Sister Wives: Kody Brown’s 8 Most Memorable Moments With His Kids Ranked (There Were Good & Bad Times)

Over the years, Sister Wives patriarch Kody Brown has had good times and bad times with his 18 children. Kody is mourning the tragic loss of his son, Garrison Brown, who died by suicide in March. When the series premiered in 2010, Kody lived with his three wives and 12 children in a large house in Utah. The Browns had hoped to present the image of a happy plural family, to contrast all the ugly images that were always present in the media. Despite their noble intentions, by the time Sister Wives season 18 finale dropped, Kody’s first three wives had left him, and he was no longer speaking to several of his adult children.

The Brown family changed forever when Kody married his fourth wife, Robyn Brown, and incorporated her and her three children from her previous marriage into their already massive clan; they would go on to have two children together. Things got more complicated when the Browns left Utah and moved into four separate homes in Las Vegas, further taxing Kody’s time. When it became clear Kody favored his new wife, it became impossible for his other wives, and the family slowly unraveled. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it divided the Sister Wives family further and triggered Kody’s feud with his older children.

8

Kody Brown Felt Paranoid During “Bittersweet” Zoom Call With His Boys

A House Divided

Sadly, Garrison wasn’t on good terms with his father at the time of his death, as they’d been feuding since the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of Kody’s older kids, including Garrison, weren’t able to follow Kody and Robyn’s strict COVID rules and were, therefore, not allowed to see their father. The separation was painful for everyone involved, and the family wasn’t able to reunite after the pandemic ended.

During their separation, the family tried to stay in touch via Zoom calls, like the one posted by YouTube account @Tuff Topic, but it was never the same as being in the same room together. In the clip, Kody talks about feeling paranoid because his sons resented him for his viral mitigation rules. After Christine divorced Kody, the family started spending holidays apart for the first time, which was a watershed moment for the clan.

7

Kody Brown Welcomed Garrison Brown Home During A Touching Sister Wives Scene

Heroes Welcome

Garrison’s National Guard service was a point of pride for Kody. In 2018, TLC posted a clip on YouTube from a Sister Wives episode in which Garrison comes home from serving in the National Guard. He’s so excited to be home that he sprints from the car to the house. Garrison hugs Kody and then falls into a weeping Janelle Brown’s arms. In the clip, Garrison talks about his mother, telling producers, “I try not to talk about, you know, possible deployments or stuff like that around her, because she does have a problem with us being away.” The comment appears in an entirely different light in the context of Garrison’s tragic death.

“I cannot stop crying. So sorry for Janelle and praying for the family. He was such a beautiful soul.”

The clip ends with Garrison being surrounded and hugged by his many brothers and sisters, who will never forget him. Fans of the show will also never forget Garrison. Though the clip was posted over four years ago, fans took to the comment section to send their condolences to the Brown family. “I cannot stop crying,” wrote one fan, reiterating a common sentiment. “So sorry for Janelle and praying for the family. He was such a beautiful soul.”

“And they don’t understand that their sons and daughters are city slickers.”

6

Gabriel Brown Rebels Against Kody Brown

Quiet Resistance

In 2019, TLC posted a clip to YouTube from Sister Wives in which Gabriel Brown refuses to pack up his room on a moving day. In the episode, the Browns are packing up to move from Las Vegas to Arizona, and Gabriel doesn’t want to go. He accuses his parents of being “hicks” who prefer to live in a small town. “And they don’t understand that their sons and daughters are city slickers,” he admitted.

Later in the clip, in an interview, Kody talks about needing Gabriel to rise to the occasion, but there were already so many resentments brewing under the surface at this point. Kody’s older children felt resentful of how little time he made for them. They were also angry that he favored Robyn over their mothers– his other three wives. This clip took place when Kody’s older kids were still at home. Now that many of them are adults, they’re out of the home, and no longer accessible to Kody.

