Kody Brown once had it all, four wives, 18 children, and a large home in Flagstaff, Arizona, but his life of polygamy fell apart over the last two years, leaving the reality star turned off from ever marrying again.
The star of the TLC reality series Sister Wives, which followed Kody and the four women he was “spiritually married” to (Christine Brown, Janelle Brown, Meri Brown, and Robyn Brown), recently spoke to People about his marriage breakdown and what’s next for him.
“The idea of ever marrying again after the experience I’ve had, there’s no reason for me to do that,” Kody told the publication. “I feel like I’ve hit the bottom of a deep swimming pool, but I’ve pushed off and am headed to the surface.”
As documented in the reality series, Kody’s relationships with three of his four wives unraveled over the past two years. Christine, who recently got engaged to her new boyfriend, was the first to leave the marriage, followed by Janelle and Meri. As of writing, Robyn is the only wife remaining, turning Kody’s dreams of polygamy into monogamy.
People also spoke with Christine, Meri, and Janelle, all of whom left Kody in the span of 14 months. The women cited issues of jealousy, legal troubles, and looking after such a large family.
“I went in with these ideas about how idyllic plural marriage was going to be — but it was really hard,” Janelle shared. “Meri and I clashed on everything. Kody and I were amazing when it was just us, but the family dynamic was really tough.”
Despite how things ended, Janelle said she “doesn’t have any regrets” and “would do it all again” as “the experience is what gave us the life that we have now.”
Christine shared similar sentiments, saying, “Just because I left, it doesn’t mean we failed. It [only] means there’s change.”
As for Meri, she is looking to the future with a new mindset of “keeping the doors open and saying yes.”
Fans can watch the fallout of the marriage drama when Sister Wives returns for its 18th season on August 20.
