Sister Wives: Did Kody & Robyn Put Janelle In The Poorhouse? (Money Woes Could Be Her Fault)

•  Kody’s obsession with Robyn has led him to neglect his other wives. It may have sparked financial struggles for Janelle and her family.
•  Janelle’s financial troubles may have been partially caused by her own poor decisions, such as spending a lot of money on an RV.
•  Despite Kody denying it, Janelle’s basic living situation suggests that she’s facing financial difficulties. The other cast members may have more money.

Sister Wives star Janelle Brown had a “first date” with Kody Brown recently, which left her feeling unsatisfied, and she seems to believe that he and Robyn put her in the poorhouse. Kody’s all about Robyn. He’s so consumed by his bond with the tearstained fourth wife that he’s given up on making any real effort to please his remaining spouses. Also, he may not share the money that he has with his less-favored spouses and their kids. Janelle has next to nothing while Kody and Robyn live high on the hog. There are clues that Janelle has legitimate gripes. A series of unfortunate events put Janelle where she is now.

In Sister Wives season 18, Janelle and Meri Brown look worn out and world-weary. Christine was in the same boat, but Kody’s third wife left him, and now she’s married to David Woolley. The other wives are still hanging on, with little hope. Janelle’s talking about the negative financial impact of plural marriage, and her remarks are very sad. While it’s possible that she’s exaggerating a bit, the rental home situation she’s in during season 18 seems to point to her telling the truth. It’s not a fancy abode. That being said, she may have made some financial missteps of her own.

Janelle Used Her Earnings To Support The Brown Family

Today, Kody and Robyn live like reality TV show royalty, but way back when, Janelle went out to work in order to support the Brown family. Kody also had a job. In early seasons, Kody and Janelle were the primary breadwinners in the Brown family. Since there were so many wives and kids, there were a lot of mouths to feed.

Kody’s the father of 18 children. He had four wives – however, offscreen, everyone but Robyn’s left him. In early seasons, Christine handled a lot of the childcare and housework (Meri helped) while Kody and Janelle focused on earning money. There was balance in the family, as everyone had their own role.

Unfortunately, by spending her money on the Browns, rather than on herself, Janelle may have ended up behind the eight ball. At the time, she was fully invested in the family, and probably didn’t realize that Kody would start neglecting her so much. Since she couldn’t see what was ahead (i.e. Kody’s devotion to Robyn), she kept giving her cash to the family.

The family’s former home in Lehi, Utah was purchased with some of Janelle’s money, and that residence was bought before the series started. Later, Robyn entered the fray, bringing credit card debts that Janelle and Meri helped to pay off. That was more of Janelle’s hard-earned cash down the drain. Then, there was the house in S in City. The Las Vegas residence was eventually sold so Robyn and Kody could buy their “palace” in Flagstaff.

Janelle Blew A Lot Of Money On An RV

Janelle blames Kody for everything, but is that fair? It’s possible that she’s made some bad financial decisions of her own. For example, she spent a whopping 80 grand on a recreational vehicle. She wanted to explore in a moving home, but the RV will depreciate in value more than a house would. According to Black Series, Type A RVs will depreciate by up to 36 percent during the first five years of ownership. So, instead of purchasing something that might have a strong resale value, such as a house, Janelle went another way. If she plans to sell her recreational vehicle someday, she may end up losing money.

Did Kody & Robyn Drain Janelle’s Bank Account?

While no one’s saying that Kody and Robyn actually took money from Janelle, they may have pressured her into decisions that led to debts and heartache. For example, Kody’s dreams for Coyote Pass were expensive for Janelle. She said she had to sink all the funds she had into her portion of the property, and also take out a mortgage. Then, she ended up living out there in an RV, on an undeveloped plot of land. Instead of enjoying a nice house on the property, she camped out, watching her Coyote Pass dreams go up in smoke.

While she squatted on the land, she had plenty of time to think about the fact that Kody and Robyn were living in luxury nearby, but not at Coyote Pass. They have an upscale home in Flagstaff, where they enjoy a host of amenities, including a four-car garage, wine fridge, and gourmet kitchen. There’s also plenty of land and scenic views. That home has been shown onscreen, and it’s very nice. Meanwhile, Janelle is living in a very basic situation, with a small living room, and a tiny kitchen that makes it hard to prepare feasts for her family. Christine gave her a beanbag chair, but she still seems depressed by her home.

Kody Says Janelle Has “Assets”

With his usual arrogance, Kody denied Janelle’s claims that she was broke. He said she has the same,“assets’ as the other wives. However, that really doesn’t compute, as Janelle’s a well-known woman who’s living in a very small home. When a celebrity downsizes like that, it’s usually a sign of financial troubles. Since Janelle has status, it’s very strange that she’s living in such basic accommodations during season 18. She seems embarrassed by her circumstances. As a big star, she should be living somewhere fancier, with great security and a lot of perks. The fact that her home is so small makes it seem like she’s telling the truth.

She’s struggling to understand Kody, and when she talks about her finances, she gets the cold shoulder. Kody never really listens to Janelle, as he’s too defensive to create a “safe” space for her, where she can vent and be herself. So, in many ways, she’s shut down. When she retreats into silence, she’s sending a message.

While they tried to have a fun date, something was missing. She just wasn’t happy. Janelle didn’t even want to hold Kody’s hand. She did for a moment, and then pulled away. It’s time for Janelle to move on, and it’s a shame that she has to carry financial burdens into the next stage of her life. Her money problems appear to be driving a lot of her anger in Sister Wives season 18.