Kody Brown revealed on the Season 19 premiere of Sister Wives that he and daughter Madison Brown (aka Maddie) are not speaking to one another; however, the father of 18 refused to discuss the estrangement on-camera.
As fans of ‘Sister Wives’ know, Kody has been on the outs with many of his adult children in recent years and was reportedly still estranged from son Garrison Brown when the 25-year-old died of suicide in March.
On Sunday’s season premiere, Kody’s estrangement from daughter Maddie– whom he shares with ex Janelle Brown– was briefly discussed by some of the Brown family, though Kody opted to not comment on the situation himself.
During the episode, which was filmed in late 2022, Janelle confirmed to viewers that Maddie and Kody had still not reached out to one another, adding that Maddie no longer has a relationship with Kody’s (only remaining) wife, Robyn Brown, either.
“[Maddie’s] pretty much written them both off,” Janelle said. “She doesn’t really want him to have any contact unless he can commit to a consistent presence.”
When asked to comment on the current state of his and Maddie’s relationship, Kody told producers, “I won’t talk about her.” Meanwhile, Robyn claimed she didn’t understand why Kody isn’t reaching out to not only Maddie, but some of the other kids from whom he’s estranged.
“I know he’s in a very angry and hurt place, but he should just be putting in the effort,” Robyn said. “But I think the kids should be doing the same thing, too.”
Kody did speak about his and Maddie’s relationship last season on ‘Sister Wives,’ telling viewers that he hadn’t spoken to his daughter in a while. After the episode aired, however, Maddie revealed on the Somewhat Basic podcast that their estrangement was even worse than Kody made it seem on the show, claiming that her children don’t even know who their grandpa is.
“ … They don’t recognize him,” she stated. “Like I said…I’m not going to force you to have a relationship with my kids. They are a gift and they are so amazing … .”
As longtime fans of ’Sister Wives’ know, Maddie was once very close to her dad, with Kody even officiating her 2016 wedding to husband Caleb Brush– whom Kody was also obsessed with very close to at the time. In 2019, Maddie and Caleb even gave their second child, Evangalynn, the middle name “Kodi” in honor of the father of 18.
Kody claimed in Season 18 that he didn’t know why Maddie stopped speaking to him, though he noted that their estrangement started around the time his third wife, Christine Brown, left him in 2021.
On the same episode, Janelle explained to viewers– much like she did on the Season 19 premiere– that Maddie had cut off communication with her father due to “his bad behavior lately.”
“ … [Maddie’s] like, ‘I don’t know what to do with him. I don’t know who this guy is,’” Janelle said. “She has to consider her children. She has to consider the stability of what they see or perceive as a grandfather. There’s a lot of things at play here. It’s not just Maddie not calling him.”
Maddie has not made any public comments about Sunday’s premiere.
New episodes of ‘Sister Wives’ air Sundays on TLC.
(Photos: TLC; Instagram)
9 Responses
Narcissistic a-holes like Kootie deserve to be snubbed by the people he’s hurt or ignored. He and Mrs. Frown can piss up a rope.
I think we’re gonna need to get a pdf going and keep it regularly updated so we can keep track of which kid has given up on him next. I give it a year or two and they’ll all be estranged from him.
It’s pretty clear he loses interest in his children when they grow up and stop hero worshipping him. It’s a one way relationship. So long as he gets the adulation he needs to satisfy his ego all is good. It’s no mystery why he has estranged from his adult children, it’s a one way relationship. When they become adults and move on from the bubble they were raised in, they realize you can have a relationship with a parent based on mutual love and respect. Not one of his adult and/or married children live in bubble anymore.
1000%
I don’t know who besides Kody needs to hear this – but even if your child is an adult, it’s YOUR responsibility as a parent to facilitate the relationship. The child didn’t choose to be here, you CHOSE to be a parent, and the only person who can give an honest review of what kind of parent you were is your child. No matter how good you think you were, your child’s experience with you is the only opinion that counts.
*steps off soapbox*
My favorite part of the new episode was when Robyn did an onscreen audition for part of “forlorn woman in the doorway at Kirk Cameron’s next birthday party”.
Showing off those mall modeling skills!
You would think losing a son would make him reevaluate things, and want to do whatever he could to repair his relationships. Buuuuuttt that is not the case and I am not surprised, I have a father like this. Everything that has happened has made him even more of a victim.
The forever victim. For Madi to cut him off after he officiated their wedding and she named her child after him, it has to be extreme.
And this season is the same old “they betrayed me!” and “they left me!” as if these women were supposed to stay after he told them that, not only did he not love them, he never loved them. That’s probably the biggest F U you could give your spouse.
He is such a child. The entire episode he just sounded like a toddler throwing a fit. HE is the cause of his failed marriages. HE is the cause of the piss poor relationship’s he has with every child that hasn’t popped out of Robyn’s womb.
Christine, Jenelle and Meri look happier and more radiant than I have ever seen them. I have to say I’m liking mad Meri so far. She finally is allowing herself to feel the anger towards Kody that frankly most of us have been feeling for her. He is extra cruel to Meri and says things he knows will cut her to her core. I don’t think she will be allowing that anymore. Kody is in for a shock.