Fans watched the family dynamics change on “Sister Wives” after Kody Brown married his fourth wife, Robyn Brown.

With time, this development affected his spiritual marriage with the other wives, Meri, Janelle and Christine.

However, this was not the only affected aspect of their lives. Kody’s relationship with his children dwindled until there was an estrangement.

The “Sister Wives” patriarch and his fourth wife appeared to have bonded to the detriment of spending quality time with his children.

Kody and Robyn Brown made some moves that created distance, from refusing to see the other families by making strict COVID-19 rules and theories about Robyn Brown’s fake tears to avoiding the family’s Christmas party. The pair seemingly jeopardized Kody’s relationship with his children. In fact, the couple’s actions created strife in the family…

How Robyn Brown Caused A Rift Between Kody Brown And His Children

Kody Brown’s family had different disagreements for years, but things took a dire turn after the patriarch of the “Sister Wives” married Robyn Brown, his only legal wife. The couple tied the knot in 2010, and the family watched him gradually gravitate toward her. Things came to a head during the coronavirus pandemic when Kody enforced restriction rules. These rules kept all the family members away from the house where Robyn and her kids resided with Kody. Per Screenrant, Kody’s quarantine rules were stricter than the CDC guidelines, and his older kids found them ridiculous.

It also happened that while the “Sister Wives” star had ample time to bond with Robyn and her children, his relationship with the other wives and kids drastically deteriorated. After the COVID-19 wave subsided, Kody Brown and his fourth wife became more relaxed, but the patriarch was angry at some of his kids who had disobeyed his social distancing orders. Kody’s anger was majorly directed at his sons Garrison and Gabe Brown.

When Garrison and Gabe addressed the issue they had with their father and stepmom, Robyn Brown, it only led to more disputes. Robyn was infuriated by the boys, and she made it clear they were no longer welcome. However, she made it look like Garrison and Gabe did not want to see her and Kody. While the father and sons were yet to mend their relationship, Robyn eventually made it clear she did not really want them to fix things.

Robyn Brown was involved with several issues concerning her stepchildren, but rather than trying to understand her new family it appeared she only enforced her beliefs. Earlier on, while “Sister wives” was in production, the mom-of-five tried to introduce a new kind of personality, choosing a new place of worship for the family. However, some of Kody’s Children found the change disrupting and could not properly settle in the new church.

Subsequently, Maddie Brush, Kody’s oldest daughter, and his second wife, Janelle Brown, had to air her opinion on the new church. However, her views fell on deaf ears as Robyn clarified she had no standpoint. Maddie didn’t give up so easily and explained that it had clarified that the kids could go to the church they desired, but Robyn was unyielding. Maddie was heartbroken as it was clear her opinion was invalid, and Robyn was only interested in pushing her ideas on others.

Robyn Brown’s continuous interference in Kody Brown and his children’s issues created further rift between the father and his children, causing the kids to also move away from her. Despite the family’s unending drama, Gwendlyn Brown, Kody and Christine Brown’s daughter, seemingly had a good relationship with Robyn’s younger children. However, this bond didn’t last, and Gwendlyn cited Robyn’s trust issues as the problem.

According to Gwendlyn Brown, Robyn was never comfortable leaving her kids with any of her stepchildren. Gwendlyn, who had been open about her real feelings regarding Robyn on social media, shared that the fourth sister’s wife didn’t trust her kids with Kody’s other children, and Gwendlyn found this hurtful.

While Robyn Brown usually expressed favoritism toward her children, her trust issues regarding her stepchildren caused Gwendlyn and Robyn’s kids to subsequently drift apart. It also turned out that Robyn impacted Kody Brown’s emotions. In 2022, things became more turbulent in the plural family after their annual Christmas tradition got canceled due to Robyn’s involvement.

It appeared that the “Sister Wives” kids had planned a gift exchange as they usually did, but it was canceled as Robyn did not want her older stepchildren in the house. She believed the tension between Kody and his kids would only lead to a fight, which could spoil the celebration.

It is no secret that Robyn Brown’s interference with Kody Brown and his kids’ feud contributed to their estrangement. Sadly, Garrison Brown passed away on March 5, 2024, amidst Kody and his children’s unsettled differences. Following Garrison’s passing, his parents, Kody and Janelle Brown and stepmom Meri, paid tribute to him on social media.

Who are Kody Brown’s oldest children?

• Logan Brown
• Leon Brown
• Aspen Brown Thompson
• Mykelti Brown Padron
• Maddie Brown Brush
• Hunter Brown

Kody Brown Reflected On The Complicated Relationship With His Children

The feud between Kody Brown and his older kids undoubtedly affected the family and took a toll on Kody. The family man opened up about feeling powerless during an interview with People. According to the reality TV star, as his children grew up, he couldn’t just make them follow the rules he made. The TLC star juxtaposed what fatherhood meant when the kids were younger and when they got older. Kody explained:

Kody added that he no longer had the power to spell out the rules for his older kids. Kody also noted that the family had countless issues to address and seemed unable to see eye-to-eye. The father of 18 children further explained that the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on his relationship with his family. He recalled not being “in a good place” with Christine Brown while “recovering from a lot of anger” with Meri and Janelle Brown. Some of the older children were relieved following his divorce from Christine.

While all the misunderstandings between Kody Brown and his children gave rise to his estranged relationship with his children, the Patriarch was hopeful. During the interview, Kody revealed that all that is left is to move forward and hopefully mend his family’s complicated relationship. He alluded to finding joy and hope amid the broken ties. Kody also mentioned that he was learning to accept the new normal in his family.