REVEALED: 'Sister Wives' Star Janelle Brown's Family Turmoil Years Before Kody Separation
Janelle Brown had opened up about her trials and tribulations in a 2012 tell-all book co-authored with her family.
Sister Wives star Janelle Brown was candid about the hardships of being in a polygamous family years before her separation from Kody Brown.
As the family faces what may be their most devastating loss yet with the unexpected death of Kody and Janelle's son Garrison, RadarOnline.com is looking back on what led the duo to take some time apart years ago.
The tragic death of Garrison has rocked the Brown family.
Garrison died from an aparent suicide on March 5. Flagstaff police told us that Garrison appeared to have suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Sources close to the Browns said they will capture the aftermath of Garrison's death in season 19, as the family comes together to mourn the beloved 25-year-old who they called a "bright spot" in their lives more than a year after Janelle announced she split from Kody in Dec. 2022.
Janelle announced her separation from Kody in Dec. 2022.
In the brood's tell-all book, Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage, Janelle said there was a chapter of her life when she "began losing my sense of self."
"It was clear that I was unable to do anything right," she wrote in the book published in 2012. "I folded Kody's clothes incorrectly. I bought the wrong dish soap."
Kody is now still going strong with fourth wife Robyn following the end of his relationships with Janelle, Meri, and Christine.
Cameras were rolling leading up to Garrison's unexpected death, according to a new report.
- 'Sister Wives' Star Janelle Brown Reveals It's Been 'Hard' After Son Garrison's Tragic Death, Addresses 'Snarky' Comments About Family
- 'Sister Wives' Star Garrison Brown Was 'Estranged' From Father Kody Before Shocking Death, Mom Janelle Told Police
- 'Sister Wives' Janelle Brown Shares Last Family Photo Taken Before Son Garrison's Tragic Death
Janelle said she found it especially tough to befriend his first wife, Meri, in their family tell-all.
"She made it clear that I was disrupting her household," noted the mom-of-six. Janelle said she and Meri rarely spoke to each other for a time, "but we tolerated each other," adding that it was "uncomfortable and disheartening."
After dealing with depression paired with financial concerns and a "particularly nasty" fight with Meri, Janelle told Kody she was leaving as she had reached her breaking point, and the reality star went to purchase a home for herself and her kids.
"I started to build a life for myself outside the sisterhood," she recalled within the pages. Janelle and her children lived away from the others for two years until Kody made efforts to win her back as they made plans to move to Utah.
The father of 18 announced his split from first wife Meri in January 2023.
Janelle ultimately rejoined the brood for the kids' sake, but later shared that she had to carefully consider what route to take.
In early 2022, Janelle told cameras, "I've had to really think. My children are almost grown and there's not a huge necessity anymore to stay. It was a wonderful way to raise children. With Kody and I right now, our relationship is pretty strained. And you know, it's easy to walk away."
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On the heels of their separation, she told host Sukanya Krishnan on a Sister Wives special that she was happy with her decision.
"I've kind of mourned that that part of our life is gone," she said.
Janelle also admitted that "it could be there" to reconcile but it "would require so much change on both of our parts."
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