The Changing Views of Kody Brown on Polygamy and Marriage

TLC’s reality series “Sister Wives” challenged our views on what a marriage should look like. Part of the reason why it became such a hit was because it showed the unconventional dynamic of a plural marriage, giving viewers an intimate glimpse of the inner workings of polygamy, courtesy of the Brown family. Ironically, after the majority of family patriarch Kody Brown’s wives had left him, it seems like his view on the concept of polygamy did a complete 180.

Kody Brown: From Polygamy Advocate to a Change of Heart

It may come as a surprise to discover that Kody did not grow up in a polygamist family. In fact, it wasn’t until much later that he was introduced to the practice. When he finally embraced polygamy, he ended up married to four wives, with whom he welcomed 18 children. Initially, everything about the Browns appeared fine and dandy until the show exposed the cracks in their plural marriage and revealed the difficulties of maintaining multiple relationships. In November 2021, Kody’s wives started leaving him, with Christine chalking it up to blatant favoritism. Janelle and Meri soon followed suit, and presently, Kody is left with Robyn, his only legal wife.

The toppling down of his marriages to three of his wives prompted Kody to question if polygamy was even worth it. And now, it seems that the reality star has completely abandoned any intention of entering another marriage, a departure from his once strong stance about the practice.

Kody’s Change of Heart

While most of Kody Brown’s marriages were only “spiritual,” the dissolution of three of them has hit him hard — so much so that he has distanced himself from the notion of polygamy. Speaking with People, he admitted that his previous marriages to Christine, Janelle, and Meri affected his perspective, and he doesn’t see himself going through the hassles of being in a plural marriage now and in the future.

“The idea of ever marrying again after the experience I’ve had, there’s no reason for me to do that,” he confessed. “I feel like I’ve hit the bottom of a deep swimming pool, but I’ve pushed off and am headed to the surface.” The only thing that would change his mind is if his wives consider a reconciliation, but that seems impossible now that Christine is married to someone else. “I would never be interested in marrying again,” he shared with Us Weekly. “I’m not a polygamist [anymore]… Unless I pull this family back together somehow.”

Kody’s Revelation

Despite having been in a polygamous marriage for most of his adult life, Kody Brown later revealed that he was only ever in love with one wife — Robyn. This is perhaps why his relationships with three of his former wives didn’t work out and why polygamy ultimately didn’t align with his personal experience. “I fell in love with Robyn. I never fell in love with anybody else. I was just choosing to be in that covenant of love with them,” he shared on “Sister Wives: One on One.” He added that he was so fixated on the idea of marrying multiple women that he failed to confirm if they were indeed a match, saying, “I was so anxious to be living the principle of plural marriage that I was not vetting who I was marrying to be compatible with me.”

Meanwhile, Robyn expressed resentment over Kody’s decision to stay monogamous, admitting on “Sister Wives” that it goes against her wishes to thrive in a plural family. “I love Kody, but I never wanted to live monogamy,” she said. “It feels like more and more that’s where it’s headed. I feel angry… I’m starting to feel a little tricked.” Are they also heading to Splitsville? Only time will tell at this point. “In all reality, Kody is even being different,” Robyn continued. “I don’t feel very steady even with him.”