Sister Wives' Kody Brown Brutally Shut Down Ex-Wife Christine's Concerns About Polygamy

Christine Brown is apparently gone for good, and Kody Brown is reflecting on what he could've done differently. With the departure of his second wife, Janelle Brown, and distancing himself from his first wife, Meri Brown, the controversial polygamist is down to just one spouse, Robyn Brown. As the fallen patriarch dissected his relationship with Christine, who left him in November 2021, in front of TLC's cameras, he recalled a moment when she expressed her discontent with the polygamous lifestyle. 

However, it appears that Christine's concerns were not primarily centered around polygamy itself; instead, she had a problem with Kody's behavior and his reluctance to equally divide parental responsibilities. After calling it quits with Kody, Christine quit polygamy, too. In a conversation with People, she explained that while she had wanted a plural marriage since childhood due to her upbringing in a plural family, her perspective changed after being with Kody. 

"I will be a monogamist from here on out. Polygamy is not for me anymore. People can do it, it's fine. Live your life, but no, no, not me," she declared, adding, "I want a partnership. I want a guy who actually loves me and wants to be with me intimately." Since Christine's wishes subsequently came true and she finally got the wedding of her dreams, Kody's misplaced priorities have come under increased scrutiny from his other ex-sister wives as well.

In a Season 18 episode of "Sister Wives," Kody Brown revealed he once brutally shut down Christine Brown's concerns about polygamy. According to the patriarch, he snapped at Christine after she admitted to despising the practice. He recounted, "I was going, 'What the hell? You wouldn't have a family; you wouldn't have me; you wouldn't have our children!'" (via People). In hindsight, the reality star acknowledged that his reaction was insensitive, while also recognizing that he failed to provide comfort or to validate Christine's feelings.

However, Christine's perspective differed. During her own confessional, she highlighted her frustration with Kody's lack of assistance in raising their six children. This wasn't the first time Christine mentioned this, according to Insider. She had previously disclosed in the Season 17 premiere of the show that Kody would outright refuse to help her around the house when she was pregnant with their youngest, Truely Brown. 

Kody's reasoning was apparently that he needed to be present "in other houses," despite the family all residing in a connected property at the time. The patriarch quickly rejected Christine's account, asserting that she wanted more than the other wives were getting. He emphasized having more pressing priorities and even implied that Christine had extra time for their children as she wasn't preoccupied with housework.

Kody Brown's parenting abilities were also heavily criticized elsewhere. During a Season 17 episode of "Sister Wives," Janelle Brown complained that Kody frequently curtailed his visits with their six children because he couldn't bear to be away from Robyn Brown and their five kids (three of whom, it must be noted, are now adults). Kody justified his limited visits by citing the risk of contracting COVID-19 at the time and potentially exposing the two younger children he shares with Robyn to the virus.

Janelle's concerns persisted into Season 18 when she confronted Kody about the issue once again. The father-of-18 defended himself by reiterating the presence of younger kids at home once more and reasoning that they have more needs. Meri Brown also weighed in at the time, suggesting that Kody might have underestimated the significance of "[nurturing] relationships with his adult children as well," (via People).

Despite claiming he was focused on his youngest kids, Kody himself revealed what kind of father he was when he admitted that babysitting isn't something he usually does. The patriarch confessed, "It's not normal for me to babysit my kids. It's easier for me to pay somebody $20 an hour than to lose $200 an hour with the business that I have at hand," (via Today). It appears that Kody's priorities are questionable, to say the least.