Stars of the hit TLC reality show Sister Wives, Janelle Brown and Meri Brown, have laid bare the extraordinarily complicated layers of their relationship in the latest episode, revealing a connection that long predates their shared marriage to Kody Brown.
A Tangled Family History Unravelled
During a candid coffee shop meeting aired on Sunday, the two women discussed how they were once legally sisters-in-law before becoming spiritual 'sister wives'. Janelle Brown, 56, was briefly married to Meri's brother, Adam Clark Barber, before her later marriage to Kody Brown. Meri, 54, pointedly remarked on the unusual dynamic, stating in a confessional interview: 'She'd been married to my brother and she was actually at my wedding with [Kody].'
Janelle recalled meeting Barber during her senior year of high school, marrying him roughly a year to eighteen months after graduation. She was quick to downplay the significance of the union, describing it as 'very short' and lasting for less than a year. 'It wasn't really a thing,' Janelle said of the relationship, suggesting it 'didn't really matter' due to its brief nature.
Initial Resistance and Polygamous Union
This prior familial link created significant tension when Janelle was first considered as a potential addition to Kody and Meri's polygamous marriage, which began in 1990. Meri confessed the idea was 'really hard' for her to accept. 'It was a tough thing to wrap my head around on multiple levels just because she had been married to my brother,' Meri explained, acknowledging it was 'definitely a thing' for her emotionally.
Despite the initial friction, Janelle joined the family, ultimately having five living children with Kody, and one who sadly passed away. The recent episode, however, focused heavily on the dissolution of these complex bonds, following the dramatic collapse of the plural marriage in recent years.
Finding Freedom: A Church-Granted Divorce
In a powerful segment, Janelle revealed she had been formally released from her spiritual marriage to Kody by the Apostolic United Brethren church. Displaying the official paperwork, she expressed her relief, having expected a more protracted process. 'I have it. That was easy. I thought I was going to have to come back for a second meeting,' she said.
Her elation was palpable as she repeatedly declared to the cameras: 'I am free. I am free. I am free. I am free.' Following the meeting with church leaders, she reflected on a profound shift in her energy, suggesting the release held deeper meaning than she had initially anticipated. 'They were all very kind. They'd granted me the release... I'm glad I did this,' she stated.
Janelle separated from Kody in December 2022. Meri and Kody have been legally divorced since 2014 so he could marry Robyn Brown, though they remained spiritually married until January 2023. Kody's spiritual marriage to Christine Brown ended in 2021, leaving Robyn as his only remaining partner.
Despite the turmoil, Janelle expressed no regrets about her three-decade journey within the plural family. 'I love the family that we have, and I would do it all again in order to get the family and the kids that we have,' she said, before adding with finality, '[It] just is sort of like that chapter has ended.'
