When Sister Wives’ Meri Brown asked her husband of over three decades to publicly address the end of their marriage, Kody Brown's response was tellingly straightforward:
"I don't want to address it. I don't want that to be out there publicly because I don't want that judgment."
This moment from TLC's hit reality TV series wonderfully captures the nuanced relationships that have characterized the show's 19-season run. Viewers have been following Kody's journey through the highs and lows of many marriages since 2010 with his four wives: Robyn, Christine, Janelle, and Meri.
With three women now gone and just Robyn left, the previously prosperous polygamist family of Sister Wives is now in ruins, but Kody's own words and deeds have started to expose more about the guy at the heart of this disintegrating family.
Sister Wives’ Kody Brwon’s red flags explored
Perhaps the most consistent theme throughout Season 19 has been Kody's remarkable ability to dodge responsibility.
"What did I do to deserve this? What did I do wrong?"
He asks in confessionals while simultaneously telling his former partners to "Blame yourself if I don't love you." This contradiction has become increasingly apparent as the season progresses, with Kody positioning himself as the victim in what he dramatically describes as a "total civil war."
Kody's admission on Sister Wives that he "never loved" three of his wives was one of the most shocking revelations on the show. He said he was "so anxious to be living the principle of plural marriage" that he neglected to thoroughly screen his partners for compatibility.
The shocking revelation that Robyn was the only wife he genuinely felt in love with accompanied this confession, which was made during a candid episode. In Sister Wives Season 19, Meri skillfully responds to his accusation that he was "deceived" into marrying her by saying,
"If you didn't want to fail maybe you shouldn't have married the wrong person, one or two or three times."
This further exacerbated the situation.
Kody's relationship with his kids is arguably the most worrisome. Janelle claims that he has "alienated from 90 to 95 percent of his children"—a startling figure for a father of 18 children. Since things have gotten so tense, Madison Brown Brush, his daughter, doesn't want her kids around him until he can "be consistent and show up and not be dramatic."
Instead of addressing these issues, Kody has suggested that his children are involved in a "collusion" against his present wife by attributing their seeming rejection to their jealousy towards Robyn.
What’s next for Kody Brown on Sister Wives?
The pattern becomes more evident as Season 19 progresses: Kody's selective recollection of previous relationships, his troubled ties with his children, and his unwillingness to accept criticism all indicate deeper problems. Janelle may have captured it best when she said,
"Kody has this thing where he's like, 'I've done so much and I've sacrificed so much for this relationship.' Well, that right there is a red flag."
His ex-wives have gone on with their lives, even though he still claims to be the one who was mistreated.
The Brown family's story is a powerful reminder that relationships, whether monogamous or plural demand, more than a Slavic dedication to a standard. Despite the possibility of being judged, they demand responsibility, real connection, and the bravery to confront difficult realities.
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Sister Wives airs Sundays at 10 p.m. EST on TLC.
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