The Untold Truth Of Sister Wives' Robyn Brown
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Reality television fans will undoubtedly recognize the name Robyn Brown. Robyn is one of the infamous sister wives who has appeared on TLC's show of the same name for 16 (and soon to be 17) seasons. Robyn — along with her husband Kody Brown and fellow sister wives Meri, Janelle, and Christine Brown — has spent years sharing their big, unconventional plural family with the world.
After so many seasons of watching the Brown family grow and evolve, face challenges, and celebrate successes and joys, viewers likely think that they know everything there is to know about Kody Brown's fourth wife. It turns out that the cameras only show part of a person's story, and when it comes to this mother of five, so much more exists. Robyn Brown is a lady with a colorful past, a promising future, and a whole lot of thoughts and opinions, which she proudly shares.
Kody isn't Robyn Brown's first spouse
Two of the women Kody Brown was or is wed to were married to other men before becoming Browns. Janelle, wife number two, was previously wed to Adam Clark Barber, and Robyn Brown was previously married to David Jessop.
Her nine-year marriage to Jessop produced three beautiful children, Dayton, Breanna, and Aurora, but it also had problems. Of her first marriage, Robyn has said, "I was married before, and in that marriage, there was a lot of fighting, and there was a lot of pain." Robyn went on, "I promised myself as I came out of my divorce, I was like, 'If I ever marry again, I'm just going to be more cautious and more careful.'"
Following her divorce, Robyn fell for Kody Brown and his large family, became his fourth wife, and welcomed two more Brown kids into the fold. Kody and Robyn continue to raise their children jointly with the remaining sister wives, Meri and Janelle, in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Robyn and Kody's courtship was a long one
Most people would look at a couple who had been dating for four months and then quickly entered marriage and think to themselves, "Whoa! These two are moving far too fast!" However, in the polygamous culture, a four-month courtship is considered fairly lengthy, as Kody explained in the TLC hit series.
Kody and Robyn Brown took their time, courting for four months before he officially asked her to join the gang as the fourth wife. How Kody and Robyn came to be had a little to do with fate and a little to do with a particular sister wife, Meri Brown. Of that first meeting between the future lovebirds, Meri Brown said, "So, Kody and I were out one night, and we went over to a friend's house, and Robyn happens to be this friend's cousin." Meri continued, "That's where we first met Robyn" (via In Touch Weekly).
Meri encouraged the relationship between her husband and Robyn Brown, while other wives had a difficult time adjusting to another wife (and more children) joining the clan. Regardless of people's feelings and attitudes, the couple moved forward with their love and became spiritually wed in 2010.
Her 'biggest mistake'
A young Robyn Brown found herself with child before being able to call herself a wife. She wed her first husband, David Jessop, in June 1999. Her first child, who "Sister Wives" fans know as Dayton, but was initially named David, was born in January of 2000. Robyn Brown decided to make the best of her situation and stuck that union out for nine years, welcoming three children into her life during that time.
After her divorce and marriage to Kody, Robyn decided to share her story of premarital sex with the Brown kids, following a family sermon. "When I was a teenager, I was very chaste ... and then as I got older ... I really started to question my faith," she said. She referred to her self-proclaimed rebellious phase as "the biggest mistake of my life," hoping that the retelling of her past might help steer the Brown kids in a more positive direction than Robyn chose as a young adult. Did the talk work? As of this writing, no Brown kids have birthed babies out of wedlock, so perhaps.
She has known plural and monogamous marriage
Like her fellow sister wife Janelle Brown, Robyn Brown has lived in monogamous and polygamous families. Robyn was raised in a polygamous family, as were her fellow sister wives Meri and Christine. Sister wife Janelle and husband Kody, on the other hand, were raised in nuclear families, later turning to a polygamous lifestyle. As Robyn detailed in "Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage," her parents "had a truly wonderful marriage ... their relationship was sweet, loving, and respectful." She went on to say that the choice to enter into a plural marriage was up to her and something she prayerfully considered.
Robyn then entered a monogamous marriage to her first husband, David Jessop, after becoming pregnant with her son, Dayton. For the nine years the couple remained wed, they welcomed no other sister wives into their marriage. Robyn later divorced David and decided to return to her roots, joining one of the most famous polygamous families around, as Kody Brown's fourth (and now legal) wife. Twelve years after they said their "I do's" in a family-centric spiritual celebration, they are still together, proving that for Robyn, polygamy was her fate.