5

Kody Brown Was There For Savanah Brown During Her High School Graduation

Major Milestones

In May 2023, Savanah Brown posted a deck of graduation photos to Instagram. In the college graduation photos, Savanah poses in her cap and gown with various family members, including her mother, Janelle. Janelle is Kody’s second wife, who divorced him in 2022 after almost 30 years of marriage.

This photo of Kody at Savanah’s graduation triggered some online controversy. Eagle-eyed Sister Wives fans noticed the lavish necklace hanging around Kody’s neck. Internet sleuths got to work and determined that the necklace was a sterling silver shield amulet necklace designed by David Yurman – it features lapis lazuli and sapphire and retails for about $1,100. Kody and Robyn have been criticized for their spending habits in the past.

“Are you sweet 17?”

4

Kody Brown Forgets Ysabel’s Age At Family Celebration

Kody Can Be A Bad Dad

With 18 children to his name, it’s not surprising that Kody doesn’t remember how old each child is. In 2022, TLC posted a clip from an episode of Sister Wives to YouTube in which the Browns are celebrating Ysabel Brown’s Birthday. Ysabel is one of Kody’s children with his third wife, Christine Brown, who left Kody in 2021, after 27 years of marriage. Their recently announced separation hangs like a cloud of doom over the party. As Christine gathers everyone around for cake, Kody asks Ysabel, “Are you sweet 17?” An embarrassed Ysabel answers, “I’m sweet almost 18.”

What was less forgivable was that Kody didn’t go to Ysabel’s spinal surgery. Ysabel struggled with scoliosis, and when she finally got the chance to get much-needed surgery, Kody refused to travel to the hospital with Ysabel. It was during the pandemic, and he didn’t want to risk getting COVID, so Christine took Ysabel alone.

​​​​​​”Now I’m actually teary eyed. The unconditional love and acceptance is exactly what every parent needs to show their children. Well done Kody, Merrie and Robyn.”

3

Leon Brown Comes Out During A Family Meeting With Kody & The Wives

The Power Of Unconditional Love

Leon Brown, Kody’s son with his first wife, Meri Brown, came out to the family during a meeting with Kody and his four wives. In a scene posted to YouTube by TLC, Kody and his wives embrace Leon with loving support. Kody says that Leon’s decision to come out is an act of bravery that should be celebrated. Fans took to the comment section to offer their appreciation for how he handled the situation. “Now I’m actually teary eyed,” wrote one fan. “The unconditional love and acceptance is exactly what every parent needs to show their children. Well done Kody, Meri, and Robyn,” they added.

2

Kody Brown Tells Gabriel Brown He “Doesn’t Know What He’s Doing”

As They Try To Fix An RV

Kody’s ongoing feud with his older sons was on full display during a scene where he and Gabriel try to level off an RV. In Sister Wives season 17, Janelle briefly lived in an RV on the Brown family land at Coyote Pass in Arizona. The RV always needed a lot of work, so it ended up being yet another source of tension within the family. The clip was posted on YouTube on the Without A Crystal Ball channel, highlighting the tension between Kody and Gabriel.

“All of you are just kind of jerks.”

1

Kody Brown Says He Has To Protect Robyn Brown From His Kids

Safety First

During the Sister Wives season 18 Tell All, Kody characterized his family as being unsafe and accused them of bullying Robyn. The clip, which was posted to YouTube by Without A Crystal Ball, was not the first time Kody has made such an accusation. During the October 15, 2023 episode of season 18, Kody said, “All of you are just kind of jerks.” He commented on a heated discussion about the family’s dynamic during the pandemic. Kody was so furious about Garrison and Gabe’s refusal to follow his virus mitigation rules that he went so far as to refuse to see them.​​​​​​​

Sources: Tuff Topic/YouTube, TLC/YouTube, TLC/YouTube, Savanah Brown/Instagram, TLC/YouTube, TLC/YouTube, Without A Crystal Ball/YouTube, Without A Crystal Ball