Sister Wives: Why did Janelle Brown leave Kody?

Janelle and Kody Brown’s marriage is kaput after nearly 30 years of plural marriage.

The bad blood between Kody and Janelle Brown became too much, and in 2022, the Sister Wives stars called it quits.

Janelle became Kody’s second wife to leave him within a span of a year, and Sister Wives are watching the demise of their marriage play out during Season 18.

The writing was on the wall for some time, but Kody’s ultra-strict COVID-19 protocols marked the beginning of the end. When Janelle and Kody’s sons refused to abide by his rules, Kody forced Janelle to choose between him and their children.

Then, when Janelle moved into an RV with their daughter, Savanah, Kody was irked that she wasn’t making enough space for him.

These series of events led up to the huge blowup between Janelle and Kody that played out during the September 3 episode of Sister Wives, marking the beginning of the end of their marriage.

Kody Brown’s coronavirus pandemic rules drove a wedge between him and Janelle

What was supposed to be a conversation about how they were spending their holidays quickly escalated and ended with a door being slammed, F-bombs being thrown, and Janelle telling TLC to stop filming the scene.

News of Janelle and Kody’s split was confirmed during Part 3 of the Season 17 Tell All. Janelle dropped a bomb on host Sukanya Krishnan when she revealed, “We’ve been separated for several months.”

“Kody and I have separated, and I’m happy, really happy. I don’t know… things just really became sort of indifferent. Like, I just didn’t care anymore,” Janelle confessed.

Janelle wasn’t happy with Kody for making her choose between him or their kids and for spending all his time with Robyn

Janelle also admitted that she was losing respect for Kody because of what happened with their kids. And it seemed as though some jealousy over Kody’s favoritism toward Robyn came into play too.

“I think if he had truly been watching out for me and my children, he would have figured out a way to make it work for the whole family instead of having his rules and hanging out with the wife staying where he was respected and obeyed,” Janelle added.

For his part, Kody told Sukanya that Janelle made it clear that she was “enjoying her life without” him in it. Although Kody has been vocal about wanting to reconcile their marriage, it seems that Janelle has moved on and isn’t interested in rehashing what could have been.

During a recent interview with PEOPLE, however, Janelle noted that if it weren’t for Christine paving the way and leaving Kody first, she may have ended up staying with him.

And, shockingly, although Janelle isn’t ready to start dating again just yet, the mom of six is open to the idea of polygamy in her future. The 54-year-old admittedly loved the “freedom and the independence” that polygamy offered her, telling the publication, “I think it was a good fit for me.”

Sister Wives exes Janelle and Kody Brown’s spiritual marriage lasted nearly 30 years

Janelle and Kody wed in 1993, making her his second wife. Kody and Meri Brown were the first spouses to tie the knot in 1990 and were joined by Janelle in 1993, Christine Brown in 1994, then Robyn Brown in 2010.

Janelle and Kody, who were only wed spiritually and never legally, also share six biological children: Logan, 29, Madison (Maddie), 27, Hunter, 26, Garrison (real name Robert), 25, Gabriel, 21, and Savanah, 18.

Since splitting from Kody, Janelle and her children have remained close to Christine and her children. So close, in fact, that Sister Wives viewers learned they were spending the holidays together amid the Brown family’s dissolution and uncertainty about the family gathering under one roof again for Christmas.

Janelle and Christine have leaned on each other for support following their spiritual divorces from Kody and often spend time together, both in their free time with their families and professionally, as fellow Plexus ambassadors.

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