DuringSister Wivesseason 19,Christine Brownsaid she was “embarrassed” by her behavior during her failed marriage toKody Brown. She didn’t like who she was when she was married to the polygamist patriarch. Christine married Kody in 1994. By the time she walked down the aisle with him, he had already walked down the aisle with Meri Brown and Janelle Brown. Christine was his third wife, and he’d go on to marry a fourth, Robyn Brown, 16 years later. When all was said and done, Kody had four wives and 18 children, but the good times wouldn’t last.
By the timeSister Wivesseason 19premiered, the Brown family was a thing of the past.Three of Kody’s wives had walked awayfrom the marriage, and many of his children were scattered across the country, barely speaking to their father. Christine was the first of Kody’s wives to divorce him, busting open Pandora’s box in 2021. Janelle and Meri followed her out the door in 2022. During a recent episode, Christine reflected on her behavior during her marriage to Kody. Read on to find out why she was embarrassed by her behavior during her marriage to Kody.
Polygamy Wasn’t Good For Christine
Though She Comes From A Prominent Plural Family
Christine hated being in a polygamous marriage. She should have known what to expect. Long before appearing onSister Wives, Christine grew up in a polygamous community. In fact,she comes from a prominent family, and there was speculation that Kody only married her for clout. Despite the fact that she should have known exactly what she was getting into, she didn’t thrive as a third wife. She hated having to share her husband. She hated that her six children didn’t have their father at home every night. She hated feeling like she was never good enough.
It took a lot of guts for Christine to finally leave Kody. TheSister Wivesseason 19 star tried everything in her power to make her marriage work. She loved Kody very deeply once, and shehad all these romantic notions about her marriagethat he could never live up to. After Kody married Robyn in 2010, Christine couldn’t help but feel like he preferred his new bride to his other wives. Over the years, the feeling gnawed at her, but she lived with it for her children’s sake.
“Kody liked makeup.It was like you had to always always look nice. It mattered to him so much.”
Things came to a head during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kody and Robyn were so terrified of getting sick that they enacted extremely strict mitigation rules for the family. Though Christine and her children tried to follow the rules, it never seemed like it was enough for Kody and Robyn. When Christine needed to take 21-year-oldYsabel Brown in for scoliosis surgery, Kody didn’t travel with them. It was heartbreaking because Ysabel wanted her father there. This was the beginning of the end for Christine and Kody’s marriage.
Christine Never Felt Like She Was Good Enough For Kody
“Kody Liked Makeup”
DuringSister Wivesseason 19,Christine explained how much Kody cared about looks. “Kody liked makeup,” Christine said. “It was like you had to always always look nice. It mattered to him so much.” She went on to tell a story about going camping with the family. While Christine and Janelle worked to make breakfast and clean up the mess, Robyn spent all morning doing her makeup. She had to look perfect even while camping, which Kody later praised. Christine never felt like she could measure up in his eyes.
Robyn remembers the camping incident differently. She remembers having been sick the night before and was puking her guts out. The next morning, she remembers seeing Christine and Janelle making breakfast as she was simply trying to get ready for her day. Footage from theSister Wivescamping trip episode showsRobyn looking perfectly healthy while doing her makeupat the campsite.Kody was often accused of favoring Robyn, and her looks were a big part of it. It’s no surprise that Christine always felt insecure.
Christine Felt Disrespected
Walking Away Was The Best Decision She Ever Made
During a recent episode ofSister Wivesseason 19, Christine reflected on her failed marriage to Kody. She talked about the fact that she used to sit around just waiting for Kody to be there. She went so far as to say thatshe was embarrassed by how wrapped up she was in Kody. Once she was free of her plural family, Christine met David, a widowed father of eight.Christine met David soon after divorcing Kody, and they were already looking at wedding venues after dating for a few weeks.
Though leaving Kody was a big risk for Christine, the universe rewarded her with the kind of life she always wanted.
Christine and Daviddated for less than a year before moving in together. The couple would get married in an October 2023 wedding that aired as a two-partSister Wivesspecial that aired in January. Thewedding was attended by Christine’s children, her former sister wife, Janelle, as well as her children. David’s large family was also there, and the families seemed to blend seamlessly. Though leaving Kody was a big risk for Christine, the universe rewarded her with the kind of life she always wanted. Since then, Christine has been focused on encouraging others to pursue their happiness.
1990
2022
1
1993
6 (1 deceased)
1994
2021
6
2010
–
5 (3 from previous marriage)
Sister Wivesseason 19 airs on Sunday nights at 10 p.m. ET/PT on TLC.
