‘Sister Wives’ Recap: Kody Says He’s ‘Not Abandoning’ Kids, Claims Some ‘Betrayed Him’ After Splits

Kody Brown confessed he’s “tired of being angry” over his splits from Meri, Janelle and Christine Brown — but rebuilding his relationships with his kids is still a touchy subject.

“In the divorce, the ugly finger of blame has come out,” Kody, 55, said during the Sunday, October 6, of Sister Wives.

He claimed many of his kids have started to accuse him of “never” being at their house growing up. “I’m sorry. I had four wives. I was at your house, though, because the other wife was complaining that I was at your house,” Kody quipped during a confessional.

Kody shares one child with first wife Meri, 53, who confirmed their separation in January 2023. He welcomed six children with second wife Janelle, 55, before they parted ways in December 2022. (Kody and Janelle’s son Garrison died in March at the age of 25.)

Kody also shares six kids with third wife Christine, 52, who was the first to leave him in November 2021. Kody and his remaining wife, Robyn Brown, welcomed two children after she married him in 2014. Kody adopted Robyn’s three kids from a prior marriage as well.

As Kody began navigating the loss of his plural marriages, many of Christine and Janelle’s kids began to pull away from their dad. According to Kody, some of them have “flat out rejected me” since the breakups.

“They’re purposefully leaving me out of their lives to punish me for a crime I did not commit,” Kody told Robyn, 45, during the episode. “I am only guilty of not falling madly in love with their mothers.”

Kody then clarified that he “never said that I don’t love Janelle,” even if their daughter Maddie claimed he did. “This is some rumor that was created in the family that just sows division,” Kody told the cameras, alleging, “Our family was killed by gossip.”

Robyn, however, couldn’t wrap her head around Kody not taking more initiative in reconnecting with his kids during their time of need.

“I’m not abandoning my children,” Kody insisted. “They have betrayed,” he argued, noting that it might’ve been “inadvertently” but that’s how he feels.

Robyn explained that no matter what, they are Kody’s kids and he needs to step up. “I think that Kody should be camping out on their doorsteps and saying, ‘Hey, you’re going to talk to me,’” Robyn told the cameras. “Because sometimes that’s just what you got to do.”

Kody confessed that his “heart is broken” after all the upheaval in their plural family, telling Robyn he wants to get in a “better place” with her and then focus on the kids.

“I’m not going to reach out forever. I’m willing to make the effort, but somebody else is going to have to be on the other end of that and make some effort too,” he later said in a confessional. “I’m not going to camp out on somebody’s doorstep.”

Sister Wives airs on TLC Sundays at 10 p.m. ET.