The “Sister Wives” family lived in Nevada for years before deciding it was time to leave Las Vegas behind and settle down somewhere else. Kody Brown took his then-four wives, Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn Brown, and embarked upon a journey to Flagstaff, Arizona. While the infamous polygamists have moved around quite a bit over the years, the ever-growing clan didn’t have it as easy that time around.
The Browns had four Las Vegas properties under their names, which they had to sell in order to finance yet another group relocation. Getting rid of four houses as quickly as possible turned out to be more complicated than the plural family expected, but the “Sister Wives” stars ultimately managed to sell all of their homes. At the time, the family said that they wanted a fresh start and a safer place to live, and it also made sense financially. However, it seems there was something else behind the move — as fans have suspected for some time.
According to Kody’s son Paedon Brown, the family chose Arizona because his stepmother, Robyn Brown, wanted to follow her son to a college that was conveniently located in Flagstaff. As the patriarch continues to claim Robyn isn’t his favorite wife, his actions surely do tell a different story.
Brown family adults claimed Flagstaff was safer and cheaper than Las Vegas
The Browns decided it was time for a change of scenery in 2018, as they shared in an exclusive statement to People, so they packed their numerous bags and relocated from Las Vegas to the Apache State. “We are looking forward to cooler temperatures, the mountain air, scenic views, and the slower lifestyle of Flagstaff,” the plural family shared.
According to the show, the move was financially motivated, as The U.S. Sun reported. Christine Brown, the then-third sister wife, revealed that the family thought they would be saving money by selling their Las Vegas properties and moving in together in Arizona. For this reason, they purchased the infamous Coyote Pass land once they came to Flagstaff, with the intention of building each of the sister wives their own houses, as well as one for Kody Brown to enjoy on his own. However, construction never took off. Despite having to rent and spending more than they intended, the Browns insisted their move wasn’t a mistake. “Flagstaff is where we’re supposed to be. It feels right,” Christine shared in an episode.
Another supposed reason for the change of residence was safety, as disclosed by the patriarch himself. “Vegas changed a lot over the last few years. We started worrying a lot more about what the kids are getting exposed to,” Kody shared on the show (via In Touch Weekly).
Years later, it turns out Robyn Brown was the impetus for the move, according to her stepchildren.
Robyn wanted to be close to son Dayton
While the Brown clan ultimately might’ve thought Arizona was better for them than Las Vegas, the idea came about because Robyn Brown wanted to follow her son to college, according to her stepson Paedon Brown. In an interview with John Yates, Paedon shared that Robyn wanted to be closer to Flagstaff’s Northern Arizona University, where Dayton Brown got accepted.
Paedon, who is Christine Brown’s son, revealed that Dayton had no desire for the Browns to follow him but that Robyn was the one to say, “Well, I can’t let my little boy go.” He added that he can’t be sure that was the sole motivation for the move, but that the family had no relatives or friends in Arizona at the time. Paedon also made it clear he didn’t blame Dayton, saying, “We didn’t get uprooted for Dayton … we got uprooted for Dad’s favorite wife.”
This reason for the movie was also confirmed by Paedon’s sister, Gwendlyn Brown. On her Patreon account, according to Cheat Sheet, she stated that she felt the move to Flagstaff was indeed driven by Dayton’s school.
As the polygamist family fell apart throughout the years, not everyone wanted to stay in Arizona. Robyn and Kody Brown still live in the Grand Canyon state, as does Janelle Brown, the patriarch’s ex-wife. Christine and Meri Brown, on the other hand, relocated to Utah to be closer to their children and other relatives after their respective splits with Kody.
