‘Sister Wives’: Janelle Brown Pushed Away by Two Nit-Picking Co-Wives?

Sister Wives star Janelle Brown remembers when Kody Brown and his wives thought a true polygamous family had all its members under one roof. That was back in the 90s when Meri Brown, Janelle Brown, and Christine Brown all lived under one roof with Kody Brown.

Believe it or not, it was Janelle who first found freedom in a house away from Kody, Meri, and Christine. Considering Janelle backed Kody up for that one big Sister Wives house of his last season, you’d think she’d feel the opposite. But times change. This was long before Robyn entered the picture as the fourth Sister Wives co-wife.

Sister Wives: A Crowded House for Janelle Brown

Surprisingly enough, it was Janelle Brown who wanted the modern-day Brown family to move into Kody Brown’s big dream house. But years ago, living alone changed her life for the better.

What Janelle Brown had to say in a book the Sister Wives spouse helped write sheds some light on her problem. It seems one main theme of their original cohabitation kept popping up as a huge problem for the wives.

This was back in the day when their original Sister Wives house was a home built for a single-family. Kody’s wives, Meri, Christine, and Janelle Brown shared a house that entailed them sharing the kitchen, bathroom, and common living areas.

Janelle described how stifling it was to have three women under one roof with three different ideas of how to run a household. Even the most mundane tasks turned into turmoil among the Sister Wives.

Sister Wives: Janelle Brown

After Dinner Woes

Growing up, Janelle Brown, as well as the other Sister Wives ladies, learned different ways of doing things. Now, as adults, they were pretty set in their ways. Janelle said how she likes to enjoy dinner and then relax. She also likes to leave the dinner dishes until the morning.

But Christine and Meri liked to clean up after dinner. So, this made for some battles. Janelle said it was Meri who she fought with often—too often. Then after giving birth to her fifth child, Gabriel Brown, she endured a terrible bout of postpartum depression.

She had so many kids at such a rapid rate, and just like today, money problems plagued the family. So Janelle decided to take drastic measures. But measures that changed her life for the better.

Around the same time she fought her depression, Janelle had a horrific blowout with Meri. She moved out with her kids and in with her mother. Janelle Brown had a great job and made good money. She didn’t want to stop contributing to the family. Again, just like today, all the Sister Wives adults pooled their money.

Janelle Brown said her commitment to contribute to the family finances kept her there even when she thought of leaving before. But to go out on her own, she would need that salary of hers. The night she left and went to her mother’s, Kody showed up the next morning.

Sister Wives: Meri Brown - Janelle Brown - Christine Brown

Sister Wives: Not a Frivolous Walk-Out For Janelle

He took Janelle with him while he did errands that day. Janelle writes how he turned to her “nonchalantly” and asked, “So are you better now?” This mortified Janelle Brown who was truly suffering, and Kody didn’t have a clue.

This Sister Wives mom and wife wasn’t better yet. Janelle used her own salary to get herself her own home and a newer car. She lived on her own for a couple of years, about 30 miles away from her Sister Wives spouses. Kody Brown would come and visit her and the kids.

Then he eventually started to spend the night on the days he scheduled for Janelle. Her kids would spend time at the house with Meri and Christine while Janelle worked. On weekends they got together as one big family. This worked for her.

Janelle went back to school and got her degree in accounting during the years she was out on her own. Then one day, Kody Brown came to her and said they were moving to Utah.

He got a job there that let him be home at night with his Sister Wives tribe. At the time, his job entailed traveling, and he was away from home a lot. So this was a major upgrade for the family man.

Sister Wives: Janelle Brown - Kody Brown

Answer to All Her Problems?

TLC’s Janelle Brown was not about to give up her freedom and basically told Kody goodbye. That is until the Sister Wives patriarch told her that their new house had three separate apartments. It originally belonged to a polygamous family.

Each apartment came with its own kitchen, bathroom, and living area. This was a dream for Janelle, she could be back with her family and have her own place at the same time.

That is how Janelle came back into the Sister Wives family. It seems all the fights, arguments, and ill feelings boiled up between the three wives. But it sounds like it boiled over around kitchen stuff. This seems to suggest it’s impossible for multiple wives to share a kitchen. Janelle did one of the hardest things she ever did. That was to move out on her own.

At the time, Janelle Brown was a mess, and it was the path of least resistance to get herself healthy and whole again. It worked because she reports that she grew and flourished in those years that she lived on her own. She feels it helped make her who she is today.

They moved to the house in Utah, which was where they first filmed the Sister Wives show. The rest played out on the TV screen.

Come back to Soap Dirt for all the latest Sister Wives news.