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Sister Wives season 19 premiered on September 15, 2024, it addressed Garrison's death and disclosed Meri and Kody's relationship status. The episode revealed that they had decided to part ways due to the "emotional" distance between them.
Meri felt Kody Brown was distancing himself emotionally from her for "nearly a decade" in their marriage. Meri was Kody's first wife who met him in 1989 and married him six months later. Previously the two had announced their split in January 2023 but were still spiritually married, after their legal divorce in 2014.
In the season 19 premiere episode, Meri revealed that she wanted to break off their spiritual reunion as well. She said:
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“For the past nearly decade, he has pulled himself away from me completely emotionally. “Like, why in the world would I want to be tied to somebody eternally who doesn’t want me?"
Kody's exes reflect on why they ended the relationship on Sister Wives season 19
In the Sister Wives season 19 premiere episode, Kody disclosed the family dynamics as "raw." He shared that Christine and Janelle had already split from him but now he and Meri were also facing a rough patch. The episode focused on Kody and Meri parting ways. During his confessional interview, Kody said he no longer wanted to be in a marriage with Meri, he continued:
“Christine and I just don’t talk, and Janelle and I’ve been separated. Meri, do we say we’re divorced? No, I don’t think so. But we’re not in a marriage, and I don’t want to be in that marriage. The feelings from the breakup of the family are just raw. Like, who am I without my family?”
Christine also revealed details of her relationship which she thought would "last forever." The Sister Wives cast member reflected on the reason why she and Kody called it quits. She chimed in stating that Kody didn't have a good relationship with his exes and the wives were not on good terms either. She also mentioned that the children "didn't have a great" bond with Kody either. Christine stated:
“The kids don’t have a great relationship with Kody. Not all the wives have a good relationship with each other. So that’s why I wouldn’t say it’s a plural family."
Meanwhile, Janelle on the other hand felt, Kody wasn't putting in the effort to make their relationship work or was prioritizing their kids. This was the main reason the two went their separate ways after their relationship "broke down." The Sister Wives star further said:
“I mourn the loss of this ideal that we were striving for this family. The big spark for me was when his relationship broke down with my children and he didn’t seem like he would move heaven and earth to fix it. I thought, ‘OK, that was what was really holding me here.’”
The upcoming episodes will reveal more details of Meri and Kody's relationship as the two navigate their unique family dynamics.
Catch Sister Wives season 19 exclusively on TLC, Sundays at 10 pm ET.
