"So proud": Sister Wives fans react as Janelle announces split with Kody in season 17 episode 15 preview

TLC's Sister Wives recently featured Christine Brown's separation from her polygamous family, and while fans were hoping for that to be the limelight of the season, Janelle Brown also dropped a bomb in the last couple of episodes. She was seen doubting her own marital relations with Kody's growing affection for Robyn and his fights with her children.

In the most recent episode of Sister Wives (season 17 episode 14 which aired on Sunday, December 11, at 10 pm ET), Janelle revealed that she does not even recognize her family and was screamed at by Kody when she tried to defend her kids. She then confessed that she would choose her kids over Kody any day.

Now, over the course of the 3-part reunion episodes, Janelle will reveal that she and Kody have separated. Season 17 of the show was shot earlier this year, from January 2022, and while it is unclear when the filming stopped, the family was seen discussing holiday plans in episode 13.

This means that their separation is very recent. Janelle's daughter Gwen also revealed in a recent TikTok that Kody was in Arizona with his wives Meri and Robyn, implying that Janelle was not living in Flagstaff. In light of the news, Sister Wives fans took to social media to say that they are very proud of Janelle for making the tough decision and not backing away while protecting her kids from Kody.

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Sister Wives fans flood Twitter with positive tweets for Janelle

Due to the separation, Janelle might have to rethink her decision to build a house on the family property on Coyote pass.

In the coming three weeks, TLC will air three special one-on-one conversations with the cast members of Sister Wives, hosted by Sukanya Krishnan. In a preview of the upcoming episode, season 17 episode 15 to be aired on December 18, Janelle reveals:

"We’ve been separated for several months."

Her separate journey might feature in Sister Wives season 18, which is already in the making.

Meanwhile, fans praised Janelle for breaking her marriage of 29 years for the sake of her kids and her independence.

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Kody and Janelle's relationship timeline

Janelle met Kody in 1989. She was already married to Adam Clark Barber at the time, but separated from him in 1990.

After dating for a couple of years, Janelle married Kody in January 1993 in a spiritual wedding. The pair welcomed their son Logan in May 1994. In 1995, Janelle gave birth to her daughter Maddie, who is currently married to Caleb Brush.

Over the next few years, the couple welcomed four more kids who were raised by Janelle's best friend and Kody’s third wife Christine, as Janelle wanted to work. In May 2017, Janelle and Kody became grandparents as Maddie gave birth to her first child, Axel. The ex-couple now has two grandchildren, with a third one on its way.

Janelle and Kody’s marriage took a sharp turn during Covid as Kody spent more and more time with Robyn and did not visit their kids. Janelle then sold her house to build her dream home on the Coyote pass and decided to stay in an RV van for the time being. Kody refused to stay with Janelle in the RV.

After Christine's departure, Kody started to question Janelle's loyalty to him. Janelle's kids did not want to adhere to Kody's strict Covid rules and had previously called him out on using it to spend more time with Robyn. Gabe, one of the kids, also revealed that his father had forgotten his birthday.

Janelle's exact reason for leaving Kody will gradually be unraveled during Sister Wives' three one-on-one interview sessions beginning next Sunday, on December 18. Each episode will be one-hour-long and will air at 10 pm ET.