Sister Wives 7: One Down and Three to Go

[apandaaries]

15 hours ago, Cults-r-us said:

 But why did he get to keep her when he had no proof of custody, either?

Possession in nine-tenths of the law. No cop wants to or will get between two parents without a custody agreement. It’s above their pay grade and up to a judge. 
I absolutely agree that it sucks, but to the cop, the child was simply remaining with a parent. Had the law operated according to Kody’s (lack of) logic, the state would have taken custody of the child in the absence of a custody agreement. But that’s not how that works. It’s not how any of this works. 

Kody has a simplistic view of custody, likely due to his simple mind and use of biased media. He’s also comfortable weaponizing his ignorance. Custody agreements are for the benefit of the child/ren, to ensure that they can maintain contact with both parents AND to ensure that the child/ren lives in conditions which are generally equal — so no visiting Robyn’s million dollar home, then returning to a trailer (perhaps) with Christine. Parents often use children as weapons during divorce, and the courts are attempting to level the playing field. It’s not great; there are tons of issues; money often dominates the conversation. But it’s better than it was. 🤷‍♀️ And it’s to prevent asswipes like Kody from financially abandoning their children, as a last resort. 
Personally, I hope Christine gets custody (on paper— she’s always been the primary provider) and child support. Then I’d like Kody’s license to get revoked for nonpayment Of support, as I imagine he’d treat that expense like every other bill in his life. 
@Cults-r-us I hope you got everything you needed on paper and that things worked out.

[Cults-r-us]

22 minutes ago, apandaaries said:

@Cults-r-us I hope you got everything you needed on paper and that things worked out.

Yes, I did. Unlike Kody, my ex actually provided child care but he didn't want it full time! He was on the phone wanting her picked up after about 2 days. 

If Kody wants shared custody, it would be Robin providing hospitality and accommodations for Truly. (Didn't Mykelti stay with Robin for a while?) I can't imagine, except to spite Christine, that he's going to put effort into making shared custody work.

[patsymae]

On 10/26/2022 at 2:45 AM, TuringMachine said:

I know, I was just pointing out how obviously untrue this should be to everyone in that family. Kody is very clearly just trying to use Truely to hold onto some control over Christine. Also he wants a legal custody agreement but doesn't want to go through the courts? How does that work exactly, Kody? 

Ironically I'm pretty sure his best option for preventing Christine from moving to Utah with Truely would have been to get a custody agreement through the courts before they left Arizona. But of course Kody doesn't actually give a shit.

For Christine's sake I kinda hope she does get a formal agreement in place on the off chance Truely does visit, so Kody can't do what happened @Cults-r-us

Oh, I didn't get the sarcasm. Sorry. Yeah, good luck on that, Kody. Never married the mother, never had a separate support agreement with her, couldn't be bothered to leave beloved actual legal wife to tend to or visit Truely's sister when she was having major surgery--not sure what kind of legal defense this douche thinks he has. Co-signed (or something) for a house where six of his children and their mother lived, and now he wants that back? 
I agree, I would love to see Christine get a formal agreement in place. One, so Kody can't pull anything if Truely visits (although I think she is old enough, the law is clear enough, and Christine despite what I used to think) is savvy enough that he won't be able to try and hold her (and then, as you note, he'd have to actually do something with her). But maybe she can get him on the hook for medical bills and education.

[Pecansforeveryone]

There is a beautiful picture of Janelle and her kids with the bride and groom at Logan's wedding. No Kody in sight. I think it's pretty telling Kody was seated in the second row with Robin rather than next to Janelle, especially since they are technically still married. As Reditt said, I conclude tell me you are separated without telling me you are separated. 

[Cults-r-us]

3 hours ago, Pecansforeveryone said:

There is a beautiful picture of Janelle and her kids with the bride and groom at Logan's wedding. No Kody in sight. I think it's pretty telling Kody was seated in the second row with Robin rather than next to Janelle, especially since they are technically still married. As Reditt said, I conclude tell me you are separated without telling me you are separated. 

Of course, he is actively shunning Christine, who sat with the family.

