Image: TLC
Plural marriage can be very complicated, especially when one of your wives divorces you without asking you first, and another one of your wives prefers your ex-wife over your company.
The first episode of Sister Wives Season 18, which appears to be set in early fall, 2021, starts with Kody Brown describing the state of the family as a “civil war.”
He describes the fact that Christine moved his stuff out of her house the year prior, and then a few months ago told him that she felt they were divorced and she was moving away.
Kody says he and Meri have not been in a “marriage-like” relationship in about 7 or 8 years and barely speak to each other.
His relationship with Janelle is also strained, and the family isn’t talking as a whole.
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In the next scene, Kody goes to help Janelle move her trailer into winter storage. Janelle says that she’s been holding out on the dream of building on Coyote Pass.
She’s now renting an apartment and feels like she’s failed somehow in life. Kody fthinks Janelle should have bought a house instead of waiting.
Robyn reasserts her position that she never wanted to buy a house, and that her intention was always to “get out on that property,” referring to Coyote Pass.
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Janelle explains that the tension between himself and Janelle is centered on conflict with their sons over COVID.
Kody felt like Garrison and Gabe were being reckless and putting the rest of the family in danger by continuing to work, socialize, and see girlfriends during the pandemic. Because of this, he stayed away from Janelle and her children for months at a time.
Garrison felt that his mom was being neglected, so he called Robyn and asked for their dad back.
Janelle says that Kody thinks Robyn has been deeply wronged by the situation and needs an apology from he boys before they can come together as a family again.
In Robyn’s talking head interview, she says she never wanted an apology from then and that all she wants is to “be okay with these boys.”
Now, Kody wants to have a conversation with the boys, but there hasn’t been any progress towards that.
At this point, Janelle is going east to visit their daughter Maddie for Thanksgiving. Kody says he’s still emotionally tender from the divorce from Christine and wants Janelle to support him as his wife. Instead, he feels like she doesn’t like him, and is far more fond of Christine.
“She’s literally telling me she doesn’t like me, she prefers other things, she even prefers my ex-wife,” he says.
