'Sister Wives' Star Janelle Brown Explains Why She Does Not Consider Herself 'Divorced' from Kody Brown

Janelle Brown, a star from the reality TV show Sister Wives, recently shared her perspective on her relationship status following her split from Kody Brown in 2022. The 54-year-old clarified that since they were never legally married, she doesn't consider herself "divorced." In an interview with People, published on January 23, Janelle discussed her feelings about the breakup and how she communicates it to others.

"I just say 'I'm no longer with' [him] when I explain it to outside people, I'm like, 'I'm no longer with my partner,'" Janelle explained. She prefers the term "single" and mentioned that it depends on the context and the person she is talking to. "I guess I just consider myself single, I don't consider myself divorced or separated or whatever. I just think I'm single," she added.

Janelle emphasized the absence of a legal marriage as a key factor in her choice of terminology. "Because we never were legally married, I can't really say I'm divorced," she stated. On the other hand, fellow former sister wife Christine has a different perspective. Christine, who got married to David Woolley in October, expressed her preference for clarity in her relationship status. "I like things clear-cut. I don't like gray lines. I can tell you the date I was divorced," she shared.

Christine, 49, acknowledged that her ex-husband, Kody, was not pleased with her straightforward approach. However, she highlighted that they were no longer bound by the rules of their former church. "But we're not in that church, we haven't been in that church for years," she explained. Regarding her recent wedding to Woolley, Christine described it as a dream come true. Woolley added, “I'm really very lucky, and very happy that someone let her go, because she's a unicorn." 

Janelle responded to a fan's inquiry about Kody's apparent anger, suggesting that part of his frustration stems from witnessing his vision of a large, unified family dissolve. According to People, Janelle expressed that Kody had long sought a cohesive family dynamic, where the children treated each other as siblings. She recognized that Kody might be struggling with the realization that the envisioned ideal family structure is falling apart. Janelle noted Kody's recent statements about feeling burdened by relationship responsibilities and shouldering the workload.

She proposed that Kody might be mourning the loss of his envisioned family unit. In the tell-all episode, Meri addressed speculations about the root cause of their challenges, refuting the notion that a singular factor contributed to their issues. Emphasizing the complexity of their situation, Meri suggested that a combination of various factors, including incorporating Robyn into the family, going public, and relocating to Las Vegas, played a role. In response to questions about Kody's emotions during the tell-all, Meri, who was married to Kody for over thirty years before revealing their divorce, acknowledged hearing him speak negatively.