Summary
Robyn’s control over Kody has caused strains in his relationships with his other wives, leading to family turmoil.
Kody’s preference for Robyn over his other wives has resulted in the family falling apart and marriages crumbling.
Robyn’s emotional manipulation and influence on Kody have caused him to neglect his other relationships and responsibilities.
Sister Wives stars Kody Brown and Robyn Brown have been showing off their relationship for years, rubbing their connection in the faces of Kody’s other wives, but it’s never been more obvious to me that Robyn’s in complete control of Kody and the family’s lives. While Kody was originally married to Meri Brown, Janelle Brown, and Christine Brown in the 90s and 00s, his relationship with Robyn changed everything in his life. After welcoming over a dozen children with his first wives, Kody sought out another marriage with Robyn, who had a past of her own coming into the relationship.
While Kody’s life before Robyn may not have been as happy, his time with his children and his original wives appeared to be pleasant during the early seasons of Sister Wives. When Robyn came into the picture in 2010, Kody put a strain on his family to travel and see her consistently, driving four hours each way during his visits early in their relationship. I believe Robyn, who had children from a previous marriage, knew if she could get Kody to commit to her, she could find a way to make herself and her children the center of his universe.
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The Brown Family Has Fallen Apart With Robyn In Charge
Although Kody’s other marriages had their struggles before Robyn came into the picture, his relationships with Meri, Janelle, and Christine were never as difficult as they became in later years. In 2010, Robyn was introduced to the family as Kody began to court her and move toward a marriage. The couple didn’t legally marry until 2014, and after their wedding, things began to change rapidly in Kody’s other relationships. As Kody was focused on building a family with Robyn, things deteriorated between him and his three other wives, as well as his children from his other marriages who felt slighted.
As Kody and Robyn’s relationship progressed with children of their own and a house for them to share, his other marriages began to crumble. While Meri, feeling left out, sought comfort from someone she thought she could trust outside of her marriage only to be catfished. Christine and Janelle struggled to accept Robyn, and things got heavier for everyone as Kody’s preference for Robyn became clear. While Kody tried to continue to give all of his wives similar attention, it was clear he preferred Robyn over his other wives, which led to the beginning of the end for the family.
Kody Put Robyn Ahead Of His Other Wives, Pushing Them Away Entirely
Custom image by César García
While Kody was consistently denying the fact that he had a preference for Robyn over his other wives, it was obvious from the beginning that he was feeling something for his newest wife that he hadn’t for the others. Though Robyn’s behavior pushed Kody to behave in certain ways or communicate differently, Kody chose to alienate his other wives. By allowing Robyn to take control, Kody made it abundantly clear that he didn’t want to be involved in the lives he’d created with Meri, Janelle, and Christine in the same way anymore, even if they weren’t in on the decision.
As Robyn continued to become more and more ingrained in the lives of the Brown family before joining them herself as part of their plural marriage, she orchestrated a long-drawn-out plan to get Kody to herself. Though she may not have been entirely conscious of what she was doing, Robyn’s decision to pull Kody in closer to her helped him to push all of his other wives away. Despite saying she wanted a plural marriage, Robyn’s inability to allow her husband to actually participate in his other marriages was a major factor in the way they ended.
Robyn Uses Her Emotions To Sway Kody In Whatever Direction She Wants
While Robyn and Kody have a level of dysfunction between them that tends to make things difficult to understand, each of their specific dysfunctions has caused harm to the other relationships in their plural marriage. For Kody, his inability to be direct and manage his emotions has made it impossible for him to communicate without Robyn there to translate for him. For Robyn, the manipulation she’s found herself able to use on Kody and others has made it easy for her to get what she wants, as long as she turns up the emotional response to ensure she appears heartbroken.
Robyn has used emotional manipulation throughout her time on Sister Wives, but her relationship with Kody has been a masterclass. While she may not be conscious of the fact that she’s manipulating situations with her deeply emotional responses, which typically include crying, Robyn has been able to get Kody to abandon the majority of his responsibilities within his other relationships. Though Robyn clearly has love for Kody, the way their relationship has been depicted on Sister Wives shows the issues they face, especially in the way Robyn uses her emotions to get Kody to do whatever it is she wants.
Source: TLC/Instagram
Sister Wives
Sister Wives is a TV series created for TLC that follows Kody Brown and his four wives as they raise their eighteen children and tackle the challenges associated with their massive family dynamic and the stigma that comes with their way of life.