It’s no surprise that Janelle Brown and Meri Brown didn’t always see eye to eye. In earlier episodes of Sister Wives, the two women would often butt heads over family ideas. Janelle once noted that she chose to keep far away from Meri. But in the newest episode, the mother of six opened up even more about Meri and how she would often feel disconnected from the polygamous family.
Meri Brown and Janelle Brown had a massive feud
Sister Wives viewers learned early on that Janelle was once married to Meri’s brother, Adam Barber. The plot thickens in this incestual group. Janelle’s mother was married to Kody Brown’s father at the time, making them step-siblings. Yikes, this family tree can get confusing fast. Janelle wasn’t married long, only from 1988 to 1990. However, she met Kody in 1989 while she was still married. Janelle always claimed she had an intense connection to Kody, and throughout the season, the pair definitely seemed like soulmates. Janelle even attended Meri and Kody’s wedding in 1990.
In the family’s book Becoming Sister Wives, fans got their first glimpse at the feud between Meri and Janelle. The duo never developed a true friendship, but Janelle and Kody connected on a “cerebral level.” That kind of reads as if she was calling Meri dumb, but that could just be my interpretation. The book notes that Meri and Janelle often become embroiled in intense fights. Meri even admitted that she was “harsh and aggressive” toward her sister wife. Needless to say, the pair never got on the same page, and they had a frosty relationship for years.
Janelle Brown opens up about the family disconnect
Now that Janelle and Meri have both left Kody in the dust, the mother of six is opening up more about her polygamous family. While speaking on the Reality Life with Kate Casey podcast, Janelle noted that there had always been a disconnect with spouses, especially when it came to the patriarch’s first wife. Janelle shared, “I mean, she and Robyn were always pretty close.” Janelle seemed to understand why Meri pulled away.
She shared, “I do think when Leon left the house, and she was an empty nester before we were, she started to develop a lot more interest outside of the family. Because yeah, she had time.” But according to Janelle, Kody’s first wife had a close alliance with his fourth. She noted, But I know she and Robyn were always pretty close to a lot of things. So I don’t know if she was separate. I mean, she and Kody had been estranged for many, many years.” Meri touched on her failed marriage with Kody in the latest episode. She stated, “I feel very peaceful about our situation, but he doesn’t. Some of the things that he’s saying are really, really, really mean. He clearly has a lot of internal [feelings] that he still needs to work on here.”
Janelle Brown claims Kody Brown has changed
The Sister Wives star also brought up how Kody has morphed into someone she doesn’t know. For the last few seasons, fans have watched Kody turn from a jovial man into quite the Scrooge. The father of 18 takes everything personally and feels as if his children have betrayed him. He no longer had room in his heart for his first three wives, eventually pushing them to the side. Janelle told the host, “He’s changed. We all change. We all evolve, but I just don’t recognize this guy.” Janelle laughed as she said, “I don’t know who this guy is. He is not the man I married all those years ago. And I’m probably not either. It just happens.”
For a woman scorned, Janelle is so understanding, which I think shows her character. While Kody is out bashing his wives, Janelle has kept the moral high ground. When asked what changed for Kody, his second wife noted, “I don’t know. Turning 50 was a big deal for him. Sometimes, people realize they want more. But he did. He has changed for sure.” As for Janelle, she is moving forward in a positive light. She recently moved to North Carolina and started a farm with her daughter.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK JANELLE HAS A POINT ABOUT MERI AND KODY?