The Truth About Kody Brown's Relationship With Robyn
What's the truth about Kody Brown's relationship with Robyn Brown? For someone to land their own reality show on a major network, they undoubtedly have to be pretty unique. After all, TLC has a series about all-female quintuplets, 90-day engagements, and more. So obviously, Kody and Robyn from Sister Wives aren't your typical married couple, but the title of their series probably gave that away. The show focuses on Kody and his four, yes four, wives, with Robyn being the last wife added to the mix. The Brown family is very large and very committed to their faith as fundamentalist Mormons, and their show is honestly pretty addicting.
The wives of Kody — Robyn, Meri, Christine, and Janelle Brown — all have their own characteristics and offerings that they bring to the table. But when it comes to Robyn, things are especially interesting. The thing is, the truth about Kody's relationship with Robyn is that she isn't just the fourth wife, she's very likely the last wife, and their relationship has been far from easy.
Kody Brown met Robyn Brown after she split from her first husband
Though the Brown family is all about having sister wives, Kody Brown isn't the only Brown family member to have had multiple spouses. In fact, before she met Kody, Robyn Brown was married to someone else and even had three children with him.
According to SoapDirt, Robyn was married to her first husband from 1999 to 2007. It appears as though Robyn decided to leave her marriage due to how her now ex-husband treated her children, and it also looks as if Robyn getting divorced was the best thing she could do, though it wasn't easy. "Since both my marriage and divorce were so difficult, I decided that I would take a break from relationships," Robyn wrote in the tell-all book, Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage. "I didn't need the complications of dating in my life. I knew that since I was a mother of three, my dates would be more like job interviews than romantic encounters."
Obviously, Robyn eventually found love, but her first marriage wasn't easy, and likely made her relationship with Kody that much more intense.
Kody and Robyn Brown met at church, and she was instantly drawn to him
Sometimes, love stories are easy, and sometimes they're not. But with Kody and Robyn Brown, things were pretty intense right from the beginning. Not only was it a polygamous relationship the two got involved in, but Robyn's separation from her first husband made the potential of a new relationship even more complex.
Still, their connection was super strong at first. "While we were seated in the service, a man sitting in front of me with shaggy blonde hair caught my eye. The first thing I noticed about him was his eyes, which were ringed with laugh lines," Robyn wrote of first spotting Kody at a church service in Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage. "There was something peaceful and comforting about the way he conducted himself."
Robyn also explained that when he saw her, she was swept off her feet. "All of a sudden he looked up and our eyes met," she continued. "I'm not exaggerating when I say I felt as though I'd been shot through with a bolt of lightning." From the get-go, there was a connection between Kody and Robyn!
Meri Brown instantly approved of Kody and Robyn Brown's relationship
As foreign as the concept of sister wives might sound to a lot of people, the Brown family has made the situation work for them. And even before Robyn Brown came into the family, Kody Brown and his first wife, Meri Brown, discussed it in great length; Meri was perhaps the first person to suggest Kody start a relationship with Robyn.
According to Kody's retelling of their first encounter with Robyn, Meri was almost giddy about the prospect of Robyn becoming part of their family. "Meri instantly sensed that there was something special about Robyn," Kody wrote in Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage. "When Meri and I got home that night, we stayed up for two more hours talking about Robyn." Kody added that Meri was excited about the prospect of having Robyn as both a friend and as a sister wife.
Without Meri's instant approval, Kody and Robyn might never have had a relationship to begin with.
Kody Brown knew Robyn Brown was the one instantly
Though the Brown family was very secure in where they were at the time they met Robyn Brown, there was just something about her that both Kody and Meri Brown couldn't shake. Seriously, Kody basically knew that she was special from the moment they met, and it was a feeling he couldn't let go of afterwards. "I had a very deep sense that there was a spiritual connection between us," Kody wrote in Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage. "I felt an undeniable connection to this woman I had just met, as did Meri. This connection was so deep and spiritual that it kept us up all night."
Kody and Robyn had barely had a conversation, but they both felt pulled to one another. Kody also wrote about how he was a little worried that Robyn's divorce would cause drama for his well-settled family, but in spite of that concern, he went for it. The two continued talking, and got to know each other even more.
Robyn Brown loved Kody Brown for his family
As a recently divorced single mother of three, it's totally understandable that Robyn Brown would be a little apprehensive about bringing her kids into another relationship. However, as it turns out, a huge part of her and Kody Brown's relationship was, in fact, their families blending so well.