[Letgo]

How is Kody expecting a “50/50 custody” arrangement when Truly will be living in another state and attends school for 9 months of the year? And then there’s the fact Christine pointed out regarding Kody not being interested enough to do that when Truly lived in the same town! Truly has never actually lived with Kody. He used to spend one night out of three or four in Christine’s home, depending on where/when it was. However, in Flagstaff he seems to have  mostly lived with Robyn, especially since early 2020. I kind of think moving out of the cul de sac in LV has allowed Kody more latitude in where he spends his time. After moving to Flagstaff the wives talked about how they don’t see each other and don’t talk much. They lived in different homes not near each other which enabled Kody to stay wherever he wanted. And if the wives aren’t communicating? Freedom!

I hope Janelle got to keep her 5th wheel. I don’t understand the attitude Kody and some other family members had about it. They made it sounds like she was living in a cardboard box. We have a 5th wheel that is smaller than Janelle’s and it’s very comfortable and plenty large enough for two. Kody sure jumped on the excuse that he wasn’t going to stay in such a small place where he “wouldn’t be comfortable” when he could stay in a house and have more room. I think he’s just trying to explain to viewers why he lives with Robyn. He’s already effectively dumped Meri, Christine is moving out of state, so only Janelle remains to blame/abandon. 

[waltraute]

By their standards, Janelle and Kody are married. Janelle is Kody's wife, and yet he didn't sit with her during their son's wedding. It's not like an ex-wife situation - she is a current wife. If they aren't comfortable sitting together during a momentous occasion for their shared offspring, well, that speaks volumes. 

Robin can screech all she wants that she isn't the favorite but the optics on this is telling.

[GracieLou Free Duggar]

On 10/29/2022 at 5:57 PM, Letgo said:

They made it sounds like she was living in a cardboard box. 

If anyone other than Robyn's kids would have called Savannah's bed the dog bed, they would have been reprimanded... but Princess Robyn and her kids don't have to listen to the rules.

[Cults-r-us]

5 hours ago, GracieLou Free Duggar said:

If anyone other than Robyn's kids would have called Savannah's bed the dog bed, they would have been reprimanded... but Princess Robyn and her kids don't have to listen to the rules.

True. The Robyn daughter is a ridiculous Robyn mini-me.

But you guys! Did you watch Sister Wives Sunday? Most of the gist we were shown all week in trailers. But in Robyn and Meri's bizarre little chat about how horrible and traitorous it was for Christine to leave the bosom of their warm family locus came this tidbit Christine talked about leaving them before they moved to Flagstaff. So, how did this become known?

So did Kody talk to Christine about her feelings at that time? No, he and Robyn take Christine as their unknowing emotional hostage, put her on probation without telling her why, be mad at her, distance theirselves from her, treat her as 2nd class, and then be shocked, shocked I tell you, she dumps their stupid ass. 

And still they are the injured parties! Just ask them! Somehow dysfunction is not a sufficiently descriptive term for these people. Mazel tov Christine!

[gustava]

Are Leon and Audrey still together?

[samurai_sarah]

I'm catching up, and am on season 11, episode 1. And I'm aghast at Kody's answer to Christine asking him why he would want her to stay. He answers: "Because I'm supposed to".

That would be a reason for me to run! If my favourite person in the world would ever tell me that they stick around for duty, I wouldn't want to be with them. I'm a lot of things, but I will never be someone's obligation. How demeaning, how belittling, how utterly humiliating is it to hear that you're someone's duty?!?

[GracieLou Free Duggar]

3 hours ago, gustava said:

Are Leon and Audrey still together?

Leon and Audrey were sitting next to each other in the first row next to Meri at Logan's wedding

Quote

But in Robyn and Meri's bizarre little chat about how horrible and traitorous it was for Christine to leave the bosom of their warm family locus came this tidbit Christine talked about leaving them before they moved to Flagstaff. So, how did this become known?

Who do I think started this? I think one of the kids/nanny (like Mindy) heard something taken out of context and then it grew. Because only Kody and Robyn have kept on with the ridiculous rumor but they have been vague and perpetuating it. However, they never point to a specific time. 

