Robyn Brown is an unpopular cast member on Sister Wives, largely due to her potentially intentional cruelty towards the other wives in an attempt to get Kody Brown to herself. Kody’s final wife joined the family in 2010 after he had already married Meri Brown in 1990, Janelle Brown in 1993, and Christine Brown in 1994. While Meri was Kody’s only legal wife, they divorced in 2014 so he could marry Robyn and officially adopt her children from a previous relationship. This seemed logical then, but it could’ve been the first step in Robyn’s vendetta against the other wives.

Meri, Janelle, and Christine separated from Kody in quick succession, beginning with Christine’s departure in November 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated Kody’s relationships with his other wives, with the Brown family patriarch choosing to prioritize his time with Robyn’s family over his other children. This was the last straw for the other three wives, who rightfully vilified Robyn for her unconscionable behavior. However, Robyn ended up doing them a favor, as their lives are much better without Kody. As fans await Sister Wives season 19, here are some ways Robyn was cruel as she got Kody all to herself.

Meri, Christine, And Janelle Have Lost Weight Since Leaving Kody

” When I came into this family, I knew and I saw when there’s stretch marks and there’s weight gain and there’s like — you’re being stagnant in your marriage and there’s fights and money problems or whatever it is … He still had this romance going with each of them .”

While the Nick Lowe song goes, “Cruel to be kind means that I love you, baby, you gotta be cruel to be kind,” it seems Robyn was just mean for her own gain, evidenced by her fat-shaming of the other wives. Robyn wasn’t shy about her commentary regarding Meri, Janelle, and Christine’s weight gain, even blaming their changing bodies for their lack of intimacy with Kody. While it’s unlikely Robyn’s fat-shaming initiated the Sister Wives’ weight-loss journeys, her confessional in a One-On-One special in January 2023 showed her true colors.

“When I came into this family, I knew and I saw when there’s stretch marks and there’s weight gain,” Robyn began, continuing, “and there’s like — you’re being stagnant in your marriage and there’s fights and money problems or whatever it is … He still had this romance going with each of them.” Robyn’s commentary was shocking, especially considering that Meri, Janelle, and Christine were trying to maintain intimacy with Kody. However, he only had eyes for Robyn.

Robyn’s commentary was cruel, but the joke is on her since Meri, Christine, and Janelle have lost weight since leaving Kody. Christine and Janelle tout the magical properties of the multi-level marketing company Plexus, with Janelle losing over 100 pounds. Christine has also been looking super skinny since figuring out her digestive issues, and Meri’s weight loss is evident as well, though she doesn’t appear to use Plexus.

Robyn Brown Cut Kody From The Herd

She Forced The Other Wives Out

Kody was married to Meri, Janelle, and Christine for over a decade before introducing Robyn to the mix, and she immediately began making plans to cut him from the herd. In 2014, Robyn forced Kody’s hand and made him legally divorce Meri so he could adopt her children. Meri may have resented this – it’s possible that the other wives did too.

Additionally, Robyn was at the center of the contentious move from Las Vegas to Flagstaff, with Kody prioritizing her preferences over that of the rest of his wives. This created even more friction between Robyn and the original three wives. Robyn always sat next to Kody in family meetings, further exemplifying her presence as the most important wife. Meri, Christine, and Janelle considered each other equals, but Robyn came in and began shoving them aside.

Robyn pushed the other wives to the edge of the fray during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Kody cited health protocols as an excuse to spend nearly all of his time with Robyn and her family. This seemed to be the final straw for Christine, whose daughter, Truely Brown, had to undergo scoliosis surgery during this time. Kody didn’t adequately support his child with Christine, and in addition to intimacy issues, this forced Christine out of the herd. This was orchestrated by Robyn, whose manipulation of Kody was impressive but cruel.

Robyn Brown Secretly Wanted Monogamy

She Never Really Wanted Polygamy

Despite belonging to the sect of Mormonism that encourages polygamy, Robyn secretly wanted monogamy with Kody all along. This desire fueled her cruelty towards the other wives as she put her plan to get Kody all to herself into action. Kody and Robyn had a deeper bond than Kody and his other wives. This could have been because she was the youngest, newest, and prettiest wife, but their personalities seemed to suit each other better. Kody just preferred Robyn – he liked her appearance and everything about her.

Robyn pushed the other wives out from the beginning of her relationship with Kody, but her desire for monogamy became transparent when Kody neglected his other wives and children during the COVID-19 pandemic. She forced Kody into monogamy without him even realizing it, leading to a breaking point between him and Meri, Janelle, and Christine. Kody viewed the polygamous lifestyle as his duty as a devout Mormon patriarch. However, after playing house with Robyn during the pandemic, he realized that he preferred focusing on one family.

Robyn Brown Overstepped With Kids By Other Wives

She Wasn’t Respectful To The Other Children

Robyn definitely overstepped with Meri, Janelle, and Christine during their plural marriages, but her bigger sin was meddling with the children of the other wives. After loosening their family’s COVID-19 restrictions, Kody and Robyn made their displeasure with Gabe Brown and Garrison Brown clear. Kody and Robyn weren’t happy with their blatant disregard for COVID-19 protocol, and the young men weren’t welcome at Christmas that year. Tragically, Kody and Garrison’s relationship became incredibly strained, and Garrison died in March 2024.

Robyn also clashed with Maddie Brush, one of Janelle’s children, when she spoke up about her opinions regarding the family’s church. Robyn wouldn’t listen to Maddie because she was allegedly too young, and put her foot down with Janelle’s daughter. Robyn has also used her own daughters, Breanna Brown and Aurora Brown, to exacerbate tensions with the other Brown children and damage their relationships with Kody. Unfortunately, Kody was bamboozled by his love for Robyn, which caused problems with his other children.

Robyn wasn’t cruel to be kind – she was cruel to get what she wanted. The last of Kody’s wives manipulated the patriarch into monogamy, cutting him off from the rest of his family while using the pandemic as a guise. She was disrespectful to the other children in the family and fat-shamed Meri, Janelle, and Christine. This added new layers of complications to already problematic relationships. While she remains unpopular, Robyn got the one thing she desired: The Sister Wives patriarch all to herself.