When Robyn was still getting to know Kody, she was introduced to his family, and all his kids and her potential future sister wives. And in that moment, Robyn knew she had just walked into something special. "Everyone was so engaged with one another," Robyn described of seeing Kody's family all together for the first time in Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage. "The thing I wanted for my kids first and foremost was a good family. And here it was in front of me, a family literally overflowing with love."
As smitten as Robyn was with Kody himself, it turned out that she was also pretty taken with his entire family, and that was an important foundation to establish for their relationship.
Kody Brown had to divorce this wife for Robyn Brown
If you're wondering how Kody Brown gets away with having multiple wives despite it not being legal in the United States, you're not alone. However, Kody actually was only legally married to Meri Brown for years, while his marriages to Janelle and Christine Brown were "spiritual." But, when Kody met Robyn Brown and her three children, they made the decision to legally marry for one very important reason.
Of course, that meant Kody had to end his legal marriage to Meri. To that end, they divorced in 2014 so Kody could legally marry Robyn and then legally adopt her children. And while Meri was well-aware of the reasoning behind the divorce, that didn't make it any easier on her once the divorce was finalized. "If ever I'm having an emotional moment about maybe what I lost, you know, I just think, 'it's not about me, it's about the kids,' and that's what makes me happy," Meri explained to the cameras in an episode of Sister Wives.
The divorce only made Kody and Robyn's relationship more complex, but it clearly needed to happen for the sake of the family.
Robyn Brown struggled being a fourth wife
Fans of Sister Wives know that Robyn Brown was the fourth and (most likely) final wife to marry Kody Brown. Robyn joined her sister wives, Meri, Christine, and Janelle Brown in the large family, and seemingly fit right in.
However, before Robyn joined the Brown family, she was very wary of ever being in a plural marriage, and honestly struggled with that for a while. "I'd never even entertained the possibility of being a fourth wife," Robyn wrote in Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage. She also explained that most men in the fundamentalist Mormon church only have two wives, while a few have three, and hardly any have four. "It's just too challenging," she continued.
So when Robyn learned that Kody already had three wives, and such a large family, she was shocked. "It seemed inconceivable that I'd put myself in this situation," she added. For a while, Robyn wasn't sure if she would fit into the Brown family as a fourth wife, and honestly, who could blame her?
Kody Brown was happy to adopt Robyn Brown's kids from her first marriage
After Kody and Meri Brown's divorce was finalized, Meri hardly had any time to mourn what she lost as Kody's only legal wife, before he and Robyn tied the knot in a legal ceremony. However, their marriage was especially important for their family, as it meant that they could really and truly blend their families together, legally.
From her previous marriage, Robyn had three children: Breanna, Aurora, and Dayton (via Good Housekeeping). And as Kody divorced Meri, legally wed Robyn, and subsequently adopted her three children, it seems as though the family couldn't have been any happier. In fact, Kody even took to Twitter to explain how happy Robyn's three kids were at having Kody be their dad. "Aurora, Dayton and Breanna thought Robyn's X a hero for signing consent for me to adopt," he wrote. Just like Robyn wanted her kids to be part of a big, happy family, they soon were.
Kody and Robyn Brown had kids of their own too
While Kody Brown adopted Robyn Brown's children from a previous marriage, the pair had children of their own as well. In fact, Robyn and Kody welcomed their first child together, Solomon, about a year after they got married (spiritually of course) in 2011. Then, in 2016, they welcomed daughter Ariella, giving Robyn a total of five kids between her ex-husband and new husband.
Naturally, as fundamentalist Mormons, people wondered whether or not Robyn would have any more children, but as it turns out, that isn't a very likely possibility. After all, Kody himself is a father to 18 children, which is obviously a lot. And for Robyn, it just seems like they're finished having kids. "At this point, we feel like we're done, but we're open to God's inspiration," she told Us Weekly in 2019. "When we grow our family, it's sort of by inspiration. If we were blessed with more children, of course, I'd be totally open to that."
Of course, Robyn and Kody were very lucky to welcome two children together, and that's really all that matters.
