‘Sister Wives’ Christine, Meri Feud: Friendship Timeline

Sister Wives stars Christine Brown and Meri Brown are officially single women following their splits from polygamous patriarch Kody Brown — but where do the former sister wives’ friendship stand now?

During the dramatic season 17 premiere, Christine opened up about her November 2021 split from the father of 18, hinting that favoritism toward his fourth wife, Robyn Brown, played a role in the marriage’s demise.

“I think he has a favorite wife and that’s why all of this is like it is,” the mom of six said during the September 2022 episode. “And apparently, I’m not treating her well enough.”

While Christine and Kody also argued about the lack of intimacy in their relationship, the businessman hit a nerve with the Utah native when he said, “It’s been worse for Meri.”

“I get so frustrated when he’s like, ‘Yeah but Meri is doing this and she’s fine,’” the Cooking With Just Christine star told producers in a private confessional. “Like, why are you comparing my marriage with you, with your marriage with Meri? Why don’t we compare your marriage with Robyn with my marriage with you?”

Meri was Kody’s first wife and married the patriarch in 1990. The pair divorced in September 2014, so Kody could legally marry his third wife, Robyn, and adopt her three kids — Dayton, Aurora and Breanna — from a previous marriage. Meri and Kody remained spiritually married until she confirmed their split on the Sister Wives: One on One tell-all, which premiered in December 2022.

During part 1 of the special, Kody watched Christine’s confessional back and called his ex-wife a “game player” that used temper tantrums and pouting among other things as “manipulation.”

One “game” that he claimed that Christine was playing, came into play as he was “trying to reconcile” with Meri upon their initial move to Flagstaff, Arizona, from the plural family’s former home in Las Vegas.

“Meri gave me this really cool birthday present,” he told host Sukanya Krishnan, adding that he revealed to his three other wives that he was considering a reconciliation with Meri. “And Christine lost her s—t that day.”

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Kody went on to describe that Christine left a family party before yelling at one of the kids that “she was in a loveless marriage.”

When Sukanya asked Kody why Christine would react that way, he responded, “There’s something wrong in the relationship between Meri and Christine.”

Scroll through the gallery to look through Meri and Christine’s complicated relationship.

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Backstabbing?

Kody accused Christine of talking negatively about Meri behind her back during part 2 of the Sister Wives: One on One tell-all.
“Christine s—t talked Janelle and Meri for two years to me,” Kody claimed. “This is why I was getting frustrated. … I’d talk about reconciling with Meri and Christine loses it.”

Comfort?

After Christine tearfully voiced her frustrations about her marriage with Kody and wanting to relocate back to Utah, Meri “comforted” her sister wife.

“Just look at the mountain,” the Lizzie’s Heritage Inn owner told Christine during the season 15 finale. “You don’t get to give up like that.”

Christine Asked For “Space” From Meri

Following the revelation of Christine and Kody’s split, Christine asked for “space” from the plural family.

“As far as the relationships with the other adults, I think Janelle and I are super close,” she explained in a November 2022 scene. “But I’m not that close with the rest of you. And for right now, I need it that way.”

Meri’s Confusion Over Christine and Kody’s Split

Kody privately told producers that he didn’t consider himself married to Meri.

Meri watched back Kody’s comments on the Sister Wives: One on One special in December 2022, where she revealed she made the decision to end their marriage.

“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 said during the special about their reasoning to end the marriage. “‘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.”

Kody Claims Christine Stopped Reconciliation With Meri

While Kody considered reconciliation with Meri — as they had not been in an intimate marriage since their 2014 divorce — he suggested Christine “stopped it.”

When Christine was asked during the Sister Wives: One on One December 2022 special why she “always seemed offended” by his marriage with Meri, she replied, “Why would I be offended to a marriage that’s broken like that [sic]?”

Early Beginnings

While Meri initially described her relationship with Christine as “fun” but not “super, super deep,” she explained that over time, their relationship changed.

“And I miss that. I’ve missed that for a lot of years with her,” Meri explained during the Sister Wives: One on One special in December 2022. “I have not always been the perfect person, or the perfect wife or the perfect sister wife — it’s just kinda comes down to, like, we’re just not safe with each other.”