The first wife from TLC’s popular polygamist reality series Sister Wives is now a first ex-wife as legal documents reveal that show patriarch Kody Brown divorced Meri Brown in September of 2014. Less than three months later, Kody then officially married his fourth wife, Robyn Brown!
Here is the divorce record, which shows Kody and Meri finalizing their joint petition for divorce on September 25, 2014:
And here is the info on Kody’s marriage to Robyn, which took place on December 11, 2014:
Although some fans have expressed shock and sympathy for Meri in several online forums and on the Sister Wives Facebook page, it’s more than likely a legal and/or financial maneuver on the part of the family due to the fact that it is still illegal to officially be married to more than one person.
It’s important to point out that Robyn has three children from a previous marriage, and as viewers of the show are aware, her son Dayton has some pre-existing medical issues stemming from a very serious ATV accident three years ago and has also been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. On the other hand, Meri’s only child, Mariah, is now in college.
It should also be mentioned that Robyn’s separation from her first husband, David Jessop, was a contentious one after she reportedly suffered abuse during their marriage. She appears to have full custody of her three children, but there are sometimes legal stipulations about staying over with another unmarried adult present, etc.
I’m assuming there were a myriad of factors involved in the decision that are completely alien to most of us, and to the legal systems of most states. But, even if the decision was a pragmatic one, I can’t imagine it was received well by Meri. I hope we get to see the family discuss the factors in the decision and everyone’s reaction on the show, but it is unclear if TLC plans to mention the marriage and divorce.
(On a confusing side note, Robyn is now both Kody’s fourth and second wife.)
UPDATE – I mentioned above that I believe divorcing Meri and marrying Robyn was just legal wrangling on the part of the Browns due to their unique situation as polygamists living in a country where the legal system only allows for one “official” spouse, but many are still wondering if Meri is still with Kody. So, I thought I would share this photo and tweet from Meri on January 17 after they went on a birthday date together:
Birthday date w/ @realkodybrown last night @ Hugo's Cellar on Fremont Street. Awesome history, amazing food #memories pic.twitter.com/CnwFFONRqt
— Meri Brown (@MeriBrown1) January 18, 2015
UPDATE – It appears that the the question “Why did Meri Brown divorce Kody Brown?” will be answered during the Sister Wives season finale on March 1. While you wait, you can check out the Brown family’s official statement about the divorce and remarriage here. And you can click here to read what Meri and Kody had to say about it on social media.