[Cults-r-us]

On 11/1/2022 at 10:32 AM, GracieLou Free Duggar said:

 

Who do I think started this? I think one of the kids/nanny (like Mindy) heard something taken out of context and then it grew. Because only Kody and Robyn have kept on with the ridiculous rumor but they have been vague and perpetuating it. However, they never point to a specific time. 

Anybody been watching the trailers for Sunday's show? 

This week, Kody and his wives meet to discuss Christine's move. Kody, Meri and Robyn, all of whom have little relationship with Christine, are livid pissed she is leaving them. They are upset about the injury and lack of fealty to "the family" (which is probably code for "the brand"). Again, Robyn and Meri do not associate with Christine.

I probably got fired up last week watching this because I experienced these same dynamics at my previous job. They pick a target, play mean girl pile-on, make non-issues into issues, then demonize their target and blame them for problems long after their departure. This is the game plan with Christine.

So the non-issue the Browns are trying to enliven is whether Christine was unhappy in her marriage way back in Las Vegas. Robyn and Kody are amnesiac about all the marriage counseling and episodes chronicling Christine's misery. Kody is assed-up Maddie told him (when he asked) that Christine had been unhappy. Robyn's (and Kody's) lividity was so out of proportion to the actual issue, Robyn even hissing at Christine that she was "lying". By staying mad and demonizing Christine, they can blame her for the kids not liking Kody or any other issues for which they want a scape goat. 

My question to you guys is what do you think is real and what is storyline? They seem short on storyline because nothing much is going on (Christine has gone, the kids are grown). Robyn being filmed sitting on her bench in the brambles of coyote patch stalking Janell seemed contrived, as did the whole R.V. experiment. The R.V. was a lot of trouble for the little bit of storyline it generated, so maybe it was a real story?

Anyhow, we all tune in on Sundays to hate us some Kody and generally we fail to warm up to Robyn. These latest episodes do not present her as a sympathetic character, even as she expresses her feelings of loss. She just seems selfish, lacking empathy and toxic. No wonder Christine seems so relieved to escape!

[Baxter]

I think Janelle getting the RV wasn't just a storyline. Janelle has mentioned several times over the years that she would be happy with that sort of lifestyle. What I'm most interested in is if she too has left Kody since Kody wasn't sitting with her at their child's wedding. I really hope she has. Janelle and Christine were the only good parts of that show. They need to get far far away from toxic Kody, Robyn and Meri. 

[Cults-r-us]

12 minutes ago, Baxter said:

I think Janelle getting the RV wasn't just a storyline. Janelle has mentioned several times over the years that she would be happy with that sort of lifestyle. What I'm most interested in is if she too has left Kody since Kody wasn't sitting with her at their child's wedding. I really hope she has. Janelle and Christine were the only good parts of that show. They need to get far far away from toxic Kody, Robyn and Meri. 

Their behavior is interesting (I guess that's why we keep watching!). Christine and Kody are counter-balanced: the happier, more unburdened Christine gets, the more Kody goes off the rails. If Kody, Meti and Robyn are working themselves up to shun Christine, what's the point? They already don't associate with Christine or her kids.

[Baxter]

34 minutes ago, Cults-r-us said:

Their behavior is interesting (I guess that's why we keep watching!). Christine and Kody are counter-balanced: the happier, more unburdened Christine gets, the more Kody goes off the rails. If Kody, Meti and Robyn are working themselves up to shun Christine, what's the point? They already don't associate with Christine or her kids.

Yeah at this point I get the feeling Christine would be fine if she never saw Kody, Robyn or Meri again. Christine and Janelle always seemed like the heart of the family so it's not surprising that they still see each other. 

While I find it sort of entertaining to watch Kody lose it. I doubt I would have kept watching if I didn't at least sort of like some of the people. 

[LacyMay]

I don't think the RV was just for the show. She's made comments before about enjoying that type of thing and I genuinely think that having all of that land just sitting there bothered her. 

I think the sentiments expressed in the mean girl pile on session were real BUT the discussion itself was probably set up for the show. I don't think Janelle wanted to have Maddy singled out like that. 

