The writing was on the wall for Sister Wives star Kody Brown when Christine, Janelle, and Meri Brown left their spiritual marriages to the TLC star within two years. However, his reaction toward their exits appeared deeper than rejection. Was his anger about the end of his unions over money?
‘Sister Wives’ star Kody Brown angry over end of marriages
In his mind, Kody Brown behaved typically of a polygamist in his marriages to Christine, Janelle, and Meri Brown. He made the rules, spent time with him and their shared children when he wished, and everyone was happy; until they weren’t.
However, when Christine, Janelle, and Meri saw the writing on the wall regarding Kody’s favoritism toward Robyn Brown, they made the tough decision to leave.
Christine Brown was the first to exit. In November 2021, she formally ended her spiritual union with Kody. Janelle followed one year later, in late 2022, and Meri Brown in 2023.
Kody was furious that Christine would leave him and their family. He behaved similarly with Janelle, not realizing his distance and demands put an end to their union. Sadly, his relationship with Meri was so fractured that he wasn’t upset when they split.
Was it more than just his wives leaving him behind that Kody reacted against? Was it the loss of the financial security they brought to the table he mourned?
Janelle worked throughout her marriage to Kody in various 9-5 jobs, later selling Plexus. During the show’s early seasons, Christine worked in the evenings and later sold LuLaRoe and Plexus. Meri remains one of LuLaRoe’s top sellers.
However, their incomes went with them when they all decided to leave. How did this loss affect Kody’s financial situation?
Kody Brown’s wealth came from the series and the income drawn by his wives
When Sister Wives first debuted on TLC, Kody said he was in advertising. Then, he claimed his source of income was sales. Since those early days, Kody has not shared how he makes money outside of starring in the TLC series.
Typically, reality show stars are compensated for their appearances by episode. Showbiz Cheat Sheet reported previously that the Browns were paid anywhere from $25,000 to $40,000 per episode.
Since the Brown family pooled all their resources, depending on the number of episodes, they could net anywhere from $350,000 to $500,000 per season. Even for a supersized family, that’s a hefty sum totaling a payday of millions of dollars for 18 seasons of work.
However, when Christine, Janelle, and Meri left, their paychecks and outside income sources went with them as well. Kody took a massive financial hit when all his wives left, and he couldn’t draw from their income to make lavish purchases such as jewelry, art, property, and whatever else his heart desired.
Kody Brown sat back while all his wives (except Robyn) worked
The Sister Wives star was indeed the king of his castle with three worker bee wives. However, one of his wives didn’t have to do any work except film for the TLC series, and that was Robyn Brown.
Although he may have generated some income from his side hustles, Kody relied on TLC’s paychecks and Meri, Christine, and Janelle to keep the family afloat. In the meantime, he and Robyn drew on the shared family money to fund their lavish lifestyle.
During season 19, fans noticed Kody and Robyn’s home art gallery, with walls filled with paintings. Kody and Robyn sported new jewelry, including Robyn’s new diamond engagement ring and wedding band, cementing her role as Kody’s only wife.
In fact, Kody’s daughter, Gwendlyn Brown, outed the couple’s spending habits on her YouTube channel. She said, “I think that my dad and Robyn have a terrible habit of spending very crazy and, like, not within their means at all. But also, Janelle and Meri are kind of similar to my mom [Christine] and they’re not gonna be salty or petty and try to take money from him even though they totally deserve it because he’s been spending all of their money on whatever.”
Therefore, when each wife left, Kody’s income was reduced by more than half. With a large mortgage left on their million-dollar Flagstaff, Arizona home and only Sister Wives and Cameo videos as income, Kody may soon have to make big changes to his lifestyle that he may not want to face.
Sister Wives is currently on hiatus. Season 19 of the TLC series airs later this year.
