Sister Wives’ Kody Brown and Meri Brown’s Family Breakdown: A Complete Guide

Credit: Courtesy of Leon Brown/Instagram; Inset: Puddle Monkey Prods/Kobal/Shutterstock

Sister Wives’ Kody Brown and Meri Brown’s Family Breakdown: A Complete Guide

Kody Brown started off his married life with Meri Brown (née Barber), whom he wed in 1990. The Sister Wives stars expanded their family in 1993 and 1994 when Kody spiritually wed Janelle Brown and Christine Brown, respectively. In July 1995, Meri and Kody became parents to Leon. After trying to have a second child, the bed and breakfast owner suffered a miscarriage. “After years of a rollercoaster, we had finally backed off. ... I was so frustrated and so angry,” Meri said during a 2012 episode about the heartbreak. Meri and Kody remained legally married for two decades before they divorced in 2014 so Kody could legally wed fourth wife Robyn Brown and adopt her three children from a past marriage. Meri and Kody’s spiritual union lasted for more than a decade before their marriage woes bubbled over. The exes announced in January 2023 that they decided to “permanently terminate” their relationship. (Christine and Janelle announced their respective splits in 2021 and 2022.) Scroll down for a complete breakdown of Kody and Meri’s family unit:

Credit: Justin Stephens/Discovery

Kody Brown

The reality star was born in January 1969 in Wyoming. He became a husband for the first time when he married Meri in April 1990. Kody went on to spiritually wed Janelle and Christine in 1993 and 1994, respectively. The patriarch divorced Meri in 2014 and legally married Robyn so he could adopt her three children from a past relationship.

Kody, who shares Leon with Meri, remained spiritually married to his first wife until 2022. In December of that year, the two estranged spouses hinted at their separation during Sister Wives: One-on-One special. At the time, Meri revealed that Kody made the “decision” that they were no longer married after failing to rekindle their romance on their 30th anniversary in 2020. The exes officially announced their split in January 2023.

Credit: Courtesy of Meri Brown/Instagram

Meri Brown

Meri was born in January 1971 in California. She legally married Kody in April 1990, becoming his first wife. The pair welcomed their only child, Leon, five years later. In 2014, the couple divorced so Kody could legally marry Robyn and adopt her children from a past relationship.

Kody and Meri remained in a spiritual union for nearly another decade. In December 2022, Meri confirmed that her spouse had made the “decision” that they were no longer married. The following month, Kody and Meri released a joint statement about their split.

Credit: Courtesy of Leon Brown/Instagram

Leon Brown

Leon “Leo” was born in July 1995. They are the only child of Meri and Kody. The former reality star graduated from Westminster College in May 2017. Leon went on to pursue a second degree in social work at Loyola University in Chicago.

They came out publicly as a lesbian during a January 2017 episode of Sister Wives. Five years later, Leon announced via social media that they are transgender and go by the they/them pronouns. Leon began dating Audrey Kriss in 2017. The couple got engaged in January 2019. News broke in August 2023 that Leon quietly married Kriss in October 2022.