Kody Brown is having a hard time in the Sister Wives season 18 premiere, which aired Sunday, August 20, on TLC.
“The state of the family is strained. I mean, it almost feels like a civil war,” Kody, 54, says in a confessional at the beginning of the episode.
“Christine moved me out of her house a year ago and she said we were divorced,” he explains. “Meri and I have infrequent interactions. We talk about what’s going on [with the family]. I haven’t functioned in a marriage-like relationship in about seven or eight years, it’s been a long time. Things with Janelle and I are pretty strained. It’s like I can’t figure this out because I’m so upset.”
Christine Brown, 51, announced via social media that she and Kody split after more than 25 years together in November 2021. Season 18 picks up in fall of 2022, nearly one year since they went public with their breakup.
Christine — who shares children Paedon, Aspyn, Mykelti, Gwendlyn, Ysabel and Truely with her former spouse — wants to keep her relationship with Kody friendly. Kody, however, doesn’t seem all that eager to have an amicable relationship with his ex.
“I feel so betrayed after all that i have done for this marriage and to have her sort of s–t talk me to the kids, I kind of feel like in my heart, I just never wanna see her again,” he says. “I wanna spend some time hating her.”
Still, he goes to lunch with Christine to discuss their plans for the holidays and make plans for him to see the kids.
They recall Kody being sick during Gwendlyn’s birthday. Christine laughs while recalled Gwendlyn’s reaction to Kody being “so out of it” while after he tested positive for COVID-19 last year, and she quickly apologizes for the giggle. “You’re mean that way, it’s OK,” Kody replies.
Then, he gets angry, recalling being “in the fetal position on the floor, sobbing.” She reasons that everyone has to laugh at life sometimes, but Kody doesn’t agree.
“Oh, I’m not laughing,” he says in his confessional. “I haven’t been laughing with her leaving. I’v never been laughing about this thing. She asked me to stop staying at her place, I wasn’t laughing then. She moved my stuff into the garage, I wasn’t laughing then. She left with Truly, and she left early, I wasn’t laughing then. I’ve never been laughing about this.”
Christine explains that she is used to Kody being a baby while sick, regardless of whether it was COVID-19. “I was married to him for 27 years, alright? It was like every time that guy got sick, it was like the whole world revolved around him being sick,” Christine says during her confessional.
While Kody is giggle-free, Christine is nearly in tears while laughing during her confessional. “I’m not married to him anymore. It’s so freaking awesome,” she says joyfully.
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Sister Wives season 18 airs on TLC Sundays at 10 p.m. ET.
