Sister Wives: How Does Kody Brown Define Estrangement?

Sister Wives fans tuned in to the season 10 premiere on Feb. 14. They found the Brown family in the same predicament they were last in when they left the airwaves at the end of season 9.

Kody Brown’s marriage to Meri Brown is still in shambles, and his other unions don’t seem to be doing much better. Now, in a bombshell interview, Kody has admitted that he’s been estranged from Meri Brown for several years. But does this really mean the end of their union?

The premiere of Sister Wives revealed some serious issues within the Brown family, but the drama is not contained to the TLC show. Kody sat down for an interview with Entertainment Tonight to discuss how things are going. During the interview, he admitted that he and his first wife, Meri Brown, have been separated and estranged for four or five years.

While the revelation might sound bad, he insists that all is well there. In fact, you could say that Kody seems more positive about Meri than he has in years. Aside from being “estranged,” he insists they have a cordial relationship. Kody admitted that this year has been especially difficult because they’ve had to be honest with each other.

Sister Wives: How Does Kody Brown Define Estrangement?

Kody Brown’s admission seemed a bit like confirmation that Meri Brown is only part of the family for the shoot, but upon closer inspection, that’s not exactly the case. Kody’s definition of estrangement is different from what the general population would consider a true separation.

During the interview, Kody noted that while he sees Meri regularly and spends time with her, he doesn’t spend the night at her house and hasn’t in several years.

Kody has been careful to avoid talking about their intimate relationship, but fans have long assumed that they are not getting busy. The Brown family actively avoids talking about intimacy to avoid jealousy among the four wives. Kody defines “estrangement” as a lack of physical intimacy and romantic feelings, apparently.