As Season 16 of Sister Wives comes to an end, Kody Brown is once again revealing his feelings–- or lack thereof–- for his first wife Meri, claiming he will offer her his friendship, a home on the family’s land Coyote Pass, and literally nothing more.
In People’s exclusive sneak peek of Sunday’s episode, Kody and each of his four wives–– current and former–– are seen sitting down one-on-one with host Sukanya Krishnan. When Kody takes his turn in the hot seat, he acknowledges Meri’s desire to have a romantic relationship, but says it is out of the question for now…and forever in the future.
“There’s a point where intimacy is just damage,” he says. “It’s misleading. To have intimacy in a relationship where there is no real safety. … I’m not going there.
“ … but I’m never going to feel safe in an intimate place,” he adds, admitting he has been hurt by Meri to the point that it cannot be fixed.
Kody goes on to say he doesn’t feel safe with Meri and “never will again,” but will “be her friend,” do what he can to protect her, and will build her a house on the family’s Coyote Pass property.
Kody claims Meri’s 2015 catfishing incident was not what caused their issues, though it “woke me up out of the daze, I guess.”
In another clip from the one-on-one, Kody claimed there “was a hardness in our marriage that was so difficult and so antagonistic” that he didn’t know why he and Meri were still married. After some time and “a lot of counseling,” Kody said he came to realize the two of them would never again have the relationship they once did. When asked why he didn’t leave Meri at that point, Kody said it wasn’t an option.
“It’s a double standard,” he said. “They can leave whenever they want, I can’t.”
Kody denies having left or abandoned Meri–- or any of his wives–- emotionally, claiming any such allegations to be “offensive.” Despite claiming he and Meri had many issues prior to the catfishing, Kody seems to blame the incident for his dismissive and cold treatment towards Meri.
“ … When Meri had an affair, she was leaving my a**,” he says in one of the clips. “She was like, ‘I’m done with this, I’m done with you, I’m done.’ She made it clear to everybody that she was getting out of there. She was done with us. She can’t admit it now, ’cause we rallied and circled the wagons as a family to protect her when she realized that she’d been duped. … She was leaving me for a better, richer man.”
Kody accused Meri of seeing herself “as a victim” who did nothing wrong.
“She would’ve never even been the victim if she wouldn’t have done something wrong,” he added.
(As ‘Sister Wives’ fans know, Meri began talking online to a person she believed to be a man, and had an emotional relationship with that person. The person turned out to be a woman who was catfishing Meri.)
Meri says she feels as though she and Kody had a clear conversation following the catfish scandal but like Kody, she denies the incident being the “defining moment” in the fracturing of their marriage.
Kody admitted that he doesn’t feel like Meri’s relationship with him would be satisfying for her. (Meri has said that, in addition to her “friendship” with Kody, she also feels connected to Robyn and the family’s kids, which contributes to her decision to stay.)
Still, Kody seems surprised Meri is staying in a loveless marriage just to remain in the family.
“I don’t think that’s enough for anybody, but everybody makes their choices,” he said.
During Meri’s segment, she is also asked about her fractured marriage, revealing she does not understand why people continue to question her decision to stay.
“ … I don’t want to [leave], like, I don’t want to,” Meri says in the clip. “It doesn’t make sense to me when people ask me that all the time.”
Sukanya tells Meri she is asking the question because viewers saw Kody’s third wife, Christine, finally reach her breaking point this season, while Meri chooses to remain “fully committed to Kody” in a marriage that has not had any intimacy for more than a decade.
“The only thing I can say is, between Christine and I, we just, like, I don’t know what’s in her head,” Meri replies. “I don’t know what she’s thinking. All I can say is we’re two different people, and we have two different sets of values … I don’t know. We’re just two different people.”
As for Christine, she also seems confused by Meri’s decision to stay.
“I don’t know how she does it,” Christine says in the clip from Sunday’s episode. “I think we just both have … I don’t know. I guess she’s more fine with it than I am.”
The one-on-one episode of ‘Sister Wives’ airs Sunday, January 30 on TLC.
(Photos: TLC)
14 Responses
Fame is one hell of a drug. Meri is sticking around for the attention and fame of the show. THe fact that she is seeking relationships online tells you how active she is online. She even used the catfishing as her storyline. Most people who arent fame hungry wouldnt have even talked aobut it. She knows if she leave the cult she wont be on the show any longer and Meri is boring and she cant carry her own show unlike Janelle and Christine could.