She is the wealthiest sister wife
The Brown family adults work as a unit to generate funds helping to support their 18 kids. Each adult has their own businesses and hustles, which account for their varying net worths. It turns out that Robyn Brown is actually the richest sister wife, with the most wealth to her name. She is worth an estimated $600,000. Meri and Janelle, and former sister wife Christine are all worth an estimated $400,000. Along with husband Kody Brown's $800,000 net worth, the family has amassed a fortune well over a million dollars. Part of Robyn's wealth likely derived from the online boutique she was in charge of, My Sisterwife's Closet.
The Browns moved to Flagstaff, Arizona, with all of the wives deciding to take up residence in different homes, as husband and father Kody moved from one home to the next in a rotating status. Robyn resides in the most expensive house, an abode that cost the family nearly a million dollars!
Robyn is a more than a mom
Robyn Brown is a busy lady, that's for sure! Not only is she a mother to five children, sons Dayton and Solomon and daughters Brianna, Aurora, and Ariella, but she is also a business-oriented woman with determination and drive. Robyn is the wife who took charge of the family's former jewelry business, My Sisterwife's Closet. The entire Brown family launched the online boutique, but it was Robyn who took the reigns and steered the company until it eventually closed its doors.
Aside from designing and selling sister-wife-inspired wares, Robyn also played an integral part in crafting the family's best-selling book, "Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of Unconventional Marriage," adding her insights and perspectives to the written work. The devoted wife and mother also dabbled in sitcom acting before working in reality television, scoring minor roles in "Just Shoot Me!" and "CMT 2000 Countdown."
Robyn Brown is devastated at the changing family dynamic
If you ask any avid "Sister Wives" fan, they will tell you that over the years, Robyn Brown has established herself as hubby Kody's numero uno. While Kody and Janelle are on good terms, and Meri remains in the mix, the viewers believe Robyn rules the roost. Kody denies giving his fourth wife any special preference over the others, but the fans continue to think otherwise on the matter.
Viewers might think that Christine Brown's exit from the family would have come as good news for Robyn — more Kody to go around, right? It turns out that the opposite is true. Robyn is devastated by the shifting family dynamic. When asked about the Kody-Christine split in the TLC reunion episode, Robyn said, "It makes me angry." She elaborated on the matter, explaining, "I just don't know why they're not figuring this stuff out and talking and finding their compromise and finding the things that they love about each other. I can't fix it for him. I can try. I can try to persuade, I can try to influence, I can beg."
Robyn has a strained relationship with one Brown child
Blending families can be hard work, especially in a case like the Browns, where four wives, one husband, and many kids ranging in age are all coming together to create one cohesive unit. Robyn Brown and her three children entered the family far later than the other three wives. The kids of Meri, Janelle, and Christine all grew up under one roof and were, for the most part, close in age. With Robyn's entry into the brood, suddenly there were stepkids, a mom they hadn't known essentially from birth, and a lot of new relationships to navigate.
Paedon Brown, Christine Brown's only son, has admitted to having an odd relationship with his father's fourth wife. "My relationship with Robyn has always been strange and weird," a now-adult Paedon revealed. He said in his younger years, he saw his father "doing things with [Robyn's children] that he didn't do with me." Paedon claims his rudeness to Robyn's kids created conflict between Robyn and himself. Years later, some rifts have been mended, and Paedon says he has a great relationship with two of Robyn's three older children.
She went from fourth wife to true wife
When fans were first introduced to Robyn Brown, she was the new young love interest of the TLC show's star Kody Brown. As Kody and Robyn explored their budding relationship, he was already legally wed to Meri Brown and spiritually wed to Janelle and Christine Brown. In May 2010, Kody and Robyn made their love official in a spiritual wedding ceremony, making Robyn Brown wife number four.
Four years into Kody and Robyn's spiritual marriage, another significant change in the family structure came about. Kody divorced his legal wife Meri and took Robyn as his lawful wife instead. The reason for the wife switch wasn't as jaw-dropping as fans might have thought, though. The decision was a logical and practical one because it essentially allowed Kody to legally adopt Robyn's three children from her first marriage. With the marriage to Robyn and legal adoption, Dayton, Aurora, and Briana were as much Brown kids as all of the biological children sired by Kody. If anything ever happened to their mother, they could remain a legal part of the Brown family.
