Sister WivesstarMeri Brownhas changed so much since leaving her polygamist husband, Kody Brown, and she recently showed off her incredible red carpet look. Meri, 53, was Kody’s first wife. She grew up in a polygamous community, so the lifestyle felt natural for her. Soon after their 1990 wedding, Kody married Janelle Brown in 1993, Christine Brown in 1994, and Robyn Brown in 2010. By the time the Browns finished growing their family, Kody had four wives and 18 children. Meri may have been Kody’s first wife, but she was never his favorite wife.
When the unscripted series premiered in 2010, the Browns were one big happy family living under one roof. They all lived in a multi-unit apartment where each wife had her own wing, and Kody would stay with a different family each night. By the timeSister Wivesseason 19started airing in late 2024, three of Kody’s four wives had walked away from the plural family. Meri wasthe third of his wives to walk away, following Christine and Janelle out the door in 2022. Since leaving Kody, Meri got a makeover and even posted the photos to Instagram.
Meri Was Kody’s Least Favorite Wife
And He Never Let Her Forget It
Meri chose to live in a plural marriage for religious reasons. She and Kody, who have one child, struggled to make their marriage work from day one. Kody had been open about not being attracted to Meri, and the twohad stopped living as husband and wife many years ago.Sister Wivesseason 1 featured Kody courting and marrying Robyn in 2010. She was the first wife to be added to the family in 16 years. Though the complex plural family had their fair share of problems,Kody’s marriage to Robynwas what triggered their dissolution.
Kody’s other wives felt thatKody openly favored Robyn. They accused him of spending more time with her and her children than with theirs. Of all his wives, Kody neglected Meri the most. Despite that, she never faltered in her support of him. Deeply committed to the religious principle of plural marriage, she was even the one whointroduced Kody to Robynand encouraged him to court her. Meri was the only one to welcome Robyn warmly and continued to be close to her. Even after Kody told her they’d never have a real marriage, she tried to make it work.
Neither Kody nor Meri believed in divorce, and Kody felt that he had a duty to stay with the woman he married, so they decided to take on additional wives instead.
Though there are likely multiple reasons why Kody and Meri couldn’t make their marriage work, thebiggest factor is likely thatKody was never in love with Meri. At least not in the way a husband should love a wife. Plural marriage must be hard work, and it’s likely even harder if the couple doesn’t start deeply in love. Kody and Meri started their lives together more committed to the idea of plural marriage than to their specific marriage to each other. Kody’s neglect of Meri made matters worse, and the contempt grew over the years.
He Basically Blamed Her For Driving Him To Polygamy
Custom Image by César García
During the final few years of their marriage, Kody often said cruel things about Meri. At one point, heconfessed he was no longer attracted to herand said he couldn’t be in a real marriage. DuringSister Wivesseason 19, Kody was brutally honest about his marriage to Meri. During an interview, he said he knew, right after their wedding, that they could never be happy together. Neither Kody nor Meri believed in divorce, and Kody felt that he had a duty to stay with the woman he married, so they decided to take on additional wives instead.
Years of neglect made Meri yearn for true love.
Kody was essentially saying he wasdriven to polygamy by his unhappy marriage to Meri. TheSister Wivespatriarch said when he married Janelle, he hoped to dilute theunhappiness in his and Meri’s marriage, but their drama spilled over into his marriage to Janelle. The situation didn’t improve with the addition of his third wife, Christine. By the time he married his fourth wife, Robyn, Kody’s relationship with Meri was long over. This confession by Kody must have been painful for Meri to hear.
Meri’s Stunning Red Carpet Look
Eat Your Heart Out, Kody
Meri has thrived since leaving Kody. TheSister Wivesseason 19 star has embraced her network of friends, adopted a dog, and got herself an incredible makeover.Merirecently posted photos of her new look on Instagram. The photos are of Meri wearing a little black dress, a chic new choppy bob haircut, andlooking glamorous on the red carpet. “It was a pleasure and honor to spend the past two days at the Global Beauty Awards,” reads Meri’s caption, but her facial expression reads, “eat your heart out, Kody.”
Meri’s Single
And Very Ready To Mingle
After divorcing Kody, Meri realized she didn’t want to be alone anymore. Years of neglect made Meri yearn for true love. Seeing how fellowSister Wivesstar Christine met and married David Woolley soon after leaving Kody, Meri started her search for a new man.Meri dated a man named Amosfor a few months in 2024, but that didn’t work out. Since then, Meri has confessed that she’s been dating around, buthasn’t met the right man yet. Until the right man comes along, Meri has her friends and her beloved dog, Zona, to keep her company.
53
1990
2022
1
55
1993
6 (1 deceased)
52
1994
2021
6
45
2010
–
5 (3 from previous marriage)
Sister Wivesseason 19 returns April 20 at 10 p.m. EDT on TLC.
