What The Rest Of The Sister Wives Really Think Of Robyn Brown
First impressions... they always last. Or do they? Well, either way, making a good impression can be tough, especially when you're the new wife in a polygamous family. Enter Robyn Brown: the newest family member on TLC's hit reality television show, Sister Wives. Robyn became wife number four for polygamist patriarch and head husband-in-charge Kody Brown. And just like with any new family member, there's bound to be some growing pains as all parties adjust to the new dynamic.
But we're not talking a new puppy here — we're talking about another woman vying for the other women's husband's attention. Things are bound to get more than a little awkward, right?! So, what did the other women — Janelle, Christine, and Meri Brown — really think about their newest sister wife? And how did these reality TV ladies eventually acclimate to their new family member? Keep reading after the jump to find out!
Janelle Brown was not a fan of Robyn Brown from the get-go
Perhaps Robyn Brown's biggest critic was fellow sister wife, Janelle Brown. As Kody Brown's second wife for more than 20 years, Janelle had her reservations about accepting a newcomer into the mix, and she made no bones about it! In the book she co-wrote with the other wives Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage, Janelle opened up about her unwillingness to accept Robyn into their already established dynamic.
"I found myself unwilling to make the effort to build a bridge between us," she penned. "As I learned in my initial months in the principle, just because something appears celestially destined doesn't make it easy." On top of that, Janelle was also very busy taking care of her children to put much thought into rolling out the welcome wagon for Kody's fourth wife. Soap Dirt also echoed that narrative, reporting that Janelle wasn't very nice to Robyn. YIKES.
Christine Brown also had her misgivings about newcomer Robyn Brown
Christine Brown wasn't so sure of Robyn Brown, either. In simple terms, Christine was "the new kid on the block" in the Sister Wives hierarchy... until Robyn Brown came along, that is. For starters, she was blindsided by Kody Brown's relationship with Robyn. And to make matters worse, the news came while she was expecting her first child, Truely.
Christine wrote candidly about her mixed emotions in the family memoir, Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage. "Kody and Robyn's courtship came at a time of huge personal upheaval," Christine lamented. "When Kody started courting and then married Robyn it really rocked me," she continued to explain. "I gave birth to Truely and was suffering from extreme postpartum depression." She also admitted to feelings of extreme jealousy which only made the situation worse.
Luckily, time appears to heal all wounds, even for dueling Sister Wives, as Christine and Robyn are in a much better place now. Phew!
Meri Brown was Robyn Brown's biggest cheerleader
Fortunately, Robyn Brown had the blessing of Kody Brown's first and only legal wife at the time, Meri Brown. According to United States law, Kody can only be legally married to one woman, so while he entered into "spiritual marriages" with Christine and Janelle, he was only legally married to Meri... until Robyn came along. Per The Sun, Kody made the difficult decision in 2014 to divorce Meri so that he could marry Robyn and then legally adopt her children from a previous marriage. And instead of contesting the divorce, instead Meri gave Kody and Robyn her blessing. Talk about a selfless act!
While some might have found themselves in a rather difficult situation, Meri, took the decision in stride. "It's an end of something that we had had, in a way, for 24-and-a-half years," she confessed in 2015 during a Sister Wives tell-all special (via Good Housekeeping). "But at the same time, I know it's not, because I have eternity with him; I have eternity with the family," she declared.