Throughout 17 seasons of TLC's hit show Sister Wives, viewers have watched Kody Brown weather several ups and downs with his four wives and 18 children.
When the series premiered in 2010, Kody was legally married to his first wife, Meri Brown, and "spiritually married" to his two other wives, Janelle Brown and Christine Brown. However, viewers were quickly introduced to Kody's fourth wife, Robyn Brown, whom he spiritually married in 2010 and later legally married in 2014 after first divorcing Meri. The first season of the show followed Robyn's integration into the family, as the other three wives had been living and raising their children together for 16 years.
Thamûd, the people of Lot, and the residents of the Forest.1 These were ˹all˺ enemy forces.Each rejected their messenger, so My punishment was justified.These ˹pagans˺ are awaiting nothing but a single Blast that cannot be stopped.(The Quran - Chapter Sad - 13 - 15)
The group seemingly lived in harmony for years, chronicling their daily routines on the series as a family of 23 (Kody is father to a combined 18 children with all four women). The group faced obstacles — including a shocking catfishing scandal involving Meri in 2016 and a move from Las Vegas to Flagstaff, Arizona, in 2018 — that were captured by TLC cameras, but there were plenty of moments of joy as well as their children grew up and started families of their own.
In November 2021, however, Kody and Christine announced their split after more than 25 years of marriage. A little over a year later, Kody and Janelle officially confirmed they were separated in December 2022. And just a few days after the news of Kody and Janelle's news, confirmed that Kody's 32-year marriage with his first wife Meri was also over.
Christine spoke about the family's fractured relationships on an episode of the show that aired in September 2023, saying, "There's so many things that are broken now. We're just not a family anymore."
From where his four marriages stand today to his 18 children, here's everything to know about Kody Brown and his plural family.
Kody and Meri Brown
After growing up in a polygamous family of her own (she's one of 25 siblings), Meri first met Kody in 1989 and married him the following year. Though Meri was Kody's only legal wife for many years, the pair divorced in 2014 so that he could legally marry his new wife Robyn (they remained spiritually married).
At the time, the Browns said in a statement that they had chosen to "legally restructure" their family and that the decision was made as a unit. However, the choice was still an emotional one for Meri, as she explained in a 2015 Sister Wives Tell All special.
"It's an end of something that we had had, in a way, for 24-and-a-half years," she said. "But at the same time, I know it's not, because I have eternity with him; I have eternity with the family. I know it's not the end."
In 2016, Meri become embroiled in a catfishing scandal after she entered into an online relationship with a person she thought was another man, but was later revealed to be a woman. Though Kody and Meri started therapy to deal with the emotional fallout from the situation, their relationship became more platonic than romantic in the aftermath. In April 2021, Meri explained on Sister Wives that she and Kody were "celebrating our non-anniversary, 'cause we're not a couple, but we're in a family."
After Christine announced she was leaving Kody in November 2021, Meri continued to stick by her husband, admitting she felt "angry" and "a little betrayed" by Christine's decision. "I'm hurt that she doesn't see value enough in our family," she explained.
However, Meri and Kody's marriage was also on the rocks, as viewers saw in an October 2022 episode of Sister Wives, during which Kody suggested she move into her Bed & Breakfast, Lizzie's Heritage Inn. Though Meri recognized Kody "probably didn't mean this in a bad way," she still found the comment to be insensitive.
"I was here at the very beginning — I helped start this family. It was me and him. We had plans and he loved me," she explained.
The pair's relationship has seemingly hit a breaking point as of December 2022, as Meri confirmed in a clip from the first Sister Wives: One on One episode that her marriage to Kody has ended.
A week after announcing their split, Meri shared a cryptic Instagram post, featuring a photo of her with a book half-covering her face and the message: "There's so much more to the story … "
In the comments, fans began speculating about a potential tell-all project from Meri to share her side of the story.
On Feb. 9, 2023, Meri shared a video on Instagram that showed her smiling while riding in a canoe with a friend. "Building businesses. Building friendships. Building a great life. All while doing whatever the hell I want," she wrote in the caption.
Kody and Meri Brown's Kid
Leon Brown, 28
After five years of marriage, the pair welcomed their first and only child together, Leon Brown, in 1995. Meri would later suffer a miscarriage in 2008. She spoke candidly about the loss on Instagram more than a decade later.
"I don't know for sure that my baby was even a boy, but my gut tells me it was. He'd be 15 now, and I often wonder what life would be like with him here," Meri wrote on Instagram.
Although she was raised in polygamy and was part of a plural marriage herself, Meri tried to create a different culture for Leon, who came out as transgender and queer in June 2022.
"We've tried to create 'you can do whatever you want to do' for our kids," Meri said in a 2021 episode of Sister Wives.
In July 2022, Meri celebrated Leon turning 27 with a touching tribute on Instagram. "Happiest of birthdays to my miracle, my always amazing, Leo the Lion," she wrote, in part.
