Sister Wives: Kody the Idiot Divorces Meri to Marry Robyn

[BrownieMomma]

My gut feeling is that Robyn cooked up some reason that she needs to be legally married to Kody.

Whatever they are doing, it reeks of scam.

[Cleopatra7]

My gut feeling is that Robyn cooked up some reason that she needs to be legally married to Kody.

Whatever they are doing, it reeks of scam.

ITA Scamming is built into the DNA of fundamentalist Mormon culture, whether FLDS or some more moderate version. Whatever the reason for this reshuffle might be, money will certainly be part of the equation. However, I do think that having the position of first wive/legal wive is a status symbol despite claims to the contrary. In polygamous societies the first wive tends to have the most seniority and the most power over the other wives. Although the Browns put forth the image of the wives all being more or less equal, that's clearly not. I think Janelle and Christine were willing to accept Meri as first wife, regardless of their personal opinion of her, but I can't see them doing that with Robyn.

[defraudingjezebel]

ITA Scamming is built into the DNA of fundamentalist Mormon culture, whether FLDS or some more moderate version. Whatever the reason for this reshuffle might be, money will certainly be part of the equation. However, I do think that having the position of first wive/legal wive is a status symbol despite claims to the contrary. In polygamous societies the first wive tends to have the most seniority and the most power over the other wives. Although the Browns put forth the image of the wives all being more or less equal, that's clearly not. I think Janelle and Christine were willing to accept Meri as first wife, regardless of their personal opinion of her, but I can't see them doing that with Robyn.

Yep, I agree completely. "Bleeding the beast" is a phrase you see and hear often in Fundamentalist Mormon media. Kody's statement on it makes it even more obvious, though he tries to employ the pitiful euphemism of "legal restructuring" to refer to the divorce and marriage. I know a lot of news stories have come out stating that Robyn threw a tantrum and demanded that she be the legal wife. While I'm not a fan of Robyn, this sounds like pure BS. I definitely think they "restructured" the family so that they could take advantage of some program or insurance deal, or tax benefit. They'll never be completely upfront about their motives because admitting to it would be akin to admitting to fraud.

[Ralar]

I am officially fed up with this lying, scamming, hypocritical family. Divorce is divorce, no matter the reason. And no doubt the reason is to scam the system in one way or another. No wonder all the kids flee as soon as they finish high school.

I wonder how the family meeting went. First they had to get all the older kids home from college. Then they all gather in the living room and look bored -- until KTI begins to speak:

KTI: Okay, I thought we should have a family meeting to discuss some small changes that your moms and I have decided upon.

Logan talking head: What harebrained idea has he come up with now? I know they didn't bring us all home to discuss some family minutia.

KTI: Does anyone have any idea why we've gathered here today?

Robyn: Come on Kody, just tell them already!

Hunter talkign head: Stupid family meeting. Let me go back to wrestling practice.

Robyn: Come on Kody, just tell them already!

KTI (rubs Robyn's thigh): Well, your moms and I have made a decision to restructure the family.

Moriah: Uhm. Restructuring the family? What are you talking about?

KTI: Meri and I are getting divorced.

(Meri whines, but secretly is happy because she and her daughter will get more financial aid)

Teens: Gasp!

Young children: Crying.

Robyn (jumps up): Hey everyone, stop crying. This is a happy occasion. As soon as Meri is out of the picture, I mean as soon as the divorce is final, Dad is going to marry ME! Yup! I'm going to be the official Mrs. Kody Brown!

(Christina & Jennelle: Roll eyes and scoot towards the outer edges of the couch, away from KTI & Robyn)

Meri: sobs loudly

Moriah or Mekelty (one of the M-Girls) whispers to another teen: I wonder what stupid dance they are going to do at Dad's & Robyn's wedding.

Truly smacks Solomon

Meri Sobs

Day-uhn rolls his eyes.

KTI caresses Robyn's leg more furiously.

Christine & Janelle quietly slip out of the room, and the house. They meet up with Saul Goodman, Esq. and devise a plan to get their minor children out of KTI's clutches.

To Be Continued . . .

[Mama Mia]

If Robyn's ex really wanted to, be could have created a lot of drama regarding custody rights. It would have been all over the show.

What I don't get in this whole train of thought regarding step families ---- why on earth is it considered a bad thing if the kids adjust easily? Why does it neccessarily mean the other parent is abusive or not actively involved? Lots and lots of kids love and spend time with both their biological parents and their step-parents and siblings. In fact that's generally the entire goal. And many families work really, really hard to make sure all the kids feel connected and comfortable with all the various family dynamics involved.

I agree that having them call Kody Dad is, at least on the surface, wrong. But maybe they call their biological dad by some other name? Father, Pop, Poppi, Daddy, Papa, Pa?

