Sister Wives’ Meri Brown on divorce and Brown family split: ‘You don’t think that that’s ever going to happen’

The once polygamous, close-knit Brown family has grown apart in recent months, and Meri Brown is still dealing with the emotional aftermath.

The Sister Wives star became Kody Brown’s third wife to leave their plural marriage, leaving Kody in a monogamous marriage with his fourth bride, Robyn Brown.

The family has faced the repercussions of three divorces within 14 months, and admittedly, it hasn’t been easy for anyone.

During a recent interview with PEOPLE, Kody’s first wife, Meri, spoke about her disappointment and her wish for everyone to find happiness again.

“It’s very disappointing to me. And also, I get that we’re all unique individuals and we want the best for ourselves,” Meri shared.

“And if the best for ourselves is not within the same family structure that we built and that we’ve had for so long, it is what it is, and I just want everybody to be happy with where they are,” the TLC star added.

Meri Brown on the family falling apart: ‘I didn’t ever see this coming’

Despite years of struggles in her own marriage to Kody and Kody’s broken marriages to Christine and Janelle, Meri says the family imploding wasn’t something she had on her bingo card.

“So no, I didn’t ever see this coming. I really didn’t. But I really truly just want everybody to be in a peaceful place with themselves,” Meri added.

Christine was the first of Kody’s wives to take the plunge in 2021 and leave their plural marriage, followed by Janelle in 2022 and Meri later that year.

Although Kody and Meri ended their marriage last year, they waited until January 2023 to make the official public announcement on Instagram, as Monsters and Critics previously reported.

After 33 years of marriage and plenty of struggles, even Meri was shocked that she and Kody ended their romantic relationship.

“You don’t think that that’s ever going to happen,” Meri said of her and Kody’s split.

Sister Wives fans have watched Meri cling to hope for years

As Sister Wives fans know, Meri held onto hope for many years, wishing Kody would eventually come around and rekindle the spark they lost years earlier.

But that wasn’t the case, despite Meri “100 percent” giving it her all and doing “everything in her power” to keep their marriage from ending.

Admittedly, Meri would have replayed all of the what-ifs in her mind if she had left Kody sooner, but in the end, she’s happy with how things ended.

“[I’m] very at peace with the timing of it and how it all played out,” Meri revealed.

Despite her and Kody’s spiritual union ending, Meri says she doesn’t feel remorse.

“All the experiences that I have had has really only contributed to who I am now,” Meri continued, “So, I can’t regret that at all.”

Sister Wives airs on Sundays at 10/9c on TLC.