TLC has given fans unforgettable shows and moments, Sister Wives is no different. The show follows Kody Brown and his four wives’ lives, and their life of polygamy. The show has many fans due to the drama that often follows the family, and because viewers are fascinated by the dynamics of polygamy, it is not called The Learning Channel for nothing. Although viewers have learned a lot about Kody and his family, there have been quite a few scandals that have left the audience shocked.
Shows on TLC are no stranger to scandal. Currently, 90 Day Fiancé star Big Ed is embroiled in a scandal as a phone call between him and his ex-girlfriend leaked, which highlighted him being manipulative, mean, and a gaslighter. With four wives, drama will never be far, and they have had their fair share of shattering scandals rock the foundation of the lives. Fans may remember when Meri was caught in a catfishing scandal, or how Kody married his sister-in-law, after she divorced his brother, though they say the divorce is unrelated to their relationship. There have been other shows, like American Idol, that have had multiple instances of scandals like American Idol. The scandals of Sister Wives, however, are on another level.
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Kody Married His Sister-In-Law
One of the Kody married Meri’s brother’s wife. The couple began courting after Janelle’s divorce from Meri’s brother, and they soon married when they realized they had a strong connection.
Fans were not sure about the timeline and speculated that the couple might have been the reason for the divorce. Both parties vehemently denied this and said that their relationship was unrelated to the divorce. At least they kept it in the family, so that is how Kody met his second wife Janelle.
Tax Problems
Supporting a polygamous family is not at all easy. With four wives, and and 18 children, aspiring polygamists need deep pockets to support their family. For Kody it has proved difficult supporting a large family. According to Radar Online, they filed for bankruptcy in 2005. This was not the end of their financial issues as they continued. They even had to slash the selling price of their Las Vegas home by $25,000 due to their money troubles.
Then they fled Nevada to Arizona because they had failed to pay taxes on their parcel of land. It was revealed that they also owed money on another piece of land. Money can be a tough thing for polygamous families as children need space, food, clothes and so much more. The family has dabbled in business in the past have tried launching a jewelry line, which has not gone very well. Hopefully, the TLC checks have been helping their financial situation.
Police Investigation
The Browns had to flee police as they began looking into their family. The police were looking into their life of polygamy and possibly if there was a case for bigamy. The Browns have long wanted to advocate for their way of life and other people who practice polygamy; however, it seems their hypervisibility due to their show may have backfired on them. The police investigation got so bad that the family packed up and fled in three days to Las Vegas.
The family ended up winning their case and in 2014 a judge ruled in favor of their lifestyle and polygamy is now legal. For many polygamous families, this has been a win for them as Seeking Sister Wives reality star Colton Winder and his family now live together where previously they could not. Loosening laws, and representation in the media, more specifically TLC, has bolstered other families to step into the light and live more authentically.
Kody Divorces Meri
When Robyn, the last wife joined the family there was a slight strain as she was younger, and the other wives immediately felt Kody’s attention shift to Robyn. There was a lot of jealousy. Robyn came into the family with three children from a previous relationship. However, for her kids to have the same benefits as the other wives, she had to marry Kody. But Kody was still legally married to Meri.
So Kody decided to divorce Meri and marry Robyn. Kody adopted Robyn’s three children. It may seem simple enough but to the other wives and the public it simply looked as though Kody was marrying his favorite wife. In a dynamic as delicate as polygamy, this ruffled a few feathers amongst the wives.
The Catfish
Catfishing may seem like a storyline relegated to the 90 Day Fiancé universe, but first wife Meri strayed and started chatting to a man called Sam Cooper online. She started to fall in love with him only to find out that he was a woman. The catfish is notorious for being an online scammer, and unfortunately Meri was not the first victim. When this was revealed, Kody alluded that his marriage with Meri was not in the best place. However, the situation worsened when the catfish leaked suggestive photos of Meri, and one with her holding a banana.
The catfish went onto write a book titled, Almost Meri’ed, in which they wrote in explicit detail about the online affair. However, what may have been even more scandalous was the fact that Robyn knew Meri was being catfished and did nothing. According to PEOPLE, friends close to Robyn said she was aware that Meri was not talking to a man. The tensions between the family must have been off the charts.
Source: Radar Online
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