that the Browns have keep things quiet, the majority of their relationship drama and family problems have become public knowledge, leading up to Kody’s trio of divorces in the last 2 years.
When Did Kody Meet Meri? (& How Long Were They Together?)
As Kody’s first wife, Meri has always carried some extra weight in the Brown family as the original wife. The pair met in October 1989, marrying just 6 months after they first met in April 1990. Both Meri and Kody grew up in religious homes, but Meri was raised in a polygamous family while Kody was raised in a monogamous family. Both were open to the idea of living in a polygamous relationship, especially due to their religious backgrounds. After marrying legally in 1990, the couple lived in monogamy for a few years before Kody brought his next wife into the mix.
Meri and Kody welcomed their only child in 1995, and though the pair continued to try to have another child, other pregnancies were unsuccessful for Meri. After years together, Meri and Kody faced an interesting issue as Kody began his relationship with Robyn. The pair chose to get legally divorced, though they stayed married spiritually, in order for Robyn’s children to be legally adopted by Kody. The couple spent years in a spiritual marriage, but wound up separating in late 2022. They were together for over 30 years before their eventual separation.
Janelle Was Wife Number 2
Kody met Janelle in 1989, exactly around the time he met Meri, even though they didn’t immediately start dating. At the time, Janelle was still wed to her first husband, but after their divorce in 1990, she soon moved on. Before deciding to wed in 1993, the couple courted each other for a number of years. The couple welcomed 6 children into their family over the course of their marriage, which lasted for many years. The chemistry between Kody and Janelle is intriguing, especially in light of the fact that they spent the majority of their time together deeply in love.
The couple, who got married after 3 years of courting, were one of Kody’s most stable relationships throughout their time together. Kody and Janelle confided in each other and though they had marital spats, were consistently one of the most engaging relationships on Sister Wives during it’s early years. Kody seemed to feel a sense of calm with Janelle and confided in her tremendously, but the relationship changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kody picked an argument with Janelle’s sons over his rules surrounding the pandemic, which sent his marriage to Janelle in to a downward spiral. The two announced their separation after nearly 30 years of marriage in late 2022.
Christine Used To Be The Youngest Wife
In the early 1990s, Kody met Christine while still trying to start a family after he wed Janelle. After she and Kody had been dating for some time and had been spiritually wed in 1994, she asked to join the Brown family. Being the youngest wife in the Brown family and upsetting Janelle and Meri, Christine and Kody’s relationship had a very different dynamic from the start. Although Christine harbored some resentment toward her sister wives, in the end the group got along well and helped one another.
Christine and Kody welcomed 6 children of their own through the years, and have done their best to continue to parent their children together even as things have gotten more sour in their relationship. For years, Christine felt as though she was being pushed out of her relationship with Kody, especially after Robyn joined the family. Christine and Kody faced some issues in their relationship after years together, and while Kody was hoping to fix things, Christine wasn’t certain about their marriage. She chose to leave Kody in 2021 after nearly 30 years together and the pair divorced by the end of that year.
Robyn Changed The Brown Family Dynamic
Robyn had a unique position to fill as she rose through the ranks of the Brown family because she was the final wife to join them. Kody and Robyn started dating in 2010, and they courted for several years before deciding to be married. In exchange for Robyn’s children from her first marriage, the couple demanded that Meri renounce her formal union with Kody. Even if the rest of his marriages were failing, Kody and Robyn were content in their union after being married in 2014. Kody received criticism from his wife for not being an equal partner because he spent the most of his time with Robyn and was no longer treating them fairly.
Robyn has always been the recipient of Kody’s favoritism, which he started displaying very early on in their relationship. Robyn received beautiful jewelry for their wedding, something Kody’s other wives did not receive, and he took her on a honeymoon, something he did not do with his prior wives. Even in the early episodes of Sister Wives, it was quite evident that Kody and Robyn were more akin than Kody was with any of his other wives. Even if Kody is dealing with other marital issues, their bond is still going strong. The longest-lasting relationship in the entire history of the show is that of Kody and Robyn.
Sister Wives airs Sundays at 10 p.m. EDT on TLC.