In another clip released by TLC, Kody details his ongoing problems in his marriage to first wife, Meri.
The clip starts with his fourth wife, Robyn, saying that Kody and Meri don’t need any extra strain on their relationship as they’re already struggling.
Meri joins the clip, detailing that she and Kody visited their therapist, Nancy, in Las Vegas to try and work out their perpetual struggles.
Kody and Meri are distant and amicable
Kody is seen telling Nancy, “We’re family, but we’re not acting married,” when referring to Meri, saying at best, their relationship is distant and amicable.
Meri is seen telling Nancy the relationship between herself and Kody is “gone, dead, and over.” Kody says he could “buck up” and abandon the situation, but that he’s not interested in it.
He divulges a tough truth, saying, “For all my marriage with Meri, I’ve felt like she unloads her emotions into a burden that I’m supposed to carry.”
Kody expresses his relationship frustrations with Meri
The clip shows intermittent footage of Kody with wives Meri and Robyn, trekking across their property at Coyote Pass.
During the clip, he says with conviction, “I’m not carrying this burden, cuz there’s no reason that I should.”
Kody says he has three other relationships that are rewarding and wholesome with children that need him
Kody continues about Meri, “I haven’t put relationship effort into that relationship specifically because I have three other relationships that are rewarding and wholesome and with children that need me, need to see me.”
Was Kody implying that his daughter with Meri, Mariah, doesn’t need to see him? It would appear that he was saying his relationship with Meri isn’t rewarding nor wholesome.
Meri adds that she is careful not to push Kody so that she doesn’t come across as “demanding” or “pushy.”
She hints that she has made it clear to Kody that she may want to move forward and says it’s best to “leave the ball in his court.”
Kody drops another bombshell with disdain, saying, “Neither of us see real value in the relationship,” reiterating that if they really wanted to be together, they would be.
Meri and Robyn have been seemingly pinned against each other on Sister Wives. Given their dynamic, with Meri being Kody’s first legal wife who later divorced him so he could legally marry Robin (who is still Kody’s only legal wife), it’s not a surprise that fans would assume Meri and Robyn have a broken relationship.
Meri and Kody married in 1990. Second wife, Janelle, entered the marriage three years later. Third wife, Christine, spiritually married Kody a year after Janelle.
Robyn met the family in 2009 and was spiritually married to Kody by the following year until 2014 when they legally wed.
Meri and Kody divorced in 2014 so that Kody could then legally marry his fourth wife, Robyn, allowing him to formally adopt her three children from a previous marriage.
Kody’s third wife, Christine, was pregnant with their sixth child when he began courting Robyn. Their daughter, Truely’s birth was captured on Sister Wives and was the first Brown birth to be televised.
Between himself and his four wives, Kody Brown has 18 kids, including his three step-children from Robyn’s previous marriage whom he legally adopted. His children range in age from 5 to 27 years old.
The family has been living in Flagstaff, AZ since 2018 with each of the four wives living in separate homes. Many speculated that Kody was only spending time at Robyn’s house, but Janelle nixed that rumor.
Kody clarified recently that he splits his time on a rotating schedule between all four wives’ houses, but that the pandemic has complicated their arrangement.
In addition to the ongoing drama between Meri and Kody, fans of the show are eager to see what else plays out this season.
Sister Wives airs on Sundays at 10/9c on TLC.