TLC Sister Wives fans have witnessed the deterioration of Kody Brown’s relationship with her first wife, Meri Brown, for several seasons. Meri’s catfishing scandal and the couple’s legal divorce in 2014 – so that Kody could marry her fourth wife, Robyn Brown, and adopt her three children from her previous marriage – seemed to create even more tension for the struggling polygamous couple.
In the April 5th episode of Sister Wives, “Baby Steps,” Kody and Meri set off to meet their marriage therapist, Nancy.
During the intense counseling session, Kody admitted that he felt as if he had stayed with his first wife out of sheer moral obligation and commitment. He also suggested that Meri Brown had deceived him before they were married. Fans immediately went straight to Twitter to hear Kody’s harsh words.
Sister Wives: Kody Brown Hinted That Meri Brown Wasn’t Honest About Who She Was Before Marriage
When Kody Brown opened up about the problems he had with his first wife, he revealed that he sometimes had the impression that Meri wasn’t honest with him about who she really was before they got married at a young age.
“I feel like I’ve been deceived by those alliances,” the star of Sister Wives told the TLC producers of the eternal promises he made to Meri in the Mormon fundamentalist temple when they got married.
He also explained, “Meri Brown and I had a very quick courtship with many expectations, very uncommunicative, and I didn’t really know the person I was marrying.
Kody added that he no longer felt he wanted to be with Meri after finding out who she really was (or at least who was in her mind). He said, “As things evolved, I started to get very upset, even bitter about the situation I was in.
“I had reached a point where I was ready to wash my hands [of my relationship with Meri],” Kody told Nancy as Meri watched, clearly horrified. He explained that he had stayed “out of the moral obligations I had made deceptive deals with.
Still, the star Sister Wives said he didn’t want to leave his first wife. “I don’t think Meri and I are interested in a breakup… I don’t think this is about religion. I think it’s about commitment,” revealed Kody.
In the counseling session, Kody also shared why he didn’t think he could ever be completely honest with Meri about the problems between them. “She goes completely into victim mode,” he said.
The 18-year-old polygamist father even claimed he had been trying to “save” Meri for years. In the end, Kody said, he got burned and couldn’t feel guilty about her unhappiness anymore. “I can’t be her Jesus. I’ve been trying to do that for years,” he said. “I have a rescue complex.” All I’m trying to point out here is that sometimes it’s exhausting.”
Kody and Meri agreed on one thing: that they would never get back what they had, and that they would essentially have to start over if they continued their marriage. Perhaps the most shocking thing is that Kody said he didn’t suffer at all from their relationship. “Meri mourns the loss of what we had,” said the star Sisters Wives. “But I regret what we had.”
Sister Wives: Some ‘Sister Wives’ Fans Took Kody Brown’s Side İn The Clash
While most Sister Wives fans sided with Meri Brown, some viewers went on Twitter during the episode to agree with Kody about Meri’s “victim mode”. Some viewers also pointed to the fact that Meri had conflicts with many of her adult Brown children and her three sister wives, not just with Kody.
“I can’t be the only one who thinks Kody Brown isn’t in the wrong in Meri’s situation,” one Twitter user wrote. “She doesn’t get along with anyone in the family. Pretty eloquent.”
Another agreed, claiming that Meri Brown was manipulative and controlling. “Meri is highly manipulative, and she knows it. I think if it wasn’t for #SisterWives, she would have left,” the fan wrote on Twitter.
One fan supported Kody’s comments about Meri playing the victim in every conflict. “If everyone who (for whatever reason) loves you says you act like a victim, then listen up!
Kody is self centered and only interested in himself and what makes him look like the macho Man!
I don’t think it’s all her fault Kodi is bossy n selfish and so are all the other three they want him all to them selves if I Mari I would leave find someone better who will give her all his love n attation
Oh my god Meri walk away it’s obvious ur not happy, I’m not saying a polygamist marriage is wrong but over the seasons you have stood by and let him tell you not to try for baby yet he’s having them with other wives, I’m sure without him you would be a happier person
I still don’t understand why he felt deceived. What did I miss??
I FOR ONE AM SADDENED AND CONCERNED AT CODY’S COMPLETE LACK OF SENSITIVITY AT THE LATEST COUNSELLING SESSION.
