Kody Brown Didn't Spare Feelings When He Brutally Ended His Marriage To Meri
"Sister Wives" stars Kody and Meri Brown have faced numerous challenges throughout their decades-long relationship, but Kody didn't mince his words when ending their marriage. In an interview with Us Weekly, the controversial reality star revealed that their relationship began deteriorating around 2016, which coincides with Meri's catfishing scandal from 2015, after which the estranged spouses were never the same. However, it was tumultuous from the beginning.
Meri confessed to People that she was jealous when Christine and Janelle Brown joined her union with Kody, adding that she had a hard time processing her emotions at the time especially since Kody had no idea how to deal with her. Everything seemingly started going downhill in 2014, when Kody chose to divorce Meri so he could legally marry Robyn Brown, the final sister wife to join their clan, and adopt three of her children from a previous marriage.
Robyn's increased attention from Kody fueled Meri's envy, according to a source who spoke to The U.S. Sun, and Kody soon began openly rejecting Meri. Despite this, the sad truth is that Meri kept waiting for her relationship with Kody to get better, which it evidently still hasn't as the proud polygamist continues to push her away.
Kody told Meri he never really loved her
Kody Brown has ended his marriage with Meri Brown on multiple occasions, yet she has persistently gone back to him, each rejection seemingly surprising her more than the last. According to Meri, the first time her estranged husband shared his feelings about their issues was in the wake of their 32nd wedding anniversary, in 2022. Suffice it to say that Kody didn't spare her feelings, including claiming to have never really loved her.
In a Season 18 episode of "Sister Wives," as reported by Entertainment Tonight, Meri detailed calling Kody up for the big day. Then, during a commemorative outing, Kody bluntly expressed his disinterest in continuing a relationship with his first wife, asserting, "Don't you understand, Meri? This is never going to happen." Instead of calling it a day, Kody continued brutally, "Your life is not one I want to insert myself into."
Meri admitted that Kody even informed her that he never felt any kind of romantic connection to her and then suggested she could visit his and Robyn Brown's house if she ever wanted to (yikes). After coming to terms with Kody's feelings, Meri wanted to go public with the split, but he resisted to avoid being labeled the villain. The two officially announced their split on Instagram, in January 2023, but that didn't stop Meri from clinging to hope for reconciliation.
Does Meri still want to work things out with Kody?
Before announcing their separation, Kody Brown made it abundantly clear to Meri Brown that he considered their marriage over. In a Season 17 episode, Kody stated, "I don't really consider myself married to Meri." He infamously added, "If she wanted to move on and marry another, she wouldn't get [into] an argument with me," (via Us Weekly). During a "One-on-One" episode special which aired shortly after, Meri reflected on Kody's statement, expressing her confusion that he felt betrayed by Christine Brown breaking up with him in a similar manner to how he left Meri.
Surprisingly, Meri also claimed that Kody never explicitly told her he no longer wanted to be with her and even gave her the impression that he was willing to work on their marriage. The timeline of the special filming with regard to their 32nd anniversary is unclear, but Kody seemed resolute in wanting nothing to do with Meri regardless. However, Meri swiftly expressed her willingness to reconcile with Kody when the host asked, and it wasn't the last time she did so either.
In Season 18, Meri continues to fight the same battle. She decided to relocate to Utah to manage her businesses more effectively and was anxious about Kody mistaking it as a signal that she was done with their marriage. "That's not where I am," she explained, per People. Unfortunately for Meri, Kody appeared indifferent indicating that, at least for now, their relationship is irreparable.