Sister Wives’ Kody Brown Questions Lingering ‘Karmic Connection’ With Janelle After Split
Sister Wives star Kody Brown’s spiritual marriage to Janelle Brown may be in the past, though he admitted to still feeling a “karmic connection” to his ex-wife.
During the Sunday, February 2, episode, Kody, 56, reflected on ex-wife Meri Brown’s decision to get a spiritual release from their marriage following their split.
“I didn’t feel like I needed a spiritual divorce from Meri, and I didn’t feel like I needed a spiritual divorce from Christine [Brown],” he said, admitting that he had different feelings when it came to Janelle, 55. “I don’t know if there’s some kind of karmic connection that Janelle and I are obligated to still.”
As fans of the Brown family know, Christine, 52, was the first of Kody’s wives to leave him in November 2021. Janelle followed suit in December 2022, and Kody and Meri, 54, confirmed their split in a joint statement in January 2023. In light of his three spiritual divorces, Kody’s last remaining wife is Robyn Brown.
Earlier in the episode, Janelle and Christine discussed Meri’s decision to seek a release from her marriage to Kody in the eyes of the church.
“I wish Meri well. I really do hope, like, I really want all the good things for her because I feel like she’s been through the wringer,” Janelle said, while Christine responded, “I hope she can get in a loving relationship.”
In a confessional, Janelle admitted that she was potentially interested in getting a spiritual release of her own.
“I know Meri has just recently gotten a release like what we call a release, which is a divorce. And it’s made me think, ‘Huh, I kind of like the idea of getting a spiritual release,’” the mother of six said. “But I don’t even know who to call.”
Meri reflected on her decision to ask the church to be released during the October 13, 2024, episode. “It’s been an interesting year,” she said at the time. “I really, really felt like that he was just doing everything he could to have me be the one to leave so that he could say, ‘My hands are clean. She’s the one who left.’”
The reality star then explained her decision to “move forward with the official termination through the church where we had gotten married,” adding that she reached out to Kody to see if he had “any input” regarding the process. However, she said that Kody “never responded to [her] text” and she moved forward without him.
The church ultimately granted the release “on the grounds of abandonment.” Meri agreed with the church’s reasoning, though she suspected Kody wouldn’t be happy with it.
Meanwhile, both Christine and Janelle previously shared their reactions to learning that Meri and Kody’s marriage had been released in the eyes of the church. “Good for her. I didn’t know you could do that. I didn’t know we were eligible cause we’re no longer part of the community,” Janelle said during the October 2024 episode. “I’m like, ‘Good. All right, cool.’”
Christine added that she has no interest in having her marriage to Kody released because she’s not “part of that church” and she doesn’t “respect” its leaders. “I don’t think they have any say over my life. But Meri did, and I’m really glad that she did,” she shared.