Are ‘Sister Wives’ Stars Janelle and Kody Still Together? Inside Their Spiritual Marriage Amid Season 18

Sister Wives fans were shocked when Christine Brown announced her split from Kody Brown in November 2021, as many previously predicted it would be first wife Meri Brown to be the first to leave the polygamous patriarch. Following Christine’s departure, tensions began boiling between Kody and his remaining wives, leaving TLC viewers wondering about the status of his marriage with Janelle.

When Did Janelle and Kody Get Married?

Janelle joined the Brown family when she became Kody’s second wife in a spiritual wedding ceremony on January 20, 1993. At the time, he was already married to Meri for nearly three years, as they wed in April 1990. Janelle and Kody’s relationship seemed to remain strong as he went on to wed Christine in March 1994, followed by fourth wife Robyn Brown in December 2010.

They welcomed six children together: Logan Brown in May 1994, daughter Madison Brown in November 1995, son Hunter Brown in 1997, son Garrison Brown in October 1998, son Gabriel Brown in 2001 and daughter Savanah Brown in December 2004.

Are Janelle and Kody Brown Still Together?

The couple’s relationship hit a rough patch amid the coronavirus pandemic as Janelle and Kody butted heads over his strict rules implemented to keep his family healthy. 

In a scene that aired on January 2, 2022, Janelle and Kody got into a very heated argument during a discussion amongst all four wives and the Brown family patriarch about their 2020 holiday plans. After Janelle refused to follow Kody’s protocol and said she would not be joining the family for Thanksgiving, she felt Kody was accusing her of not following any of the guidelines at all and was “guilt-tripping” her to make her feel like she was making an irresponsible decision.

“You know what? F–k off,” Janelle told her husband as she walked away.

They relationship was unable to recover and, following Christine’s departure, Janelle followed suit and separated from her husband 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 in December 2022, adding that she simply “outgrew him.”

Have Kody and Janelle Moved on Following Their Split?

While Kody is still legally married to his fourth wife, Robyn Brown, Janelle is “not thinking about or wanting to date anyone at the moment,” an insider previously told In Touch, adding that she is “focusing on herself and her kids.”

For her part, Janelle has shut down speculation that she had found a new man following her split. 

“Janelle is that the new boyfriend hiding?” one fan questioned after the reality star shared a photo of her RV in May, as she prepared the trailer for the summer. “Haha no its Gabe. But my children and grandchildren are the true loves of my life,” Janelle responded. 

Will Janelle and Kody Brown Get Back Together? 

A source told In Touch that Janelle is “not focusing on anger or resentment toward Kody,” and it appears the mother of six is living her best life as she often documents her travels via social media, however, it’s unclear if they will reconcile. 

“I’m still looking for reconciliation with Janelle. I won’t say she’s been wishy-washy about the departure,” Kody told People ahead of the season 18 premiere. “But I keep thinking, ‘This isn’t a reason for us to break up. We can work through this. We can find trust again and negotiate an agreement on that trust if we’ll just work on it.’”

While Kody appeared open to giving their marriage another try, Janelle claimed to “have no regrets.”

“[This] experience is what gave us the life that we have now … We’re all settling into the new path,” she added. “There’s only possibilities in front of us.”

What Problems Did Janelle and Kody Brown Face in Their Relationship?

One of the major problems in Janelle and Kody’s relationship boiled down to his problems with their sons Gabe and Garrison following their differing views of COVID-19 protocols. During the September 3 episode, Janelle even claimed Kody was trying to make her choose between him and their kids.

“What kind of conversation could happen without my boys issuing an apology to make it safe for them to have a conversation,” she said in a confessional, which was filmed before the two had a major fight.

She then told Kody to call their sons because he “always put it back on” her, to which he responded, “That phone goes both ways and I’ve been available to talk to them.”

“You know it still surprises me that Kody feels like it’s my responsibility to facilitate this relationship between him and my children,” Janelle said in another confessional. “He is a parent as much as I am.”

During their fight, Janelle asked Kody why his drama with their sons always became her responsibility to deal with. “That’s because it belongs on you, Janelle.” he responded. “You didn’t support my stand when it came to actually doing the COVID stuff.”

The pair continued to bicker before Janelle said, “You are gaslighting me. It’s like all this ‘I feel so pressured’ bulls–t? This is you saying, ‘I don’t wanna do it but I’m going to make it your fault.’” He then argued she needed to “stop throwing me under the bus.”

“I did nothing. I sat at home. I did what I was supposed to do but it wasn’t ever good enough for you. You wanted me to kick the boys out … when you say choose your loyalties, choose between me and your children,” she responded. “I agreed to the CDC rules, you had more, and it was never good enough Kody. I wasn’t going to turn my boys out in the middle of a pandemic.”

Janelle and Kody faced off again after the father of 18 explained that he had “special requirements” for Janelle and Christine when they initially joined the family. 

“I courted Meri and I courted Robyn, but Christine and Janelle both asked if they could be in the family,” Kody explained in a confessional during the September 10 episode. “And with that ask, I had some special requirements that I wanted them to meet in order to come into the family and mainly that was there’ll be other wives, you’ve got to be committed to me.”

Janelle clapped back at Kody’s claim by arguing that she and Christine didn’t “deserve less” than Robyn simply because she was “invited” into their family. “It’s improper for a man to be out chasing wives,” she continued. “It’s generally a woman [that] approaches the family and says, ‘Look, I feel like I had a spiritual revelation that maybe I belong in your family.’ He now keeps saying Christine and I asked to be in the family and Robyn was invited.”

During an October 2023 episode, Janelle admitted she had concerns about Gabe and Garrison amid their estrangement from Kody.

“I have worried about my boys’ mental health,” she said in a confessional. “Gabriel feels everything very, very deeply. But he’s also the kid who doesn’t say anything.”

Janelle added that Garrison “just seems angry or sadder, like, he’s not as happy-go-lucky as he used to be.”