I WAS, QUITE HONESTLY, INITIALLY VERT IMPRESSED THAT HE WENT TO COUNSELLING WITH MERI AT ALL, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE HOUSING PROBLEMS HE WAS HAVING AT THE TIME, WITH WIFE ROBYN’S HOUSE AND HER TOTAL REFUSAL TO ACCEPT THAT THERE WERE NO 6 BEDROOM HOUSES AVAILABLE TO RENT.
THE FIRST RED FLAG FOR ME WAS THAT, DESPITE EVERYTHING THAT HAS GONE DOWN IN THE PAST, CODY REFUSED TO TAKE ANY ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ANYTHING IN THE RELATIONSHIP GOING WRONG.
THEN CAME THE LABEL OF “PLAYING THE VICTIM” ; THAT WAS THE SECOND RED FLAG. THEN FOLLOWED THE ABSOLUTELY EXPLOSIVE ACCUSATIONS UNDERMINING MERI’S CHARACTER BY INSINUATING MERI WAS DECEPTIVE IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP BEFORE THEY WERE EVEN MARRIED.
MOVING FORWARD, I THINK THAT CODY NEEDS TO GET REAL ABOUT DEVELOPING A HEART-FELT RELATIONSHIP WITH MERI AND ALL OF HIS WIVES. I HAVE WATCHED MERI STRUGGLING WITH HER LIFE EVER SINCE I STARTED WATCHING SISTER WIVES. I THINK HER WHOLE FAMILY HAVE BEEN HURT BY HER CAT FISHING EXPERIENCE BUT I THINK THEY ALL GLOSSED OVER THE REAL ISSUE, THIS HAPPENED TO ALL OF THEM, MERI BROKE THEIR TRUST…BUT WHY??? WHY WAS MERI FEELING SO ISOLATED THAT SHE WAS VULNERABLE TO SUCH AN ATTACK? I HEARD ALL OF THE WIVES QUESTION THIS BUT NONE OF THEM REALLY TOOK ANY ACCOUNTABILITY FOR NOT BEING THERE FOR MERI. CHRISTINE EVEN “CALLED HER OUT” ON HOW MERI DOESN’T INTERACT WITH ANYONE AFTER THE CAT FISH SCANDAL… WELL HELLO! THAT WOULD BE SHAME AND EMBARRASSMENT AND THE BREAKDOWN OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HER AND HER ONLY CHILD… WOULDN’T YOU BE A LITTLE HESITANT TO PUT YOURSELF FORWARD.
PERSONALLY, THE VAGUE COMMENTS ABOUT MERI BEING DECEPTIVE BEFORE THE MARRIAGE WERE NOTHING MORE THAN VICIOUS RUMOURS AND CHARACTER MUDDYING AT THEIR FINEST. CODY NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT SHE DID WRONG, TO GIVE HER A CHANCE TO EXPLAIN OR APOLOGISE, VICTIM MODE BE DAMNED. DOES CODY EVER THINK THAT MERI’S “VICTIM MODE” IS A DEFENCE MECHANISM THAT SIMPLE HUMAN KINDNESS AND COMPASSION WILL BREAK DOWN EVERY SINGLE TIME?
I PERSONALLY THINK THAT CODY HAS NOT REALLY LET THE CAT FISH SCANDAL GO AND HE HASN’T REALLY DEALT WITH IT AT ALL… ALL OF THE ANGER IS BOILING IN THE BACKGROUND.
I DON’T DOUBT THAT CODY AND MERI HAVE PROBLEMS, BUT BOTH ARE AWARE THAT THEY MADE A COMMITMENT AND BOTH WANT TO KEEP THAT COMMITMENT. BLAME, ANGER AND THE REFUSAL TO LISTEN AND UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER WILL KILL A RELATIONSHIP EVERY SINGLE TIME, SO THE MESSAGE IS CLEAR: WAKE UP AND LEARN TO FIND THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT EACH OTHER TO LOVE. THE WORLD WILL JUDGE YOU ON YOUR BAD POINTS, YOUR SPOUSE NEEDS TO TELL YOU THAT THEY LOVE YOU DESPITE THEM.