Sister Wives: Janelle Brown, Christine Brown, and Meri Brown All Filed For Bankruptcy At Some Point

The Brown family’s financial dysfunctions were in full evidence during the last season of Sister Wives. As the series followed the family’s attempt to settle in their new home in Flagstaff, Arizona, fans often brought up the fact that Brown’s finances made no sense.

They owned four properties in Las Vegas that were struggling to sell and had three rents and at least two mortgages to manage, all while supporting an army of children. While the family’s TV salary was never revealed, fans assumed their TLC salary wasn’t big enough to cover everything. Apparently, the Brown family was never particularly good with money. Before welcoming TLC cameras into their lives, the Browns asked for bankruptcy several times and survived with the help of food stamps.

Sister Wives: Janelle Brown, Christine Brown, and Meri Brown All Filed For Bankruptcy At Some Point

Before Robyn Brown joined the family in 2010, all three of Kody Brown’s wives filed for bankruptcy at some point. According to The Hollywood Gossip, Janelle Brown was the first wife to file for bankruptcy. She filed in 1997, just four years after marrying Kody Brown in a spiritual ceremony. Jenelle had previously been married to Adam Barber, Meri’s brother.

In 2005, Meri Brown, who was legally married to Kody Brown at the time, also filed for bankruptcy. According to court documents, the couple owed the creditors more than $80,000. Just five years later, while Kody Brown was courting his fourth wife, Christine Brown also filed for bankruptcy, claiming she was unable to repay the $25,000 in debt. Her youngest son, Truely Brown, was born the same year.

Sister Wives: Are The Browns Headed For More Financial Disaster?

The Brown family is not alone in its financial difficulties. According to The Ascent, more than 700,000 people filed for bankruptcy in 2018. This number is considered low. In 2005, more than 2 million people in the United States asked the courts to intervene in their finances. Fans, however, are very critical of the Browns because they apparently did not learn from their mistakes. Many believe that the family is doomed to some financial ruin when the TLC cameras eventually leave the Browns.

It’s said that the Browns have suffered a massive pay cut just to keep the cameras running, but apparently they haven’t changed their lifestyle to accommodate the change in their income. It took more than a year for the family to unload all four of their Las Vegas properties, and during that time, they were buying up properties in Flagstaff at an insane rate.

Christine and Kody Brown bought property in Flagstaff for $500,000. Kody and Robyn eventually bought another property in Flagstaff for $900,000. Janelle and Meri Brown continue to rent properties within the city, and the family also has acres of land they bought before they moved in, without being touched.

Sure, they managed to sell their properties in Las Vegas, mostly for a profit, but fans are wondering if they will have enough income to support themselves if TLC decides to terminate their contract. The glaring assumption is that, no, the Brown family will waver without their reality TV income. Christine has suggested that the family is financially drowning even with their TV income; without it, it seems that disaster would not be far off.