Kody Brown continues to catch heat for his subpar parenting as the Sister Wives Season 20 premiere draws near, with Meri Brown being the latest member of the Brown family to call out the father of 18.
While discussing her three-decade union to Kody on a recent episode of the I Do, Part 2 podcast, Meri discussed her ex-husband’s current parenting style (which, as ‘Sister Wives’ fans know is now basically to not parent the kids he shares with his three ex-wives).
“ … I’m not going to put any judgment on him,” Meri said of Kody. “ … there are things that I think he did better in his younger years than he does now…Parenting is a big one.
“The way that he parents breaks my heart,” she said. “It really does.”
When speaking on the podcast about Kody’s estrangement from his children, Meri seemed to insist that Kody continues to be the reason that many of these relationships remain frayed.
“He’s got children who need him and want to have a relationship with him and he’s not putting in the effort,” Meri said. “I don’t see [it]. I can’t say he’s not, but I don’t see effort being put in where some of his kids really need it.”
While Kody’s other ex-wives, Janelle and Christine, have been outspoken about Kody’s lack of parenting to their children, Meri has been much-more reserved when publicly discussing the topic.
As fans of ‘Sister Wives’ know, Kody is estranged from many of his adult children, including Leon Brown, the one child he and Meri share.
While Leon, who is transgender and uses they/them pronouns, has not regularly appeared on ‘Sister Wives’ in years, they remain close with Meri, as well as many of their other family members; however, it’s been reported that they’ve been estranged from Kody since having gender-affirming top surgery. (Leon revealed in January 2023 that they had underwent the procedure.)
“[Kody] does not support Leon’s transition at all,” a source told The Sun in 2023. “He’s actually disgusted by it, as terrible as that is. Kody is telling close friends, ‘This is a new person. I don’t know who this person is, but this is not the little girl that I raised.’”
Meri went on to compare Kody’s present-day parenting to his parenting of the past, claiming that Kody “was all about his kids” when he was a young dad, but that things changed over the years.
“ … He was all about his kids— all about his kids— and they were his world,” she said. “And so it’s really sad to see the challenges that he and his kids are going through right now.”
(As ‘Sister Wives’ fans have seen, Kody continues to be an active dad to the five kids he shares with his only remaining wife, Robyn.)
Despite her strong feelings about Kody’s parenting today, Meri insisted that she doesn’t think Kody is a “bad person.”
“I wish him the best,” she said of her ex. “He’s very charismatic … .”
As The Ashley told you last week, Paedon Brown– one of Kody and ex-wife Christine Brown’s six children– confirmed on TikTok that he has not spoken to his father since the 2024 funeral of his brother Garrison Brown, son of Kody and ex-wife Janelle Brown. At the time of his death, Garrison– like many of the Brown siblings– was estranged from Kody.
Meanwhile, Christine recently shared in an interview that she would not be willing to accept an apology from Kody until he mended the relationships with his children, whom she said are “heartbroken” over the ongoing situation with their father.
“Like, take care of your kids, reach out to your kids, call them, spend time with them and work on that relationship and then at that point we can talk apology,” she said.
While Kody’s parenting– or lack thereof– has been a recurring storyline on ‘Sister Wives,’ Kody argued during a Season 19 episode that parent-child relationships should be reciprocal when the children in question happen to be adults.
“I’m not going to reach out forever,” he stated. “I’m willing to make the effort, but somebody else is going to have to be on the other end of that and make some effort too. I’m not going to camp out on somebody’s doorstep.”
Season 20 of ‘Sister Wives’ premieres Sunday, September 28 on TLC.
RELATED STORY: Kody Brown Admits to Fake Wheezing to Keep Instructors from Pushing Him in ‘Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test’ Task
(Photos: TLC; Instagram)
12 Responses
How is it possible that Robyn’s kids still respect this man? And their mother who enables him?
Because he fawns over them. Probably gives them everything they want. I’m not going to lie. His older kids that he adopted are weird as hell. Kody has a very odd relationship with them. They act like young teenagers. Very needy. Just like their mother. Kody needs that supply.
Kody has made it clear that he has absolutely no interest in the kids he had with Meri, Janelle and Christine. And for those 3 women to even think he was going to be a real part of all those kids lives? Talk about a pipe dream. I feel for the kids but as adults they have moved on and their mother’s bitching about Kody, what is the point? He has made his choice and he will never change.
Truely is not an adult, for example
Neither was Savannah when he didn’t acknowledge her birthday or Christmas or attend her graduation.
I don’t know if Meri, of all people, should be criticizing ANYONE’S parenting, considering that several of the children she parented are now tiptoeing around the fact that SHE was abusive.
Meri also changed. Everyone acknowledges that Meri has changed and she has a good relationship with the younger kids.
Meri is so wishy-washy and still so obnoxiously “cover for Kody” excuses and explanations, soften the edges. Speak out, take it back, or clarify it to nerf it.
I get it’s a process. I’ve lived through loving someone who’s been like this. But, enough of the kids, enough of the wives, even when speaking well of him… he wasn’t ALLLLLLL about HIS Kids. Christine’s Kids, Janelle’s kids. The only kids that he’s ever been like “our kids” “my kids” is with Robin. The kids who weren’t hungry, impoverished, and ignored to the extreme all during their lives? Robin’s.
Who bought himself all kinds of ridiculous crap (before Robin and the show) instead of feeding and clothing his kids?
Even in EMERGENCIES… he left the other kids to deal with the young kid having the emergency, or left the young kid’s mother scrambling.
Just rubbed me the wrong way in the worst way. No, he wasn’t better when those kids were YOUNGER… He has always failed them.
Camp out “somebody’s” doorstep?!? You mean your KIDS’ doorstep you jack@**.
“I’m not going to camp out on someone’s doorstep”-and that, right there, tells you all you need to know.
As a parent, we throw ourselves over “granades” for our kids, with no second thought.
We keep silent vigil by the doors of their hearts when things are tough, and we do it willingly and lovingly.
And yes, we camp out at their doorstep if and when we’ve screwed up, and precisely until we make things right again-because we are the adults. We are the parent.
I have no words for the level of narcissism and selfishness displayed by Kody. None.
*grenades, sorry!
I’m not so sure that’s the norm, although it should be. I hope your kids realize they’re very lucky.