I have no idea if that is the situation with the Browns. But I find the idea that the kids easily enjoying their new blended family - must mean there is something lacking in their relationship with the other parent really, really wrong.

[BrownieMomma]

My concern is that Robyn actively pushes David out of his role as the father of her children. I can only speculate as to why she might do that.

I read, here and there, this whiff of an idea that in this religious lifestyle, the children go with the mother and whatever new husband she might acquire, they become the children of that husband. This does not particularly make sense to me, I would guess that the father would rather pursue a course of keeping the children himself, carrying on his name or legacy or something... but this could be something in that religion and they have their own reasoning for it.

It seems like a very patriarchial family structure and I find it surprising that children would be let go so easily by their biological father but maybe this is so. And in order to get it legalized by the state, which might sometimes matter or sometimes not? Kody gets higher levels of heaven determined by the number of children he can claim? So advantageous to him to formally adopt Robyn's children? And need this legimitzed by the government even though all those spiritual marriages are not?

idk. Kody marrying Robyn in order to adopt her children is not ringing as the true reason. And it is difficult for me to imagine that who is the legal wife is not important because wouldn't it then truly be to Kody's advantage to simply not be legally married to anyone? I think it is more important than the Browns are willing to let on, but its hard to really get a feel for this, having lived in a monogamous marriage culture for all my life. Maybe the legal marriage just really isn't a big deal.

[Mama Mia]

Completely idle speculation ---- but maybe Meri met someone new and decides on the divorce. Neither Christine or Janelle care about the legal wife status -- and it's probably better for them financially for taxes to file as head of household in any case. That leaves Robyn, plus the legal benefit of of Kody being officially the step-father -- maybe for insurance , or just because.

[Letgo]

I read a story online that TMZ says (I know, I know) the marriage to Robyn is to protect her children and allow Kody to be a legal guardian. Whatever the truth in this "restructuring" of the Brown family, it had to be for a pretty darn good reason. I wonder if Meri and Kody will have a commitment ceremony now that they are legally divorced. Or maybe Meri likes her freedom?

[Geechee Girl]

I still can't wrap my brain around this. The only angle I can come up with now is financial. It seems like they got those McMansions with very little down, or maybe qualified with a no income-no assets Option ARM. If so, a balloon payment should be on the horizon with a huge rate adjustment. Perhaps Meri plans to file bankruptcy again, and keep the house to boot. Hasn't it been about 10yrs since their last one?

Janelle is kinda-sorta working the real estate thing, so she could possibly get a new mortgage on her own. Christine has her mom's income now to aid her homestead. This leaves Kody & Robyn to file bankruptcy jointly as a married couple. And the cycle of grifting and scamming renews.

[jerkit]

I also think it's financial, but I think it has to do with college tuition costs.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

I just had a flashback. Didn't Robyn once get upset because if she died her kids would have to leave the family? And she wants them to stay with the sister wives. Maybe they worked something out with bio dad. He signs over his rights. They tell him he doesnt have to pay child support ever again. The kids still visit him. Kody adopts them and they're secured in the Brown family.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

And as a bonus, Mariah gets financial aid for her lengthy college career.

[Coconut Flan]

Meri's share of the show earnings is probably enough to have kept Mariah from qualifying for financial aid.

[CinderJana]

https://celebrity.yahoo.com/news/kody-b ... eekly.html

[gustava]

https://celebrity.yahoo.com/news/kody-brown-sister-wives-polygamy-plural-marriage-makes-213000770-us-weekly.html

Unless their father has in fact relinquished parental rights, I don't see how Kodouche can be appointed "legal guardian." In fact, based on the web site (link below), I doubt that Kodouche knows what he's talking about....not that we're surprised.

http://www.utahlegalservices.org/public ... atorship-1

I'm guessing Montana is similar. :shifty-kitty:

[Mama Mia]

Unless their father has in fact relinquished parental rights, I don't see how Kodouche can be appointed "legal guardian." In fact, based on the web site (link below), I doubt that Kodouche knows what he's talking about....not that we're surprised.

http://www.utahlegalservices.org/public ... atorship-1

I'm guessing Montana is similar. :shifty-kitty:

Step-parents are generally able to act as legal guardians for their step-kids. If Robyn were to die, the kids would go to their father first, obviously, unless he had signed away his rights. But they may just want Kody to be officially, legally a step-parent for things like consent for medical treatment, school paperwork, health insurance ( if he had a job- job, separate from the show ) . Right now they are raking in the money, but maybe this is the shows last season and they are figuring out how to best care for the children. Especially if one of them has on-going medical needs. Maybe one of the adults or children had a health scare that made them consider it.

