In a surprising revelation from the latest episode of TLC's Sister Wives, Christine Brown has disclosed that she and her former husband, Kody Brown, are actually blood relatives.
A Family Admission on National Television
The 53-year-old made the admission to her new husband, David Woolley, during Sunday's episode, four years after her divorce from 56-year-old Kody. Christine explained that within their tight-knit polygamist community, finding a partner outside the family tree was a challenge. "I knew growing up that I would have to marry a convert because I was literally related to everybody in the church," she stated.
She went on to clarify the nature of their connection, telling David, "I did marry a convert, but I was still related to him too." When David responded with "That's not cool," Christine was quick to point out the legal and social distance, asserting, "Third cousins once removed is fully legal. Fully."
Defence from a Former Sister Wife
Janelle Brown, Christine's former sister wife and a close friend, defended the union on the show. She downplayed the significance of the familial link, calling it "so distantly related it's ridiculous." Janelle suggested such dynamics are not uncommon in polygamist families, noting, "I think in polygamist families, this kind of stuff happens all the time."
She emphasised that their relationship was not close, stating, "It wasn't the kind of relationship where you saw each other at the family reunion — it was a very distant relationship." Janelle attributed the connection to the small, insular nature of their community, where she said they would often joke about being cousins.
Moving On to Monogamous Happiness
Christine, who shares six children with Kody—Aspyn, Mykelti, Paedon, Gwendlyn, Ysabel, and Truely—has firmly moved on from her polygamist past. After separating from Kody in November 2021 following over 25 years together, she met David Woolley on a dating app. The couple went public in February 2023 and married in October of the same year.
Christine, who published a memoir titled Sister Wife in September, has been vocal about her newfound joy. She gushed, "I'm happier than I've ever been. I absolutely love monogamy — I was made for it."
Kody Brown, the TLC personality who was 'spiritually married' to Christine in 1994, has seen the dissolution of three of his four marriages. He and first wife Meri Brown have been legally divorced since 2014, and he separated from second wife Janelle in December 2022. In total, Kody has 18 children from his four marriages.
