Over the past few seasons, Sister Wives has taken a dark turn. Fans once tuned in to see how a polygamous family navigated their unconventional lifestyle. Today, viewers return for the explosive drama between Kody Brown and his ex-wives, Meri, Janelle, and Christine. But is all of this chaos rooted in the massive paychecks the cast is now earning?
During the early days of the TLC series, Kody Brown and his wives reportedly earned $180,000 each per season. However, when the show was on the verge of cancellation after Season 11, Kody convinced TLC to keep it alive by agreeing to a massive pay cut. According to reports, they all worked for just one collective salary of $180,000 to keep Sister Wives on the air.
Fast forward to Season 19, and the pay scale looks a lot different. Now, it’s rumored that each spouse earns $40,000 per episode, including the Tell-All specials. With a 24-episode season, that’s nearly $1 million per spouse – a far cry from the early days.
It begs the question: Are the Browns tolerating Kody’s toxic antics for the sake of a million-dollar payday?
It's getting spicy on the wedding dancefloor 🌶️🔥 Catch all the action on #SisterWives — tonight at 10/9c! pic.twitter.com/q9DFS2d6Eh
— TLC Network (@TLC) January 12, 2025
Sister Wives: Fans Question Why Kody Brown’s Behavior Keeps Getting Worse
Kody Brown’s harsh treatment of his ex-wives has become one of the most talked-about aspects of the show. He’s made cruel comments about Meri, Janelle, and Christine that have left fans outraged.
In recent episodes, Kody called his marriages with Meri and Janelle “dead.” He even implied they should never have happened. Christine has also been on the receiving end of Kody’s anger, with him accusing her of sabotaging the family by leaving their plural marriage.
Yet, despite the harsh words, Meri, Janelle, and Christine continue to film the show. Fans can’t help but wonder if their willingness to endure Kody’s behavior on camera is tied to the massive checks they’re cashing from TLC.
One fan on Reddit speculated:
“I think it’s all about the money at this point. They all know Kody is awful, but the show is their livelihood, and they won’t walk away from those paychecks.”

Sister Wives: Why Did TLC Give the Browns a Huge Raise?
So why did TLC increase the Browns’ salaries? The simple answer is ratings.
After Christine’s decision to leave Kody Brown in 2021, the show’s ratings skyrocketed. Viewers became invested in the fallout of the Brown family’s plural marriage breaking down. The drama between Kody and his ex-wives drew in viewers. So, TLC kept filming and gave the stars a big pay raise.
Many fans believe that the drama has been ramped up on purpose to keep viewers coming back. The more outrageous Kody’s behavior becomes, the more people tune in to see what he’ll say or do next.
Kody declares to Robyn he's DONE with his past marriages. Don't miss it on #SisterWives, tonight at 10/9c. pic.twitter.com/ShIHxU4pZ7
— TLC Network (@TLC) January 5, 2025
Sister Wives: Should Kody and Robyn Be Removed from the Show?
There’s a growing movement among fans to have Kody and Robyn Brown removed from Sister Wives entirely.
Viewers are more interested in following the lives of Meri, Janelle, and Christine as they navigate life post-Kody. Fans love Christine’s new marriage to David Woolley. They want Janelle and Meri to thrive on their own.
One fan wrote on Reddit:
“Kody and Robyn’s storyline is done. They’re boring and toxic. TLC should focus on the three OG wives and their new lives.”
However, it’s unlikely that Kody and Robyn will be going anywhere. As long as the drama keeps the ratings high, TLC will likely keep filming all the Browns – no matter how messy things get.
Share your thoughts in the comments!
If they don’t get rid of Kody and Robyn once the land is split I won’t watch it because it’s just more abuse. Mostly women watch this show and they like to hold on to their integrity. They enjoy watching other women grow and grow. Kody is not someone women even hate to watch. This show is not a soap opera to us. It is showing Narccism which is important to watch but also important to toss.