On a recent episode of “Sister Wives” that aired on Aug. 27, the Brown family is depicted as struggling to maintain their bond during the holidays. Instead of bringing the family together, Thanksgiving serves as a reminder of their broken relationships. The episode shows how the family copes with the aftermath of multiple breakups, as Christine and Kody Brown are separated and Janelle and Kody Brown are dealing with marital issues. To spend Thanksgiving apart, Janelle Brown spends time with her daughter Maddie Brown Brush, while Christine Brown heads over to her daughter Aspyn Brown’s home. Meanwhile, Meri, Robyn and Kody Brown celebrate together.
Kody Brown, the father of 18 children and husband to four wives, recently reflected on the family’s second Thanksgiving celebration apart in a self-filmed video. He expressed his regret that they had not sorted out their differences earlier and hoped to find peace and love with his family over the next month or year. Kody acknowledged that everything was changing and that he felt at peace surrounded by people who were not offended by him at present. However, his four wives, both current and former, dealt with the family’s conflict separately. Meri Brown expressed sadness over how the family’s holidays were no longer the big family function they used to be. Robyn Brown’s children dealt with feelings of rejection and hurt when they found out that they would celebrate the holidays without Janelle and Christine Brown. Christine Brown said her Thanksgiving was lovely and easygoing, while Janelle Brown struggled with guilt for having a great time at her own celebration. They all expressed that this represented a significant break in their family tradition. The family has been hurting for a long time due to the fallout from going public with their polygamous lifestyle. The ongoing tension in the family made it difficult to have a traditional Thanksgiving celebration, and Logan Brown suggested doing a sibling gift exchange for Christmas. Despite this, Robyn Brown tried to back out of the conversation after receiving pushback, feeling like an outsider in the family. The family’s conflicts have been accumulating for years and are at a breaking point, and Kody Brown acknowledged that he did not manage his family correctly, leading to the family acting like enemies instead of a family.
Robyn Brown stated that the exchange of text messages led to a dispute between her children and some other kids, which further showcased their unwillingness to be a family with them. Janelle Brown expressed her uncertainty about the family ever recovering from the argument while Christine Brown believes that the family is gradually drifting apart. She also believes that Kody Brown has a favorite wife, which caused the problem in the first place. Christine left Kody because she noticed the favoritism, and it made it difficult for the other children to accept.