The secret nanny
Over the years, the Brown family has welcomed a whopping 18 children into the brood. As new babies were born, the sister wives assumed the care of the children, regardless of which women birthed the babies. Former sister wife Christine is especially close with fellow sister wife Janelle's children because of the role she played in their formative years. Christine is so close to Janelle's kids that they chose to spend the holidays with her over their biological father, Kody.
Robyn Brown isn't benefitting from that sister wife culture the other three wives experienced, of all having a hand in bringing up the kids. She has two young children with Kody, but instead of relying on sister wives for parenting help, she employs a nanny! Season 16 had just about everyone, Christine included, asking the big question: What does the nanny do? According to Kody Brown, he and Robyn "have an employee, we call her a 'nanny,' she comes over, she helps with caring for the kids, and she helps with schooling the kids."
Robyn might want more kids
Five biological kids might not be enough for "Sister Wives" member Robyn Brown. She has hinted that she isn't quite sure she wants to close the door on babies. When discussing the "will they, won't they" have more kids with her husband Kody, Robyn said, "Women talk about that feeling of like, 'Oh, I'm done.' I've never really got that."
Robyn went on to explain that she believes she should have as many kids as she is meant to be, and if there are little ones who are supposed to be in their fold, then so be it. "It is a big deal to me. To make sure, to make sure all my babies are here with me. That's all," Robyn added. Robyn believes that she has "made promises to a certain amount of children to be their mother. You know, in the pre-life, and I want to fulfill all those promises." She has a "crazy fear in my head that I'll leave somebody behind."
While Kody and Robyn mull over the idea of adding more children to their family, one Brown is adamant that they are already at capacity. Christine Brown's son, Paedon, made his feelings known to US Weekly: "Please, no! I want to make this clear. I don't want more kids in the family. Nieces and nephews are fine. No more kids with any wives, please!"
Robyn Brown gets Kody to break his rules
When it comes to having multiple wives, one would think that remaining fair in all facets of each relationship would be incredibly important to the stability of the family unit. Some speculate that Kody and Robyn Brown bent the fairness rules when they were courting. They haven't done everything in their relationship by the books, as Kody did when starting up relationships with his first three wives. There was shock and devastation on the part of Meri, Janelle, and Christine when they learned Kody and Robyn kissed before they ever walked down the aisle!
Kody also inserted himself into intricate details of wedding number four, making it clear that this event was so much more than a simple spiritual binding. For example, Kody actually chose his new bride's wedding dress. His wives, who couldn't help but note his new fascination with wedding details, were less than thrilled. In the Season 1 episode "A Fourth Wife to Be," Christine asked, "When is the groom ever involved with the wedding dress? That's just not cool." Meri chimed in that it was "kind of a slap in the face."
Her son has Aspergers
Robyn Brown has three children from her first union, all of whom Kody Brown has officially adopted. Many fans of the show are unaware that Robyn's eldest child, Dayton, has Asperger's Syndrome, a high functioning type of autism.
Robyn shared Dayton's story on the sister wives blog, writing in part, "When Dayton was in 2nd grade, the school counselor and psychologist brought me in and told me that he wanted to do some tests on Dayton. I said yes and we started the long process. This was when I was told that Dayton has Asperger Syndrome." Robyn Brown has always been a devoted and loving mother, working with Dayton to be his best self and achieve all he can. Dayton graduated high school and was accepted to Northern Arizona University, per his LinkedIn page. He took on triple majors in marketing, information systems management, and management, proving that hard work and determination can get you anywhere you want to go.
Robyn Brown has suffered a deep loss
Robyn Brown has known her fair share of heartache in her life. She became pregnant early on, only to endure a nine-year marriage that she has described as abusive. Of her past, she has said, "Just to clarify, I do not tolerate my kids getting bullied. I ended my first marriage because of abuse. My kids come first ALWAYS" (via E News).
Robyn also expressed sadness at fellow sister wife Christine leaving the family and divorcing joint husband, Kody Brown. She then went on to lose a beloved parent in February 2022. Her stepfather, Paul Howard Sullivan, passed away, rocking Robyn to the core. Robyn's mother and biological father divorced when she was 9, and her mother, Alice, went on to become one of Sullivan's wives. Robyn took his last name and has referenced him as "her dad" when appearing on her TLC reality series.
Here is to hoping for better days and more positivity in Robyn Brown's future.