This wife has been jealous of Robyn and Kody Brown's relationship
In any relationship, jealousy can be ugly, but especially in a polygamous relationship. "We have to learn to handle our jealousy, contain our aggression," the Browns explained in the prologue to their book, Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage. Still, fans of Sister Wives know that between all the kids and houses and jobs, it can be easy for jealousy to form between the four wives. And as far as Robyn Brown is concerned, one of Kody Brown's other wives had some serious jealousy issues.
Christine Brown, Kody's third wife, explained that she really struggled with Kody and Robyn's relationship at one point. "Kody and Robyn's courtship came at a time of huge personal upheaval," Christine wrote in the family's book. "I was pregnant with Truely, and we had also entered new and uncharted territory as we began filming Sister Wives for TLC." Top it off with the fact that after Christine gave birth to Truly she had bad postpartum depression, and she felt "a sense of loss and such crippling jealousy."
Christine's pregnancy made things worse, but the jealousy is no joke.
Kody Brown didn't like Robyn Brown's offer to be a surrogate
Because the Brown family isn't a simple, monogamous family, their issues aren't just between two people — they're between five. So when Kody Brown's first wife, Meri Brown, revealed she had fertility issues but might want another child, Robyn Brown came to the rescue.
Well, she tried to. Originally, Robyn offered to be a surrogate for Meri and carry her and Kody's child in order to give Meri a second baby. But, when Meri was torn over the decision, Kody made it for her, and he wasn't interested in Robyn's offer. "I would do it if nature just did it," he said during an episode of Sister Wives (via Today). "In fact... it would just be absolutely wonderful. But because of the stakes, I'm not burning in my gut to do it. You know what I'm saying? I say no."
Kody explained to Meri that he just wasn't comfortable with Robyn being involved in something he thought should only happen if it was meant to happen.
Robyn and Kody Brown fight about housing a lot
As any married couple knows, issues such as budgeting, where to eat out, or where to live can all build up and cause some bigger problems in your relationship if you don't properly address them. And for Kody and Robyn Brown, a housing issue ended up becoming a real problem for them.
As CheatSheet reported, on an episode of Sister Wives, the Brown family was once again stressing about housing issues, especially Robyn and Kody. Robyn didn't want to buy a home, but instead rent one so they could save money and move to the property they'd previously purchased sooner. But Kody wanted to buy a house for her and her kids, and they argued a lot over it. "This whole situation that we're in right now, with moving out of the house and where we go next, has been a major, major issue for Kody and I," Robyn said in the episode. "We have been at odds for months, and there's no resolution in sight. And it's really been wearing on us."
Kody and Robyn definitely needed to get their housing locked in, and the stress wasn't helping anything.
Robyn and Kody Brown reportedly quarantined together
For families all over the world, the coronavirus pandemic truly put a damper on family gatherings and celebrations. And for a large family like the Browns, it was even more of an intense shake-up. But, it appears as though Kody Brown spent most of his time with one wife in particular during quarantine.
As The Sun reported, fans suspected that Kody quarantined for the majority of the pandemic with Robyn Brown. Specifically, the publication reported that Kody hadn't been seen with Meri Brown but once, and Christine Brown only twice. Additionally, Kody's daughter with wife Christine, Mykelti Brown, answered some fan questions about how her family had been handling quarantine. In the Q&A, Mykelti explained that her dad had been trying to see all the different wives and children, even if he was mainly with Robyn. "He does still travel to them," she said. "He still sees everyone. He is having a hard time because he's in different houses."
Clearly, Kody wants to show everyone he loves them, despite staying with Robyn.
Fans think Robyn Brown is Kody Brown's favorite wife
Just as jealousy issues are to be expected in a plural marriage like the Brown family has, so too are concerns over playing favorites. Children don't like it when their parents appear to favor their sibling, and wives probably wouldn't appreciate their husband doing the same. But, as it turns out, Kody Brown's relationship with Robyn Brown must be pretty close, as she reportedly seems to be his favorite.
As The Sun reported, fans have long thought that Robyn was Kody's favorite wife on Sister Wives. After all, she's the youngest and fourth and (likely) final wife. Additionally, Robyn is also the mother to two of Kody's youngest children, so it makes sense that viewers would assume Kody liked Robyn best.
On Twitter, fans have speculated as much, too. "Robyn is totally the favorite wife on Sister Wives," one user wrote. "At the end of the day it is pushed once again in Janelle's face that Kody's favorite...is Robyn." Whether or not any of that is actually true, the prevailing opinion looks to be that Robyn is Kody's favorite.