Sister Wives’ Garrison Brown Says He and Siblings ‘Don’t Need a Father Figure Anymore’ amid Rift with Kody
Janelle Brown and Christine Brown’s kids talk about Kody Brown’s involvement in their lives as they’ve gotten older
Kody Brown’s relationship with his older children continues to struggle.
In the teaser for the upcoming season of Sister Wives, Janelle Brown and Christine Brown sit with it with some of their kids and discuss their strained relationships with the reality star, 54.
“You know what Robyn? Have him. We’re all grown adults who don’t need a father figure anymore,” Garrison Brown says while sitting with his siblings, who nod in agreement.
Janelle and Christine look solemn as they sit there and witness their children’s reactions.
In a later scene, Kody laments the conflict with his former wives, saying. “I worked so hard to do what was right and when you lost that, well, I should just be the devil I think I am now.”
After being the first wife to leave the polygamous arrangement, Christine later revealed that she ultimately left Kody after he declined to accompany their daughter Ysabel, now 20, to a major surgery to correct her scoliosis in September 2020. The surgery took place out of state in New Jersey, and Kody told Christine he didn’t want to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I really find it hard to stay with a guy who I don’t respect,” Christine told PEOPLE in August. “I understood COVID, and why he couldn’t come, but she didn’t. And she still has a really hard time with it.”
Christine said she needed “more communication” and “more trust” from Kody during their relationship. Kody not coming to the surgery served as “a good wake-up call” to her.
“In the end I would’ve preferred to have him there, of course, because it’s what Ysabel needed,” Christine added. “But I didn’t need him anymore.”
Janelle announced her separation from Kody in December 2022. Kody also confirmed his separation from Meri Brown, 52, during the One on One conversations and later in a joint Instagram statement with his ex. He is now only married to fourth wife Robyn Brown.
“Kody and I have separated and I’m happy, really happy,” Janelle told host Sukanya Krishnan on Sister Wives: One on One special in January. “I don’t know, things just really became sort of indifferent, like I just didn’t care anymore.”
Janelle also said that she was “not waiting” for a possible reconciliation with Kody. “I’ve kind of mourned that that part of our life is gone,” she shared. “I wasn’t heartbroken. It wasn’t heartbreaking for me like it was for Christine. It was just kind of like, I just mourned that that life was gone…. We had this great run.”
Season 18 of Sister Wives premieres Aug. 20 at 10 p.m. ET on TLC.
