‘Sister Wives’ Star Meri Brown Felt Husband Kody Brown’s Marriage Comments Were a ‘Slap in the Face’

Lack of respect. Sister Wives star Meri Brown claims estranged husband Kody Brown’s assessment of their marriage was inconsiderate ahead of their split, a source exclusively tells In Touch.

“Kody’s disrespected her before, so this isn’t that surprising,” the insider tells In Touch about the former couple’s relationship. “It’s a slap in the face to Meri, and just one more reason to dislike him.”

The source’s comments come shortly after the Lizzie’s Heritage Inn owner, 51, revealed during a clip from the Sister Wives: One on One special that she and the polygamous patriarch have ended their marriage after more than 30 years. 

“I don’t consider myself married to Meri,” Kody, 53, said during a season 17 confessional. “If she wanted to move on and marry another, she wouldn’t get an argument with me.”

After viewing the clip of her husband’s words, Meri told host Sukanya Krishnan that Kody – whom she married in 1990 – “made the decision” to end their relationship.

“It just doesn’t make sense to me that he would be so frustrated with Christine [Brown] and be like, ‘She just made this decision,’” Meri continued in the clip, first shared by People. “‘We didn’t consult, we didn’t talk, she just made the decision,’ and then he says, ‘No, I don’t consider myself married to Meri.’ Like, he just made the decision. I’ve never heard him say that to me.”

The LuLaRoe consultant went on to say that they had been working on their relationship following the family’s move from Las Vegas. 

“Even since being in Flagstaff, he has led me to believe that he was trying,” she said. “You know, our first anniversary that we had here in Flagstaff, it was ‘Cheers to a new beginning,’ as opposed to this last anniversary he’s like, ‘I don’t even know why you called me Meri.’ He’s like, ‘We’re not married. We’re not acting as married.'”

Meri was Kody’s first wife after they were legally wed in April 1990. However, the pair divorced in 2014 so that the father of 18 could legally marry his fourth wife, Robyn Brown, in order to adopt her children from a previous relationship. Kody remained spiritually wed to Meri along with sister wives Christine Brown and Janelle Brown. 

The former couple’s split comes shortly after In Touch broke the news that Janelle, 53, ended her relationship with Kody after more than 30 years together. 

“Janelle is a strong independent woman and realized she can do it on her own,” a source exclusively told In Touch on December 9, adding that the Sister Wives star “outgrew” her husband. 

In addition to Meri and Janelle, Christine, 50, announced her split from Kody in November 2021 after more than 25 years of marriage. Kody’s split from his third wife has been heavily featured throughout season 17 of the family’s reality show.

Reps for Meri and Kody Brown did not immediately respond to In Touch’s request for comment.