Sister Wives stars Kody Brown and Robyn Brown claimed to have a nanny during the COVID-19 pandemic and blamed the nanny for exposing the family to the virus; however, there are signs Robyn made the whole thing up. When the series premiered in 2010, Kody was married to his first three wives and had started dating Robyn. During season 1, Kody and Robyn were married and added her three children from her first marriage to the Brown clan, bringing Kody’s total number of children to 18.
With less of Kody to go around, his older children felt neglected. Kody made little effort to hide that he preferred Robyn’s company over his other wife. The resentments came to a head in 2020 when COVID-19 further divided the family. By the time the finale of Sister Wives season 18 aired, three of Kody’s four wives had left him, and he, ironically, had found himself in a monogamous relationship. During the pandemic, Robyn claimed that her nanny exposed them to COVID, but there are signs Robyn made the whole thing up.
Did Robyn Lie About The Nanny?
Nannygate
When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, the Browns were quarantined in four separate homes, and Kody would go back and forth between the homes. The separation was difficult for the family, and when Ariella Brown’s fifth birthday arrived, the family decided to get tested and get together. The birthday party, which took place during Sister Wives season 16, episode 10, was great, and everyone had fun. However, three days later, Robyn informed everyone she had accidentally exposed them to the virus. Robyn claimed her nanny had called to let her know she had tested positive.
That was the last time the Brown family got together because Kody and Robyn didn’t want to risk another exposure.
Since then, there has been quite a bit of speculation about the nanny exposing the Browns to COVID-19. It was clear Kody and Robyn didn’t want to spend time with the family, and the pandemic was a great excuse to keep social distancing. The incident was the final nail in the family’s coffin, and they couldn’t recover.
The Brown’s COVID-19 Drama
A House Divided
The COVID-19 pandemic separated the Brown family and exposed the existing cracks within the Sister Wives clan. By the time the pandemic hit, Kody’s older children already felt resentful of Kody for favoring Robyn and her children. The pandemic exploited their problems. When Kody didn’t think his older kids were taking the virus seriously enough, he stopped seeing them.
On March 5, the Brown family was shocked by the death of 25-year-old Garrison Brown. Garrison was Kody’s son with his second wife, Janelle Brown. After struggling with his mental health, the National Guardsman was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Flagstaff, Arizona home. Kody and Garrison were not on speaking terms at the time of Garrison’s tragic, untimely death.
The Brown’s Unraveling
The Beginning Of The End
Ariella’s birthday party was, in many ways, the beginning of the end for the Brown family. Though none of the Browns caught COVID due to the nanny exposure, the incident gave Kody and Robyn the excuse they needed to keep socially distancing themselves from the rest of the family. Christine Brown understood that the family would never hang out together again, which changed her perspective on plural marriage. After 26 years of marriage, Christine left Kody in 2021.
Though it took a lot of bravery to walk away from Kody, Christine has since remarried, tying the knot with David Wooley in October 2023.
When Janelle’s older sons, Garrison and Gabriel Brown, refused to follow Kody’s COVID rules, Kody demanded that Janelle kick her adult sons out of the house. Janelle refused, deciding to put her children first. This triggered the end of their spiritual marriage. In December 2022, Janelle officially ended their 29-year plural marriage. Kody’s first wife, Meri Brown, held on longer than she should have, even after Kody said he was no longer attracted to her. After 32 years of marriage, Meri left Kody in January 2023.
| Wife | Married | Divorced | Children |
| Meri Brown | 1990 | 2022 | 1 |
| Janelle Brown | 1993 | 2022 | 6 (1 deceased) |
| Christine Brown | 1994 | 2021 | 6 |
| Robyn Brown | 2010 | — | 5 (3 from previous marriage) |
Signs That Robyn And Kody Will Stay Monogamous
They’re Finished With Polygamy
During Sister Wives season 1, the Browns were planning Kody’s wedding to Robyn, so Robyn and the other wives went wedding dress shopping. They had a lovely afternoon together and bonded. Meri, Christine, and Janelle were so moved that Robyn wanted them involved in her special day. However, Kody ruined the bonding moment when he revealed he had gone back to the bridal shop with Robyn and selected her dress himself.
This perfectly encapsulated the way Robyn pushed Kody’s other wives away over the years since joining their family. Robyn may have thought she wanted Kody all to herself, but now that Robyn’s in a monogamous relationship with Kody, it may not be what she thought it would be. Kody is moody and has always needed an enormous amount of attention.
Four women were unable to give Kody the amount of attention that he needed.
Now, it’s all on Robyn, and, especially with Kody grieving, she may want the support system she used to rely on before the other wives left. Though they had problems, she may prefer that to being alone with Kody. Regardless of what Robyn may want, Kody does not intend to expand their family by adding new sister wives.
