For Sister Wives star Meri Brown, Flagstaff, Arizona, was never home. While it may have served as the backdrop for much of the Brown family’s drama, Meri recently opened up about why she doesn’t miss the town or the life she left behind.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Meri was blunt when asked if she had any lingering feelings about Flagstaff.
“Nope. Not at all,” she confessed.
While Meri acknowledged that the town itself is “beautiful,” she admitted it wasn’t for her. She didn’t connect with the community and never made any real friendships there.
“It just wasn’t for me. I moved there because the family did,” Meri Brown explained. “It was not ever on my radar, ‘Oh, Flagstaff, Arizona. We should live there.’”
Sister Wives: A Fresh Start for Meri
Now that Meri Brown has returned to her roots in Parowan, Utah, she feels like she’s exactly where she belongs. Moving into her family’s historic home, which she turned into Lizzie’s Heritage Inn, felt like the perfect choice.
“[It] made sense to me because I already owned the house,” Meri shared.
Although some skeptics – including her former sister wives – thought she purchased the B&B as an “escape route,” Meri insists that wasn’t the case. Instead, she simply wanted to honor her family’s legacy and reclaim the property.
But more importantly, moving back to Utah gave her the freedom to truly start over.
“Why keep living in a town where I don’t know anybody? I don’t have friends?” Meri reasoned. “Kody and I are completely separating. I’m not going to be a part of the family. There’s no point in me being there.”
Sister Wives: The Final Text That Closed the Chapter on Her Marriage
Before Meri Brown left Flagstaff for good, she took one last step to officially end her spiritual marriage to Kody Brown. She received her “release” from their church, cutting all ties to her polygamous past.
In Sunday night’s episode, Meri shared the emotional text she sent to Kody to break the news:
“I’m brokenhearted that our life came to this. I will always love and respect you. Thank you for many years of joy. I hope you truly will have peace now, and I release you from any responsibility or worry about me. I got this.”
Kody Brown, however, didn’t take the news well. According to Meri, he called her within 20 minutes, confused and upset.
“He’s like, ‘Why did you do it so fast? Do you have a guy on the side waiting?’” Meri revealed, calling the accusation “insulting.”
Kody’s sudden burst of emotion left Meri puzzled, especially given his years of disinterest in their relationship.
#SisterWives: Meri Brown says she and ex Kody Brown are "friendly" and that she and the other women will always be "cordial."
— ExtraTV (@extratv) December 10, 2024
Full interview 🔗: https://t.co/EphE21uIGK pic.twitter.com/4MWhY5wZuu
Sister Wives: Kody Brown’s Tearful Goodbye Sparks Confusion
While helping Meri move out of Flagstaff, Kody Brown broke down in tears, surprising fans – and Meri herself. The Sister Wives patriarch sobbed as he hugged her goodbye, calling the moment “the end of an era.”
“I am floored by [Kody’s reaction],” Meri later said in a confessional. “I don’t know what to do with this.”
For someone who had spent years dismissing and neglecting her, Kody’s emotional outburst didn’t sit well with viewers or Meri. Many questioned whether it was genuine or yet another manipulation tactic to keep her tied to the family.
Sister Wives Robyn Brown Struggles with Meri’s Departure
While Kody eventually accepted Meri’s decision to leave, Robyn Brown took the news much harder.
Robyn – who has long dreamed of maintaining a close-knit plural family – has been visibly emotional about each wife’s departure.
“I love Kody, but I never wanted to live monogamy,” Robyn admitted tearfully in a previous episode. “It feels like more and more that’s where it’s kind of headed.”
Meri’s exit marked the third blow to Robyn’s vision of growing old alongside her sister wives. Now, she and Kody are left navigating a monogamous relationship, something neither of them expected.
Sister Wives: Meri Brown Embraces Her New Life in Utah
Two years after leaving Flagstaff, Meri is thriving. She has settled into life at Lizzie’s Heritage Inn and remains focused on her personal growth. While the historic B&B is temporarily closed for renovations, Meri is using the time to reflect and rebuild.
Now, as she steps into a new chapter of her life, Meri’s message to fans is clear:
“Find your place. Do what makes you happy.”
For Meri Brown, Parowan, Utah, is that place. Free from the shadows of her past, she is finally creating a life that is entirely her own.
