The Brown family gained fame on Sister Wives for their polygamous dynamic. When viewers were introduced to Kody Brown, he had four wives - Meri, Christine, Janelle, and Robyn. But nowadays, a lot has changed in the family, and we're not just talking about new additions to the reality series. Kody's first three wives have left him, all under dramatic circumstances. This left many viewers pleased, considering Kody's behavior has long rubbed fans the wrong way. He's been accused of mistreatment, selfishness, and other behavior that doesn't make for a good father or husband.

Robyn is Kody's remaining wife, but the future is looking bleak for this couple considering where they've been left. When you consider Robyn's background, especially her first marriage, it's understandable why she joined the polygamous family as Kody's fourth wife in the first place, and it's probably not just because she perceived him as a good husband. No, she wanted the entire package. But with her fellow sister wives gone, Robyn is no longer a sister but just a wife. And there's reason to believe she's not going to last long in this new dynamic.

Robyn Brown Was Mistreated In Her First Marriage

Robyn was previously married to David Preston Jessop. They wed in 1999, though Robyn filed for divorce in 2007, and it was finalized in 2009. The former couple share three children - Dayton, Aurora, and Breanna - who Robyn got full custody of after they split. While many details about Robyn's past before fame remain unknown, she has claimed her first marriage was abusive.

In a 2011 tweet, she wrote, "I ended my first marriage because of abuse. My kids come first ALWAYS."

While Robyn never pressed charges against her ex-husband, he was arrested in 2018 for "partner or family member assault, causing bodily injury," giving weight to Robyn's earlier claims. David pleaded guilty, and the charges were reduced to disorderly conduct, with the court ordering him to pay a fine. Further details about the case have never been made public, and Robyn has been careful not to comment on her ex's recent affairs.

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In addition to the abuse allegations, David seems to be an absentee father. After Robyn was awarded custody, reports indicate that David relinquished his parental rights. Kody later adopted Robyn's kids, while David has apparently had little contact with them in recent years.

Robyn Gained a Community By Marrying Kody

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When you consider Robyn's background, it makes more sense why she would be attracted to a polygamous lifestyle. The polygamous husband is supposed to be a strong patriarch, who provides for his family financially, emotionally, and otherwise. When Kody first met Robyn, he had three wives he was supporting. Robyn has recalled how happy the Browns seemed from the outside, and she wanted to join that.

But Robyn gained more than just a supportive partner - she got a community by marrying Kody. Abusive relationships are often isolating, but she's been far from lonely by joining the Browns. She instantly had three sister wives to relate to and depend on, for everything from childcare to emotional support.

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Like some of her fellow sister wives, Robyn was raised in a polygamous family, so she'd seen the pros and cons of this dynamic. But she'd never lived it herself yet, since her first marriage was monogamous, making her less aware of the challenges she would be faced with. Sister Wives fans know that the other wives often conflict with each other, but especially with Robyn, since she was always perceived as Kody's favorite. Robyn has expressed that her relationship with her fellow wives was never what she hoped it would be, as tensions ran high in the plural family, despite living in separate households.

Robyn is sticking by Kody's side despite his other divorces, but fans have expressed online that they notice Robyn looks miserable. And that makes sense considering the community she's lost. The Brown family is no longer what it once was, or what they hoped it would be. Many of Kody's kids say they have no relationship with him, and place blame on his marriage to Robyn. Meanwhile, his exes have distanced themselves from the family and each other. Recently, Meri admitted she's not as close to Robyn as she used to be, even though Robyn considered Meri the wife she was closest to.

Robyn didn't sign up for this. She's no longer living the polygamous lifestyle she wanted to marry into. She literally begged for the divorces not to happen on Sisters Wives, though her attempts were futile. Robyn now must handle Kody all on her own, and the toll is starting to show in recent episodes. Kody has been accused of abuse by kids and ex-partners, so now being isolated from her former sister wives, perhaps Robyn is starting to see parallels between her first marriage and her current one. Many fans wouldn't be surprised if Robyn is Kody's fourth and final divorce. As her tweet said, her priorities are the kids, so if the marriage is impacting her to the point where it's affecting her children, Robyn may make the decision to abandon ship, too.

Sister Wives can be streamed on Apple TV.

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Sister Wives

TV-PG

Reality TV

Drama

A reality TV series explores the life of a polygamous family as they navigate the challenges and complexities of living in a society that largely disapproves of their lifestyle. The family's dynamic, including the relationships between the husband, his four wives, and their 18 children, offers a unique insight into this unconventional family structure.

Release Date September 16, 2010

Cast Kody Brown , madison Brown , Janelle Brown , Tamron Hall , Aspyn Brown , Robyn Brown , Andrea Canning , Gwendlyn Brown , meri brown , Logan Brown , Christine Brown , Sukanya Kirshnan

Main Genre Reality

Seasons 16

Website https://go.tlc.com/show/sister-wives-tlc

Cinematographer Doug Monroe, Callan Griffiths, Richard Alexander Walkling, Anthony Derosa, Matthew Thompson, Ray Farmer

Distributor TLC

Filming Locations Nevada, Utah, Arizona

Main Characters Timothy Gibbons, Kirk Streb, Deanie Wilcher, Christopher Poole, Bill Hayes

Producer Deanie Wilcher

Production Company Puddle Monkey Productions, Figure 8 Films

Number of Episodes 167

Expand

Watch on Apple TV