Prominent polygamist Kody Brown has got his hands full with four wives, all with differing personalities.
Many fans of the show would agree that his second wife, Janelle, is the most level-headed of the wife quartet, and maybe she is just what the family needs to keep from completely falling apart.
Janelle has been Kody’s (second) wife for 28 years
Janelle entered the family in 1993 when she spiritually married husband Kody, who had already been married to his first wife, Meri for three years. Janelle came into the marriage on the heels of a divorce from Meri’s brother. She was the first of Kody’s wives to make him a father with the birth of their first child, Logan.
In this season’s first episode, fans saw Janelle call a meeting between Kody and the other wives to discuss some hard topics, which is a bit out of character for Janelle. But it also shows how devoted Janelle is to the family and that she tends to seek solutions to problems and always has good advice.
In another clip from an upcoming scene, fans saw Janelle in tears while talking to Kody about not being used to being away from him for so long due to the pandemic. She says to Kody, “I don’t know what that’s like – to not see you for so long.”
Janelle is known for being the even-keeled wife of the bunch. She has always engaged in steady work, rarely involves herself in drama, and is fair and reasonable.
Janelle and Kody offered different accounts of the first time they met
Janelle’s relationship with Kody didn’t start out as love at first sight… at least not for him. Upon meeting Kody, Janelle explained in their book, Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage, that it was an instant attraction. Of meeting Kody the first time, Janelle wrote, “I felt as if I had forgotten something and suddenly remembered it. It was a feeling of relief and recognition.”
Of the same encounter, Kody had a different experience. He wrote about meeting Janelle, “It wasn’t born out of the same conventionally romantic attraction I had to Meri. It was a different feeling entirely, one that had more to do with spirituality and intellectual compatibility romantic love.”
Janelle is an admitted “softy” as a parent, compared to more disciplinarian-minded Kody and the other wives. Janelle has described herself as a “non-confrontational person” and viewers would most likely agree. Janelle is rarely one to complain on the show and often offers sound advice when the other family members are having issues.
Although Janelle may be experiencing similar emotions as her sister wives, she isn’t one to outwardly show it. Janelle was also the only wife who was adamant about the one-house idea and was impressed to see the Darger family make it work for their family when the family paid them a visit in episode two.
Janelle often interacts with fans on social media, and comes across as friendly and relatable. While fans see a lot of complaining and strong opinions coming from the other three wives, Janelle seems to handle her business and remains an even-keeled presence in the family’s life.
Sister Wives airs on Sundays at 10/9c on TLC.