Two women who later shared a husband were already family before polygamy entered the picture.
> At a Glance
> – Janelle Brown was previously married to Meri Brown’s brother
> – The women became sisters-in-law years before marrying Kody Brown
> – Meri found the overlap “really hard” when Janelle joined the family
> – Why it matters: Shows the complex personal history inside the famous plural family
Janelle Brown, 56, and Meri Brown, 54, sat down over coffee in the Jan. 4 episode of Sister Wives and recalled their pre-Kody connection. Meri explained that Janelle had been married to her brother, making them sisters-in-law first and sister wives second.
The First Marriage
Janelle said she met Meri’s brother as a high-school senior and wed about a year after graduation. The union lasted “less than a year” before ending in divorce.
- Met Meri’s brother senior year
- Married 12-18 months after graduation
- Divorced shortly after Kody and Meri’s 1990 wedding
Meri remembered seeing Janelle at her own wedding to Kody, never imagining the woman who had been her brother’s wife would later join her marriage.
Emotional Fallout
When Kody began discussing adding Janelle as a wife, Meri struggled.
> “It was really hard for me,” Meri said. “It was a tough thing to wrap my head around on multiple levels.”
Janelle viewed the brief marriage as insignificant, but Meri stressed it was “definitely a thing for me.”
Timeline of Kody’s Splits
| Wife | Year of Split |
|---|---|
| Christine Brown | 2021 |
| Janelle Brown | 2022 |
| Meri Brown | 2023 |
Kody remains legally married to Robyn Brown, his only wife.
Church Release
Janelle also revealed she has received an official divorce document, or “release,” from the Apostolic United Brethren.
> “I am free. I am free. I am free,” she said, waving the paper.
Key Takeaways
- Janelle and Meri were in-laws before sharing Kody
- Meri needed time to accept the overlap
- Janelle’s first marriage lasted under a year
- All but Robyn have now left the plural marriage
The Browns’ layered history highlights how intertwined their lives were long before reality-TV cameras arrived.
