As Sister Wives fans have seen over the years, Janelle Brown is one strong cookie. She has dealt with sister wives who were jealous and controlling, a husband who thought the sun revolved around him, and starting over after her failed divorce in her 50s. So it didn’t come as a surprise that she has been independent her entire life. This week’s all-new episode shined a light onto her early years with Kody Brown, and fans learned she didn’t always have the support of her family.
Janelle Brown was left alone at the altar
Even though Janelle and Kody seemed to have a loving marriage for the most part, their 1993 wedding was anything but supportive. It turns out that Janelle’s family was furious with her for entering into a polygamous marriage and joining the church—so much so that most of them boycotted her wedding. While helping Christine Brown shop for her wedding dress, the mother of six reflected on her wedding to the polygamous patriarch, and she didn’t seem to have the happiest of memories.
While Sister Wives fans looked at an old wedding photo, Janelle mentioned, “I actually didn’t have a wedding dress. When Kody and I got married, my family was very upset with my decision to join the faith. So most of my family was not talking to me or associating with me,” Janelle explained in a confessional interview. “I had a green dress I wore. That was it.” The gown was modest and plain, but Janelle looked happy.
Janelle Brown’s family felt she was making a mistake
As Sister Wives fans listened, Janelle revealed that only one member of her family witnessed her saying her vows to Kody, which was her mom. Janelle smiled as she shared, “My mom was at the wedding because she came to save me from the polygamists and ended up marrying Kody’s dad three months before we got married. So my mom was obviously OK with it. But the rest of my family was really not OK with it. So they didn’t come.”
Janelle’s mother, Sheryl Usher, who has since passed away, was one of William Winn Brown’s three wives. But as fans know, Janelle doesn’t do anything half-assed. The North Carolina resident is known for her research skills and made sure to learn all she could about polygamy before dipping her toe in. She told viewers, “After several months of investigation, I decided that it was for me. Before that, I had just put my interest in Kody in the back of my mind. After I had joined the faith, it became very apparent to me that what I’d been experiencing and how I’d been feeling towards Kody were stirrings that I did belong in his family,” she said. “But I really couldn’t process it until I had actually embraced the faith. And then, all of a sudden, it made sense to me.”
Janelle Brown and Kody Brown are connected more than spiritually
For most, it might be odd to marry the stepson of your mother’s husband. But it seems all is fair in polygamy and the Mormon religion. Janelle was married to Adam Barber before meeting Kody. And while this fact in itself isn’t such a big deal. The jaw-dropper here is the fact that Adam was Meri Brown’s brother. In the family memoir Becoming Sister, Wives, Janelle once wrote that she had only lived with Adam for six months. She wrote of Kody at the time, “I was in the middle of a horrible divorce and had no idea how to handle the sensation Kody’s entrance conjured in me.”
Janelle never followed up about whether her family ever accepted her. But it is safe to say that Janelle has reconnected with most of her relatives. In recent years, she has posted vacations with her sister and often had her mother on Sister Wives. It just goes to show that even though family might not always understand the reason behind a decision, most of the time, they will come around and eventually support you. Janelle needs support now more than ever as she embarks on her new, single life, far away from Kody’s controlling hands.
Sister Wives airs on Sundays on TLC.
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