I was a "step mom" in every way but legally for a dozen years. It was occasionally in-convienant to not have the official paperwork -- but we both had insurance through our employers to cover the kids, and we were fairly young, so no health concerns arose. I could see in other circumstances , especially if it was an area that was picky about paperwork, it could be difficult.

[StellaMarie]

I don't think it's the case that you don't have to list a divorced parent on your financial aid forms. At least when I was in school, a million years ago, I had more than one friend who was screwed over because they had to include their wealthy father's financial information even though he wasn't helping with college (and had never paid more than the very bare minimum in child support).

I wouldn't think Meri & Kody would be able to game the system like that.

[Cleopatra7]

I have a question about Mormon sealings and divorce. One of the attractions of Mormonism is supposed to be the idea of "forever families" that are sealed to each other for eternity. But what about divorce? Can a woman be sealed to more than one husband or does she have to get the Mormon equivalent of an annulment if she divorces and remarries? I ask this because Christine used to be married to Meri's brother and Robyn was married to David Jessop. Kody and the Sister Wives have said that divorce isn't an option in their religion but that's clearly not true, as Christine and Robyn show. So what's the real deal here? :think: :liar: :shifty-kitty:

[Bethella]

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=24680

[sorchah]

I never reported my dad's tax info on FAFSAs. If your parents are divorced and file separately, you only have to report the parent who can claim you as a dependent (only one parent can). Individual school policies may be different though.

[Mama Mia]

If they are making what has been reported for the show, none of them are going to qualify for much, if anything, in the way of financial aid. It would take an awful lot of money shuffling, for probably a fairly minimal pay- out to make it worth all the bad PR and difficulties caused by officially divorcing and remarrying. If they were doing it just for one persons possible financial aid. Not that they seem to think things through....but if they did, it seems like a bad risk.

[sorchah]

I have a question about Mormon sealings and divorce. One of the attractions of Mormonism is supposed to be the idea of "forever families" that are sealed to each other for eternity. But what about divorce? Can a woman be sealed to more than one husband or does she have to get the Mormon equivalent of an annulment if she divorces and remarries? I ask this because Christine used to be married to Meri's brother and Robyn was married to David Jessop. Kody and the Sister Wives have said that divorce isn't an option in their religion but that's clearly not true, as Christine and Robyn show. So what's the real deal here? :think: :liar: :shifty-kitty:

It's Janelle that was married to Meri's brother.

As I understand it from my knowledge of LDS beliefs, the woman is sealed forever and for all eternity to her first husband. Remarriages of women are not officially sealed. It is very rare to get "unsealed." However a man can be sealed to any number of wives in succession. In the LDS church, of course, they cannot be at the same time, but technically a man married more than once will have multiple wives in the celestial kingdom. A man can get permission to get more than one sealing, while a woman must have hers cancelled (which is almost unheard of). I would hazard a guess in thinking that the AUB is perhaps a bit more flexible in this because they are a smaller organization and therefore it would be easier to have friends in high places.

[Alice_Fraggle]

I just had a flashback. Didn't Robyn once get upset because if she died her kids would have to leave the family? And she wants them to stay with the sister wives. Maybe they worked something out with bio dad. He signs over his rights. They tell him he doesnt have to pay child support ever again. The kids still visit him. Kody adopts them and they're secured in the Brown family.

Do you think that Robyn may be ill, and that's why she's worried? Not that I want her to be sick, but that would make sense as to why they're concerned about this NOW. :think:

[BrownieMomma]

I am just going to put this out there - I don't think there is such a thing as a legal stepparent. I have dealt with step-issues for many years and generally, stepparents have no legal rights or responsibilities.

Many employers allow stepchildren to be on the insurance. Maybe it's the insurance companies that allow it. Employers will allow sick time for stepkids. There are ways in which stepparents can provide for stepchildren, however what they *can* do it different than being responsible to do it.

As far as things like making decisions regarding education, medical care, religion... stepparents generally will have no legal rights.

The parents are still the parents. Unless Kody adopts Robyn's children, legally their father remains David Jessop and Kody should not have any sort of legal rights or precedence over Jessop. At least, legally, now maybe under their religious thinking all of them are okay with Kody taking over as the father in which case Jessop should terminate his rights.

Sorry but this just seems like a shitty thing to do to the kids, terminating rights means the legal relationship never existed but maybe truly Jessop is on board with it.

So all Christine and Janelle have to do is find another man and they could remove Kody as the father of their children.

[polecat]

Do you think that Robyn may be ill, and that's why she's worried? Not that I want her to be sick, but that would make sense as to why they're concerned about this NOW. :think:

That would certainly explain why she looked so haggard on the last few episodes. I was thinking she was stressed about something, but she may be ill. I hope that's not the case, for her sake but most definitely for the sake of her children.