This is the problem with polygamy, Meri isn’t protected. She already divorced him so she can get alimony, and equal division or property.
So Meri’s options are to stay with him forever, never be allowed to have s3x again, and hope and pray he takes care of her.
or Leave and get nothing, like even if her home is in her name, how much of that mortgage is paid off? How much will she have, does Kody take the money she makes and put it in his bank account, does she even have her own money?
But Kody, has two other wives who will have s3x with him and all the power. And he can just keep adding younger and younger wives every couple of years, two out okay no problem two more coming in.
What a gross human inside and out.
Dear Meri,
You can still absolutely continue to have a healthy, happy relationship with ALL of the kids, with ALL of the grandkids and with ALL of your sister wives. You don’t NEED Cody. He’s so unhealthy for you and it’s unhealthy for the family to see this continue. Please, for the love of God and yourself, leave him. He’s nothing more than a tool.
xoxo
What friggin bible do they profess to follow? Cult 101 by warren Jeff’s?
They need Mary to stay they need her income Robin has no income outside of the TV show neither does Cody only the other three wives work Mary pays for Robbins nanny Meri pays for a lot of shit she actually makes quite a bit of money Cody hasn’t worked in six or seven years now and Robin has never worked outside the home since she’s been with these people not once the only thing she did was my sister wives closet which hasn’t been an operation in over four years
Also, if it seems he’s afraid Jenelle might leave too. He probably is. Because he needs THREE wives
He’s practically begging Meri to leave. I don’t know how you stay with someone who CLEARLY doesn’t want you. He makes no bones about it. I get that she’s probably attached to the other kids and doesn’t want to let those relationships go, but damn. Someone else will love you, girl.
Please have a little bit of pride Meri
Or an ounce of self-respect.
And that person might have kids she can bond with
That is disgusting and how that dude got FOUR WOMEN to agree to this is insane to me. RELIGION IS CANCER. CLEARLY.
Kody said about Meri: “and will build her a house on the family’s Coyote Pass property.” LMAO, that’s rich – Kody isn’t building anyone a house at Coyote Pass (except for Robyn & himself, of course). He didn’t build their houses in Las Vegas & didn’t he buy their houses in Flagstaff! They built/bought their own houses. He was merely a complication for them when arranging financing.
He’ll provide her with friendship? He hasn’t done that since before the catfishing scandal in Vegas. Is he trying to brainwash the viewers or himself & Meri with that BS? IMO, if Meri is stupid enough to still be contributing money to the Brown family cash fund like they used to have when their polyg family was still semi-functioning years ago, then I think that’s the reason Kody would agree to let her stay around. She’s got to be bringing in quite a bit of money – a heck of a lot more than he, Robyn, & Janelle are, that’s for sure, & I think money is the only reason he’d let her be a ‘friend’.
Geez I hate him. He’s a despicable excuse for a human being. Every time I hear his voice or see his face my blood pressure goes up. I’m so glad Christine finally recognized who & what he is & realized her worth & escaped his abuse & manipulation. I hope she finds strength, peace, happiness, & strong self esteem in Utah. She & her children deserve it.
When Janelle talked with him while raking leaves in the last episode & backed down & fell for his BS manipulation again I realized I was D.O.N.E. with her. I have no sympathy for the loneliness she feels re: him. She deserves every bit of the abuse she gets from him for the way she backed down from her defense of her kids’ feelings & opinions & then basically gave him carte blanche to continue to manipulate & abuse her children.
Kody, Janelle, Meri, & Robyn deserve each other & the “miserableness” their cult guarantees each of them. Their kids deserve so much better, though. I hope the kids can develop mature & healthy values far away from the destructive lifestyle their parents continue to wallow in & eventually find someone who appreciates & treats them the way they deserve.
Meri doesn’t understand how people can question why she stays with Kodouce when even Kodouche is questioning why Meri stays. I hope Christina really does hook up with a person who owns a banana plantation.
I used to feel sorry for Meri but I honestly don’t anymore. She has money, she has a job, she has a bed and breakfast in Utah. She has what she needs to leave yet “she just doesn’t want to”. Meri says that Christine and her have different “values”. I couldn’t agree more. Christine chose herself and her happiness. She was not going to be in an emotionally abusive and lonely marriage. She did not want to teach her children that this is what love is. Meri on the other hand keeps beating her head against the wall with Kody. Her choice. Sometimes it’s better to be alone and happy than together and miserable.