"Know you are forever loved by me @leointhemountains," she continued, "and I am honored and blessed to be your mom! I love you!!"
While Meri seems to embrace her child, Leon may not have a good relationship with other members of the Brown clan. In a YouTube video, posted in February 2023, Gwendlyn shared that Leon has decided to keep their distance from the family after coming out as transgender. "Leon has given themselves space for their emotional health," she explained.
"It's not that they're not fitting in," Gwendlyn continued, "it's that they have chosen to go to people who they can trust, and it's just they found a safer community for themselves."
Leon secretly married their partner, Audrey Kriss, in October 2022. However, news of the couple's Colorado courthouse wedding didn't break until nearly a year later.
Kody and Janelle Brown
Three years after Kody and Merri wed, their family officially became plural when Kody "spiritually married" Janelle. Kody and Janelle went on to welcome six children together: sons Logan, Hunter, Garrison and Gabriel as well as daughters Madison and Savanah.
Janelle opened up in 2010 about their polygamous family life, noting that the group had both "really good" and bad days — especially when it came to raising multiple teenagers in a single home.
"We're a family, just like any other family," she said at the time. "[We have] struggles and we love our kids, and we want our kids to be happy."
Kody and Janelle's relationship made headlines in 2021 after Janelle revealed she was living in an RV parked on the Browns' Coyote Pass property in Flagstaff, Arizona. She later explained that she was having doubts about whether plural marriage was still for her.
In November 2022, Kody described their marriage as "antagonistic" following Janelle's move into the trailer. "I don't think Janelle or I are being honest or real in this relationship as we communicate with each other about this stuff," he said.
Though Meri said she felt "betrayed" by Christine's decision to leave the family, Janelle was "supportive from the get-go," as Christine told in August 2022.
"Janelle and I have stayed close through the whole thing," Christine explained. "She's wonderful."
Janelle's reaction to Christine's departure from the plural family was perhaps foreshadowing her own decision to leave, which Kody confirmed in December 2022.
"I am separated from Janelle," he said in a sneak peek for Sister Wives: One on One. "And I'm divorced from Christine [Brown]."
Just one day after her split from Kody was announced, Janelle shared an optimistic note on Instagram, writing that she's looking forward to health and happiness in the new year. "I'm ready for you 2023!" she captioned a video chronicling her progress on her "health journey."
Kody and Janelle Brown's Kids
Logan Brown, 29
Janelle and Kody welcomed their first child, son Logan, on May 21, 1994. After growing up in Utah, he moved with his family to Nevada, where he enrolled in the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and obtained a bachelor's degree in kinesiology and exercise science. He currently works as a community development manager for a startup in Nevada, according to his LinkedIn.
In September 2017, Logan announced his engagement to his girlfriend of three years, Michelle Petty. The couple said "I do" in October 2022 in Arizona.
Madison Brown, 27
The couple's second child and first daughter, Madison — who goes by Maddie — was born on Nov. 3, 1995. Maddie attended Utah State University after high school, but later dropped out after getting engaged to her boyfriend Caleb Brush, whom she married in June 2016. Despite Maddie's famous polygamous family, Brush told the pair weren't planning on living in a plural marriage.
"We support Maddie's family with their choice of living plural marriage and they support us with our choice in just marrying each other," he said.
The pair welcomed their first child, son Axel James, in May 2017, followed by their daughter Evangalynn Kodi, whom they welcomed in August 2019. Before Evangalynn was born, she was diagnosed with oligodactyly, a congenital anomaly defined as the presence of fewer than five fingers on a hand. When she was born, she was also missing a thumb and a toe, and one leg was missing a fibula. She also had a bowed tibia (shinbone) and two of her fingers were fused together.
Evangalynn was later diagnosed with fibular aplasia, tibial campomelia and oligosyndactyly (FATCO) syndrome, an extremely rare genetic disorder that affects bone formation in utero. In August 2020, Maddie shared that Evangalynn had her foot amputated but had returned home from the hospital and was "recovering beautifully."
In July 2022, Maddie and Brush announced that they were expecting their third child, another baby girl.
On Feb. 10, 2023, Maddie gave birth to her second daughter. The next day, the reality star posted a photo of the newborn in a pink onesie. "Welcome to the world Josephine Lee Brush!💚" she wrote on Instagram.
Hunter Brown, 26
Two years after welcoming Maddie, Janelle gave birth to her and Kody's third child, son Hunter, on Feb. 9, 1997. After growing up in his plural family, Hunter enrolled at the United States Air Force Academy, graduating in April 2020. He later moved to Baltimore to attend nursing school, announcing he had obtained his master's degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in May 2022.
In July 2022, Janelle revealed that Hunter had returned to Arizona to live near his family.
"This mommas heart is bursting ❤️," Janelle captioned a selfie of the two. "My son Hunter is 'local-ish' for the first time in 7 years."
