Sister Wives' Janelle Brown Opens Up About Daughter Maddie's Distance Due to Kody Brown's Actions
Sister Wives' Janelle Brown reveals why her daughter Maddie has distanced herself from her dad, Kody Brown, due to his concerning behavior from 2021 to 2022
Kody Brown confessed on the most recent episode of Sister Wives that he is unaware of the reason why his daughter Maddie Brown doesn't communicate with him. However, Janelle Brown, Maddie's mother, provided an explanation. "I'm not sure what caused it, but when Christine and I had our falling out, Maddie stopped contacting me," the 54-year-old Kody revealed on the October 29th episode of the TLC series. "It might have been due to COVID or some other unknown reason, but she simply stopped reaching out to me."
Janelle, who is 54 years old, refuted any connection between their daughter Maddie's actions and the departure of Kody's third wife, Christine, aged 51, in November 2021. Instead, she stated that it was primarily due to Kody himself.
According to Janelle's statement during a confessional filmed in spring 2022, Maddie avoids calling Kody due to his recent behavior. Janelle expressed Maddie's sentiment, saying, "She's uncertain how to deal with him. She feels like she doesn't know who he has become."
Janelle, who has children Maddie, Logan, Hunter, Garrison, Gabriel, and Savanah with the patriarch, revealed that Maddie's own kids are also contributing to her sudden avoidance of Kody. (Maddie shares three children, son Axel and daughters Evangalynn and Josephine, with husband Caleb Brush.)
Janelle emphasized the importance of Maddie considering her children and how they view or perceive their grandfather when it comes to the situation. She acknowledged that there are multiple factors involved and stated that it is not solely about Maddie not reaching out to him.
Maddie was not the sole child of Kody who started to distance themselves when the family started to crumble. Kody shared on the episode that even his daughter Ysabel, from his marriage with Christine, appeared to be uneasy after their separation.
According to Kody, Ysabel often appears uncomfortable, while their youngest daughter, Truely, seems to be completely okay. It's worth mentioning that Christine moved to Utah after her split from Kody in fall 2021 and has since married David Woolley.
“My relationship with my father has never been completely stable. Currently, everything is uncertain due to the ongoing divorce,” expressed 20-year-old Ysabel in a confessional. “There is no set guide on how to handle a divorce, and it becomes even more complicated when it involves a polygamist family.”
Maddie Brown and Janelle Brown. Photo courtesy of Janelle Brown/Instagram.
In another part of the episode, Kody expressed his concern about how Christine's departure would impact his relationship with their children. Kody and Christine have a son named Paedon, 25, and daughters named Asypyn, 28, Mykelti, 27, Gwendlyn, 22, Ysabel, and Truely, 13.
"I am constantly worried about one thing, which seems to cast a gloomy cloud over us most of the time. Ever since the divorce and other challenging events, there is a subtle strain in the air, an undertone of doubt and uncertainty. I question whether I can trust my children and their feelings."
Later, he reflected on whether his desire for the entire extended family to live together under one roof triggered the downfall of their relationships. Along with Christine's departure, Janelle confirmed in December 2022 that she and Kody had separated. In January, Meri Brown announced the end of her romantic relationship with Kody. However, he remains married to his fourth wife, Robyn Brown.
Kody reflected on the potential role he played and his high expectations in the failures of plural marriage. He speculated that adopting a "one family" approach may have yielded greater success if they had lived in separate households, allowing the children to grow up together as cousins. Catch Sister Wives on TLC Sundays at 10 p.m. ET.
