The emotional fallout comes after four years of systemic collapse within the family unit. As Kody’s relationships with Meri, Janelle, and Christine Brown disintegrated in highly public and often vitriolic fashion, Robyn remained the sole spouse by his side. Yet, the transition from a four-wife household to a one-wife dynamic has been anything but smooth. Kody admitted that the stress of the "metaphorical knives to the kidneys" he felt during his divorces often bled into his home life with Robyn. He acknowledged that while they are fighting for their marriage, he hasn’t always been the partner Robyn deserves, often reverting to what she described as the "angry divorced guy" persona.
During a recent, poignant date night, Kody reached a moment of clarity. Having spent months attempting to find closure with his ex-wives, he realized he had neglected the woman who stayed. "Holy cow. I’ve apologized to everybody but you," Kody confessed, recognizing Robyn as the partner who endured his "BS," his "weakness," and his "ranting and raving." In a move toward accountability, he expressed deep regret for ever doubting the strength of their bond during the turmoil, telling her, "I haven’t been very fair with you." Robyn, for her part, viewed this accountability as a necessary step for his healing, noting that Kody seemed to experience a "sigh of relief" after finally owning his part in the family’s demise.
This "apology tour" is just one facet of a much larger, more complicated ending for the Brown family. As the dust settles on their life in Flagstaff, Arizona, the financial and spiritual ties that once bound them are being severed one by one. Janelle Brown, who was spiritually married to Kody for 29 years, recently revealed she is seeking a "spiritual divorce." Having never been legally married to Kody, Janelle is following the blueprint laid out by Meri Brown, who received a formal release from their former church on the grounds of abandonment. For Janelle, the move represents a finality that allows her to move forward without the weight of the past, even as she jokes about the "parting gift" of recouping her share of the family’s property.
The property in question, the 14-acre Coyote Pass, has long been a symbol of the family’s fractured dreams. Purchased in 2018 with the intent of building a sprawling family compound, the land instead became a source of resentment. Janelle recently admitted she believes she was the only one who truly wanted to live there, suggesting that for Kody and Robyn, the dream was a "passing phase." The saga of the land reached its conclusion in April 2025 when it was finally sold. The sale was not without drama; Meri Brown revealed that Kody and Robyn attempted to have her sign a confidentiality agreement before finalizing the deal. "Why are you trying to silence me?" Meri asked, frustrated by what she perceived as an attempt to control her narrative. Ultimately, Robyn insisted that the profits be split equally, leading to some "big fights" with Kody to ensure that Janelle and Meri each received 25 percent of the proceeds.
While the financial ties are being untangled, the emotional rifts with the Brown children remain deep and, in some cases, seemingly permanent. Kody acknowledged that his relationships with the majority of his 18 children are "strained," attributing the distance to "trash talk and innuendo." However, the children see it differently. Madison Brush, Janelle’s daughter, shared her ongoing struggle with the estrangement, noting that she hasn’t spoken to her father in years. Madison expressed a heartbreaking desire for reconciliation, while also trying to accept Kody for who he is. Her sister Mykelti Padron echoed this sentiment, suggesting that if Kody took real accountability for his actions instead of blaming the children or the other parents, the path to healing would be much clearer.
Kody’s perspective on his failure at plural marriage has evolved into a theory of "male menopause." Now in his mid-50s, he suggested that reaching the age of 50 changed his outlook on the "hard work" required to maintain four separate marriages. He admitted that while he was devoted to the family as a concept, he struggled to be devoted to each individual wife. He also acknowledged that his blatant favoritism toward Robyn—specifically his determination to ensure she was "safely kept" in a $1.6 million home while other wives had less—stirred up a level of jealousy that the family could not survive.
The transition to monogamy has also brought about unexpected concerns for Kody. In a candid moment, he discussed the shift in his intimate life, noting a fear that "a monogamist isn’t getting enough" compared to the variety of a polygamous lifestyle. Despite these concerns, both he and Robyn have made it clear they have no intention of returning to plural marriage. Even when Kody received emails from women interested in joining the family, Robyn was quick to shut the idea down, citing the "inappropriate" nature of the outreach and the fact that any potential sister wife must be vetted by the existing wives—a role she is no longer interested in playing.
As the family looks toward the future, the contrast between the ex-wives’ lives and Kody’s new reality is stark. Christine Brown has fully embraced her new life, marrying David Woolley in 2023. She reflected on her marriage to Kody as "a lot of work," citing his specific dietary restrictions and grooming habits as exhausting. Janelle, observing Christine’s new happiness, remains hesitant to jump back into the dating pool, telling cameras she isn’t ready for the "hard work" of a new relationship. Meanwhile, Meri is navigating the dating world with caution, having already faced the stigma of her polygamous past. She recalled a painful instance where a man ended a burgeoning relationship the moment he discovered her history, a realization that her past may continue to inhibit her future.
In a strange twist of fate, the family’s history remains intertwined in ways that go beyond their shared children. Christine recently pointed out that she and Kody are actually third cousins, once removed—a common occurrence in small polygamous communities that Janelle described as a "family joke." This deep-rooted history makes the current separation all the more jarring. From the early years of marriage where money was so tight they had to put groceries back at the checkout counter, to the current era of million-dollar real estate deals and "spiritual releases," the Browns have lived a lifetime of public evolution.
Kody now views his life with Robyn through a "Phoenix metaphor," suggesting that their old life had to burn down so that something "safe" and "whole" could rise from the ashes. He claims he wants to remember the lessons learned from his failed marriages without letting them embitter his future. As he and Robyn settle into a new $2.1 million mansion, leaving behind the "heartache" of their previous home, the patriarch of the once-massive Brown family seems ready to close the book on the Sister Wives era for good. Whether the rest of the family—and the many children left in the wake of the collapse—can find that same sense of peace remains to be seen. For now, the "bastard" has apologized, the land has been sold, and the multiplication of love has officially been replaced by the quiet, complicated reality of one.
