Sister Wives Meri Brown has been using Robyn Brown for years, but many believe Robyn has been the one reaping the rewards throughout her marriage.
Kody Brown’s relationships with Meri Brown and Robyn Brown have changed throughout the course of Sister Wives, particularly once Robyn joined the family and Meri started abusing her power. Although many people believe that Robyn usually plays the victim, it’s frequently forgotten how her status within the family benefits Kody’s other wives. Robyn has gotten most of Kody’s focus, leaving Meri, Janelle Brown, and Christine Brown with far less one-on-one examination. Robyn’s addition to the family offers both pros and cons for Meri in particular, but many don’t consider the advantages.
Meri, Christine, and Janelle have always noted Kody’s intense adoration, despite the fact that Robyn and Kody haven’t made an effort to hide the fact that their bond is deeper than his other relationships. Kody has consistently made Robyn sacrifices that he would never do for his other wives, and this has caused bitterness in his past marriages. Robyn has consistently put Meri, Kody’s first wife, in danger of finding happiness. Meri, though, is probably committed to making the most of her relationship with Robyn, even though she is aware of its drawbacks.
Robyn’s Relationship With Kody Changed Meri’s Tough Marriage
Throughout Robyn’s relationship with Kody, Meri has been the one who’s lost the most in her marriage. From the earliest moments of their relationship, Kody and Robyn were pushing Meri into tough spots. At the beginning of their relationship, Kody legally divorced Meri in order to marry Robyn and legally adopt her children. Though many see this as a slight against Meri, it’s possible she viewed it as a positive. Meri, who was Kody’s first wife, was already having a difficult time with her relationship by the time Robyn came into Kody’s life.
Their marriage had been riddled with difficulty since the beginning, especially after their plural family went public. Kody and Meri were quiet about their relationship troubles at first, but Meri was hopeful to fix their marriage while Kody felt like things were beyond repair. Though some viewed Meri allowing Kody to legally divorce her as a sign of her giving up, it could’ve been a way for Meri to attempt to change things in her pressurized relationship. Allowing Kody the freedom he was looking for was better for her than trying to resist doing so.
Meri Has Gained More Freedom With Robyn In The Family
As Kody’s first wife, Meri’s position in the Brown family was that of a figurehead for a long time. She was Kody’s only legal wife, which meant there were parts of her marriage that were more public than Christine or Janelle’s. Meri was on legal documentation for Kody, likely had to be more present for him in scenarios where he’d need his wife, and overall just had more to do with Kody on a high level when they were married legally. After Robyn came along, things changed tremendously for Meri.
Robyn became Kody’s legal wife in 2014, which changed Meri’s relationship with Kody entirely. She was afforded more freedom, continuing in her relationship with Kody and honoring their spiritual marriage, but having the ability to step back from the duties of being his legal wife. Meri was able to live a life that was somewhat distanced from the rest of the family, which benefited her in the long-term as she was able to start her business and travel more freely away from the rest of the Browns.
Robyn Sticks Up For Meri When Others Don’t
Although Robyn has taken a lot from Meri by way of relationship, she is also one of the few people in the Brown family who seems to respect Meri fully. Robyn often sticks up for Meri, making it clear that she has her sister wife’s back. Though it feels performative at times, Robyn does do her best to ensure that Meri is included and that her relationship with Kody is at least stable.
Robyn doesn’t often interact in the same way with Christine or Janelle, or at least hasn’t in the past. When it comes to Meri, Robyn seems to understand that she owes her sister wife a bit of grace. Meri, who at times feels embarrassed by how publicly Kody shames her, has made it clear that she appreciates Robyn. She’s shared that there have been times she’s felt like she and Robyn are the only two holding the Brown family together, and it’s clear Robyn shares the sentiment.
Meri And Kody Use Robyn As A Mediator
While Meri and Robyn’s relationships with Kody are separate, being part of a plural family makes it easy to blur the lines between relationships at times. Robyn often spends her time invested in Kody, which means that more often than not, she’s the person who hears about his other relationships. Because Robyn gets the majority of the details about Kody’s relationships, she puts herself in the middle sometimes, especially when it comes to Kody’s marriage to Meri. She pushes Kody to be a better husband, no matter how much that may embarrass her sister wives.
Robyn has previously pushed Kody to attempt to pay more attention to Meri, especially when he has completely ignored her. This makes Meri feel a little uncomfortable, but Robyn wants Kody to treat his wife with respect. Robyn has previously served as a mediator between Meri and Kody when they have encountered conflict. Robyn’s intervention probably helped Kody and Meri maintain their relationship for as long as they did, even though it’s not exactly healthy and it’s not necessarily what they want.
Robyn’s Position In The Family Gives Meri A Shield
Prior to Robyn being a member of the Brown family, Meri held the top spot in the hierarchy of Kody’s wives. Meri and Kody were legally married, therefore even though he may not have had the greatest love feelings for her, she was automatically the best wife. Robyn and Kody were formally married after Kody and Meri’s divorce, which permanently altered the dynamics of the Brown family. Kody probably altered his hierarchy unintentionally because he needed to nurture a new friendship.
In the hierarchy of Kody’s wives, Meri occupied the highest position before Robyn joined the Brown household. Even though Kody may not have had the strongest sentiments for Meri, she was considered the best wife because they were legally wed. After Kody and Meri’s divorce, which irrevocably changed the dynamics of the Brown family, Robyn and Kody were legally wed. Kody probably made an inadvertent change to his hierarchy in order to foster a new friendship.
Sister Wives airs Sundays at 10 p.m. EDT on TLC.