Gwendlyn Brown Says Her Parents’ Divorce Would Have Happened With or Without ‘Sister Wives’

For years, Sister Wives viewers have debated about the Brown family, their often dysfunctional dynamic, and what was the catalyst for Kody Brown’s three divorces. Some viewers think Robyn Brown’s entrance into the family signaled the beginning of the end. Much of the family agrees with that, in one way or another, too. Other viewers think the cameras and reality TV fame led to the dismantling of the polygamist group. Gwendlyn Brown, the fourth of six children born to Christine Brown, can’t speak for the other marriage, but she’s confident her parents were going to end up divorced, with or without the cameras.

Gwendlyn Brown says her parents would have gotten divorced with or without the ‘Sister Wives’ cameras.

Sister Wives star Gwendlyn Brown recently sat down with Teen Vogue to discuss her experience growing up in front of a camera. Now married and living apart from her polygamous family, Gwendlyn has floated in and out of the show. That space seems to have made her a bit introspective about her family and their time on TLC. While she admits the cameras influenced a lot, she doesn’t think they were a major factor in the split of her parents, Kody Brown and Christine Brown.

Gwen told the outlet that she believes her parents would have divorced even if the Sister Wives cameras had never set foot in their home. She recalled “hoping” her parents would separate even as a little kid, noting that the thought alone indicates there was clearly tension from early on.

Why did Kody and Christine break up?

Christine Brown announced her separation from Kody Brown in November 2021 after more than 25 years of partnership. Fans later watched the split play out over multiple seasons of Sister Wives. During that time, Christine opened up about the reasons behind her divorce. Christine has noted that Kody’s treatment of their shared children, a lack of sex, and a desire to move back to Utah largely influenced her decision to leave polygamy behind.

In an interview with People, Christine noted that Ysabel Brown’s scoliosis surgery was a turning point for her. Christine said Ysabel wanted Kody’s support, but he opted not to travel with her for the surgery, even suggesting she travel alone to New Jersey for the painful surgery. “He broke my little girl’s heart,” she recalled. Sister Wives fans also watched Kody tell Christine sex was off the table, which seems to have really pushed Christine’s divorce plan into action.

More recently, Christine has begun opening up about the favoritism she saw happen within the plural family. She is now in a monogamous marriage with David Woolley. They met in late 2022 on a dating app. They live in Lehi, Utah.