‘Sister Wives’ Stars Open Up About the ‘Domino Effect’ That Led to 3 of Kody Brown’s 4 Marriages Ending

Kody Brown is having a difficult time navigating life ever since three of his four wives left him.

All three of the marriages of the Sister Wives patriarch failed in a space of 14 months. Christine Brown, his third wife, was the first to depart in November 2021. It was made public that he had divorced his second wife Janelle Brown in December 2022, a year later. His marriage to his first wife Meri Brown ended a month later in January 2023 after the two had been unromantic and emotionally distant for years.

The Sister Wives cast members exclusively discuss the “domino effect” and how difficult this seismic change has been for their relationships in-depth with PEOPLE in their cover issue. “It’s been painful, a lot of finger-pointing and blame,” acknowledges the TLC show’s patriarch, Kody, 54. “But you have to hope we still have a friendship in the future. Because we’re bound forever through our kids.”

Kody, who has 18 children across his four marriages, is aware of his shortcomings as a husband and understands that his actions contributed to the dissolution of his three marriages. “I could have done a lot better,” he admits.

Janelle, 54, is choosing to focus on the good despite the upheaval. “We’re all settling into the new path. There are only possibilities in front of us.”

The upcoming season of the program will investigate the consequences of the past few years. For the first time in decades, Kody is in a monogamous relationship with his fourth wife, Robyn Brown, the only wife to whom he was legally married.

How the marital upheavals have affected Kody’s relationship with Robyn, 44, was hinted at in a season 18 teaser. “No one should be married while they’re going through a divorce,” says Robyn, who says she’s very much strong on wanting to make her marriage work and is supporting Kody through this upheaval. “I never thought I wanted to leave. I know how much I love Kody,” she adds. “He’s doing his best.”

Janelle and Kody are shown fighting in the same trailer. “You are now pushing me out the door,” she says in the video to Kody, per PEOPLE . She adds when Kody rejects this, “I think you’re manipulating.” Meanwhile, Meri acknowledges that “I’ve heard [Kody] refer to us as friends,” instead of his wives.

Christine appears in the trailer as well, revealing, “I left Kody ’cause I could see he had favorites.” Christine, who is now engaged to her boyfriend, left Kody after drifting for many years. Her last straw, she claims, came when Kody refused to come for their daughter’s scoliosis surgery. “He broke my little girl’s heart,” she said. “I really find it hard to stay with a guy who I don’t respect. I understood COVID, and why he couldn’t come, but she didn’t. And she still has a really hard time with it.”