Summary
Sister WivesstarKody Brownwas always pitting his wives against each other for his own benefit, and was especially manipulative with Meri Brown. The couple tied the knot in April 1990 and had a monogamous relationship before deciding to add more wives to their marriage. The former pair divorced in 2014 so that Kody could legally marry his fourth wife, Robyn Brown, and adopt her children. Between 2014 and 2023,Kody and Meri were in a spiritual union- however, a series of setbacks strained their relationship.
TheSister Wivescast members hadn’t lived togethersince Meri’s 2015 catfishing scandal. DuringSister Wivesseason 17, Kody often said he didn’t consider himself married to Meri. Perhaps the catfishing drama was a tipping point in the already stressful marriage. Kody is egotistical - he tried to keep Meri in the family despite hinting that she should leave. His mixed messages were confusing. Throughout their union, Kody and Meri had a tumultuous relationship. The father of 18 children turned his first wife into a weapon when the family dynamic collapsed.Kody sabotaged his marriageswith Meri, Janelle, and Christine.
20 Best Reality TV Shows Right Now
Reality TV is more popular than ever. With so many to choose from, here are some of the best reality TV shows to stream or watch right now.
Kody’s Manipulation Towards Meri Explained
Kody Baited Meri
Meri and Kody both grew up in polygamous families. Therefore, both of them knew some things about plural lifestyles. However, that doesn’t mean they fully understood what they were getting into. For example, Kody might have taken a leap of faith, believing that he could make a bunch of wives happy.Kody seemed to string Meri along to satisfy his desireto have more than one wife. He wanted respect from his religious community and needed submissive women in his life. Once the two stated that they were adding other partners to their union, there was no going back.
Meri Was An Easy Target For Kody
She Loved Him
Kody preyed on Meri, who was easy to coerce. She was seemingly willing to go along with all his plans, including his doomed Coyote Pass scheme, in the hopes ofcreating the ultimate polygamous lifestyle. Having mastered the art of manipulating his wives to get things done his way, he knew how to keep Meri waiting around. She wanted things to go back to the way they used to be when they started their courtship. For years,Kody didn’t love Meri. He left her fightingfor love that he couldn’t (or wouldn’t) return.
Her love for Kody blinded Meri, so she never realized that he and Robyn were taking her for a ride. His dislike for Meri was evident inSister Wivesseason 17 Tell-All, when Kody openly stated that he wouldn’t be mad if she found a new partner. He thought she should have done that years ago. Kody was ready to lose Meri since Christine and Janelle had already left. Heno longer needed Meri to fight his battles with his former wives.
8 Reasons Why Meri Brown Is The True Sister Wives Villain
Although Meri Brown behaves like a victim, her manipulative behavior and unkind actions towards others make her the main villain of Sister Wives.
Meri Fed Kody’s Ego
She Wanted Kody’s Attention
Kody thrives on being worshiped, and any wife who seemed to bow down to him got some attention. However, Robyn’s his all-time favorite woman. TheSister Wivespatriarch once said that polygamy was all about the ego,indicating that his self-importance came first. Kody was accustomed to using his wives to build him up physically, financially, spiritually, and emotionally. For instance, Janelle worked as an accountant and, at one point, was a major breadwinner. Therefore, having more women in his corner meant that more people treated him like royalty.
With her relationship with Kody being a mess, Meri often played it cool whenever the family went through certain disagreements. In one instance, when discussing living under one roof, the family sat together throughout the heated discussion of the pros and cons of that decision. Kody accused the women of not wanting to live together because no one could stomach seeing him getting cozy with a different partner. Christine was against the plan, and Robyn cried during the intense argument. Meri was neutral and didn’t offer a contradicting opinion,so she would remain in Kody’s good graces.
Meri avoided moving to Utah permanently despite regular suggestions from Kody. It looked like a tactic to push Meri away and avoid dealing with her emotional baggage. It also seemed like a way to remain with his favorite wife, Robyn.
DuringSister Wivesseason 18, Kody stated that he had realized that he andMeri were better off as friends. However, he showed his true (i.e. hypocritical) colors when he attacked his third wife, Christine. Kody said that the best way to repair a broken relationship would be to stick around,using Meri as an example. He added that she hung around the family to try to heal their relationship, and commended Meri for not running away like Christine did.
Meri avoided moving to Utah permanently despite regular suggestions from Kody. It looked like a tactic to push Meri away and avoid dealing with her emotional baggage. It also seemed like a way to remain with his favorite wife, Robyn. Kody appeared to be playing a game.
Meri Made Excuses For Kody
She Made It Easy For Him
Kody and Meri had problems for years, but things got more complicated after the Brown patriarch married his fourth wife, Robyn. Meri often said that Kody never told her he no longer needed her around. That sounded like an excuse,since he’d shown Meri more than once that he wasn’t that into her. When theSister Wivesstar married Robyn, he did nothing but push Meri down. Still, she chose to ignore the signs.
In some cases,Meri justified her reasons for remaining in the plural marriage.She would refer to the eternal covenant as her driving force for being in a relationship with Kody. It looked like religious rules were keeping her trapped in a loveless union. Meri should have acknowledged that the marriage was over when she agreed to divorce Kody so he could legalize his relationship with Robyn.How Kody acted after the catfishing incidentshould have solidified her suspicion that he no longer wanted her by his side. Despite his excuses, she didn’t really push Kody away (viaTLC).
After the catfish incident, Meri might have felt guilty - she may have wanted to redeem herself. Sadly, Kody used that specific scenarioto blame Meri for their relationship failure. Kody felt betrayed and couldn’t forgive Meri as he considered it cheating, noting that she would have left him if the catfish was real. When Meri ran out of excuses, she would play the victim instead of fighting for her happiness. All her manipulation tactics didn’t help her to win Kody back.
Is Meri Friends With Christine And Janelle?
They Are Cordial
Christine and Janelle have maintained their close friendshipeven though they are no longerSister Wives. The two hang out, go on trips together, and share memories on their respective social media platforms. However,Kody’s exes are not so friendly with Meri, despite the fact that she took accountability for her actions and appears to be changing. She’s leading a more positive lifestyle away from Kody. Christine toldUS Weeklyshe didn’t have a relationship with Meri.
“I don’t know what she is doing personally. I don’t talk to Meri either. I don’t really have a relationship with Meri. I just really know what probably veiwers know.”
Meri has changed for the better. She has been promoting positivity through her Worthy Up project and has let go of all the negative vibes from Kody. The trio have run into each other during different family functions - they appear to be friendly with one another. Meri is open tohaving a close connection with Janelle and Christine. Consequently, there is a possibility of a close friendship among them later. It will be interesting to see if there might be changes in how theSister Wivesstars relate when season 19 premieres.