Garrison Brown, 25
Janelle and Kody's fourth child, son Garrison, was born on April 10, 1998. In October 2016, Janelle revealed in a tweet that Garrison had joined the National Guard and was in basic training in Georgia.
While Janelle later admitted that her plural family was "a wonderful way to raise children," she began reconsidering her decision to stay after her children were gone. Through season 16 of Sister Wives, she and Kody continued to argue over matters involving their kids, especially after Kody suggested that Garrison and his younger brother Gabriel move out of the house because they weren't following his strict COVID-19 protocols for the family.
"I think sometimes that Janelle has pit me against the boys or never supported me with the boys," Kody said in one episode.
Kody's relationship with Garrison (and his younger brother, Gabriel) continued to unravel after Janelle left the family. In a December 2023 edition of the Sister Wives: Look Back special, Janelle shared that Kody "does have somewhat of a relationship with Garrison right now," but that there had been "no reconciliation" between them yet.
Gabriel Brown, 21
The pair welcomed their fifth child, son Gabriel, who goes by Gabe, on Oct. 11, 2001.
Gabe has had his ups and downs with his father over the years. In a December 2022 episode of Sister Wives, Gabe got emotional during a confessional as he recalled when Kody forgot his birthday during a phone call they had in October.
"I shouldn't have done this but I did anyway — I didn't remind him that it was my birthday because I wanted to see if he remembered. And he didn't," Gabe said before breaking down in tears.
"A couple hours after that he tried to call me back and tell me happy birthday and make up for it. And that's the last time I ever talked to my dad," he added.
For her part, Janelle celebrated her youngest son's 21st birthday with a sweet Instagram post.
"My Gabe is 21! Where does the time go!" she captioned the post.
Janelle and Kody's sixth and youngest kid, Savanah, was born on Dec. 7, 2004. Savanah is very close with her mom, and Janelle regularly shares photos on Instagram of the two during their mother-daughter excursions. She also regularly spends time with her larger blended family, including her half-sister Truely, the daughter of Kody and Christine.
Kody and Christine Brown
Kody met Christine in 1990, though the pair didn't go on their first date until Valentine's Day in 1994. The following month, they entered a spiritual marriage and Christine became the third wife to join their polygamous family.
Kody and Christine Brown's Kids
Christine and Kody welcomed their first daughter, Aspyn, on March 14, 1995. Like her half-brother Logan, Aspyn later attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Christine gave birth to her and Kody's second daughter, Mykelti, on June 9, 1996. Mykelti became the third Brown child to enroll at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, following her half-brother Logan and her sister Aspyn there in 2014.
Christine and Kody's third child and only son together, Paedon, was born on Aug. 7, 1998. After high school, Paedon joined the National Guard, as Christine announced on Instagram in 2019.
Christine welcomed her fourth child, daughter Gwendlyn, with Kody on Oct. 15, 2001. In December 2022, Gwendlyn announced her engagement to her girlfriend of almost nine months, Beatriz Queiroz. The couple wed in July 2023 during an intimate ceremony in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Christine and Kody's fifth child, daughter Ysabel, was born on March 7, 2003. In September 2020, Ysabel underwent major surgery to correct her scoliosis, which Christine later revealed was the final straw that made her leave her marriage after Kody declined to join them for the operation.
Truely, Christine and Kody's sixth child, was born on April 13, 2010. When Truely was just three years old, she was rushed to the hospital due to acute kidney failure and dehydration, and her road to recovery was documented on the TLC show.
Kody and Robyn Brown
Robyn became the fourth and final wife to join the plural family after meeting Kody at church in 2009. Though she and Kody were initially only "spiritually married," they made their union legal in 2014 so that Kody could adopt her three children from her previous marriage — son Dayton and daughters Aurora and Breanna. They've also since welcomed two more children together, son Solomon and daughter Ariella.
Kody and Robyn Brown's Kids
Robyn welcomed her first child, son David, who goes by Dayton, with her ex-husband on Jan. 16, 2000.
Robyn gave birth to her second child and first daughter, Aurora, on June 4, 2002. In 2018, Robyn shared how Aurora was all grown up in a sweet post on her Instagram. "Joy is having a kid who can drive so you can shop for Christmas online and visit without stressing about driving! Hehe!" she captioned a photo of Aurora in the driver's seat.
Robyn welcomed her third child, daughter Breanna, with her ex on July 10, 2005. Like her two older siblings, Breanna joined the larger Sister Wives family after her mom married Kody, who later adopted all three children in 2015.
Robyn gave birth to her and Kody's first child together, son Solomon, on Oct. 26, 2011. Solomon was born at the plural family's Las Vegas home and weighed 9 lbs., 10.5 oz.
Ariella, Robyn and Kody's second child and the youngest of the plural family, was born on Jan. 10, 2016. The little girl weighed in at 9 lbs., 9 oz. and was born at home.