'Sister Wives': What Janelle and Kody Brown Said About Marriage Prior to Split

Sister Wives stars Janelle and Kody Brown have confirmed they have officially "separated" after 30 years of marriage.

The news was announced at the end of Sunday, December 11's episode as part of a teaser clip for the upcoming show Sister Wives: One on One special.

In the clip, Kody is asked about his relationship with Janelle Brown to which he responds: "I am separated from Janelle and I'm divorced from Christine [Brown].
Janelle also confirmed the news, stating: "Kody and I have separated."

Fans of Sister Wives may not have seen Janelle and Kody Brown's separation announcement as much of a shock, considering the pair had been pretty open on the show about their difficulties.

In an early December episode, Kody and Janelle discussed the state of their relationship, with Kody telling Janelle he felt as if he was "begging" her to have a deeper bond with him and for "loyalty."

He also told her "For me, emotionally, it's sinking. The ship is sinking."

From Janelle's point of view, she shared she was upset with Kody Brown for spending more time with his fourth wife, Robyn Brown, than with her.

In a talking head, Janelle admitted she was unsure if "it's possible to come back" from where the two had ended up in their relationship.

She added: "I never thought that I would ever be in a place where I would be questioning my relationship, but the last few years, I began to wonder if we're compatible anymore. Maybe this doesn't work anymore for me. I don't know."
Janelle continued: "I don't know if you can change the way our relationship was for 30 years all of a sudden I mean, maybe that's a sign that it just doesn't work anymore."

After their deep conversation, Janelle and Kody Brown agreed to give their relationship a "reset" in the hope it would fix their problems.

Janelle reflected in a confessional: "I just feel like I have to do everything I can to make this work. I'm not even sure it's possible to come back from where we are."

Then, in the most recent installment of Sister Wives, Kody and Janelle had a huge fight over Janelle's alleged failure to comply with his COVID-19 rules.

After their heated argument, Janelle reflected: "In the last 18 months, I've realized that I'm pretty good. I'm independent, and I'm not going to stand here and be yelled at. I just don't need it. I don't deserve it and I don't need it."

Janelle and Kody Brown entered a polygamous marriage in 1993 after several years as stepsiblings. Janelle's mother Sheryl was married to Kody's dad William Winn before Winn's death in 2013.

Kody and Janelle had six children together: Logan, Madison, Hunter, Robert Garrison, Gabriel, and Savannah.

Speaking to Us Weekly in March 2021, Janelle said it was difficult sharing Kody with his other wives.

She shared: "Of course, I still get jealous. But I learned a long time ago [that] you really just have to figure out how to be OK with yourself. You have strengths, and you have blessings and you have opportunities that you're given ... you can't compare. I just think comparison is, like, the death of plural marriage."

Janelle is not the first wife to leave Kody. He was also "spiritually" married to Christine Allred but they announced their separation in November 2021 after 25 years together.

Kody's split from Christine also put a strain on Janelle and Kody's marriage as Janelle continued to spend time with Christine and her children, reports ET Online.

Today, Kody remains in a polygamous relationship with Robyn Brown (the only wife he is legally married too) and Meri Brown, however, things between him and Meri are just on a friend level.

Sister Wives airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on TLC.