[apandaaries]

The RV seems to be part of some dream of Janelle‘s. She seems to genuinely want a more pioneer-type of lifestyle, with gardens and greenhouses (and of that’s how she relaxes after winning bread for the big family each day, more power to her). I also think she underestimated the daily issues involved with it, since they lack water on the property. But after living in such big, complicated home structures, I can see the appeal of a small, manageable living space with great views. I also don’t think the RV issues would have been as significant with more family help, as she used to receive. But her boys are growing up and have other obligations, and Kody is as useless as ever.

What I did get out of the scene of Kody, Janelle, and Gabe leveling the RV is that Kody is jealous of and competitive with his sons. Gabe has dealt with the RV; Kody doesn’t appear to have done so. Gabe has knowledge about how to level it; Kody is a mass of angry nerves about to explode.

Now, that’s not a great scene, but it’s stressful. However, Kody remains an ass in the talking head: “Gabe doesn’t know this trailer! He hasn’t read the manual!”  Kody is projection-central at this point.  His accusations are confessions in disguise. 
All of the kids are curious, intelligent, and motivated (kudos to the mom crew of Christine and Janelle, the only MVPs), but wasn’t Gabe especially mechanically focused? Wasn’t he the one Janelle had to specifically instruct not to take apart everything in the house to see how stuff works? (Please correct me if I’m mistaken.) 

Gabe has already fiddled with the RV and Kody apparently has not. Gabe, to me, has signs of what I call an “engineer’s brain” —- someone who enjoys tinkering with mechanical stuff and often improves or creates things with their know-how.  (I’ve only watched a few Plathville episodes, but Ethan also has that engineer vibe, as an example.)  

Kody comes off as remarkably aggressive in that scene. He doesn’t want to learn about leveling the RV from Gabe, and he doesn’t want any other information from Gabe, either.  He is just so rude, and so loud about it, too. 
I suspect he’s jealous of and intimidated by Gabe’s wealth of knowledge.
 

Should he think a bit more deeply, the scene also reveals that Janelle’s son has been helping her more than her husband. And that he, her husband, advocated for kicking out their sons.  

Kody spends much of his time there venting at Janelle and Gabe. Janelle even tried to quietly manage Gabe to (presumably) prevent Kody from exploding. Kody remains tense and irritated throughout the whole scene, and continues to behave like a toddler denying responsibility in his talking head. 
Kody was kicked out by his father right as he came of age, correct? I suspect he’s redirecting decades-old rage at his father towards his sons. He seems to now be repeating unaddressed traumas, as often happens. Certainly not an excuse, but possibly an explanation.

Regardless, I felt terrible for Gabe’s treatment by his father. Again. Kody is such a shitty parent. All those kids deserve better. Any claims of staying “for the family” are negated by the fact that Kody is an awful father. Possibly Robyn’s children have a caring, active, involved dad, but I don’t know. We don’t really see them. What we do consistently see is Kody being utterly abominable towards most of his wives and kids, then complaining that he’s been maligned and mistreated.  In actuality, his behavior and favoritism is blatantly obvious and his family is reacting accordingly. 

[displayname]

Lol if you Google Kody Brown, under his is name "Christine Brown's Ex-husband" Ha!

Edited November 7, 2022 by displayname

[Cults-r-us]

Ok, you guys. First, a positive episode for some (Christine), and a sad abd troubling episode for others.

First, let us snark on Kody and his divorce rhetoric. It is ok for Kody to announce (on national TV) he feels divorced from Meri because she is "ew, ick" and he doesn't like her. However, it is not ok for Christine to announce she is divorced from Kody because he is "ew, ick" and she doesn't like him.

The Browns feel Christine should return to the church from which they were expelled in 2015 after Meri's unfortunate catfishing scandal and request a divorce from her spiritual marriage to which there is no paperwork. This would involve, apparently, a shitload of paperwork and many hours of counseling. Plus, I am guessing they could deny Christine her request to divorce, and she would be stuck with patriarch Kody. 

It is curious the Browns are culturally committed to the UAB to which they no longer attend and a religion they no longer practice. I have no response as this is as it is (a) obviously insane and (b) a trap to delay Christine's departure from their dysfunction. Mazel tov to Christine, for ignoring these demands.

How come they act like this? I dunno. But I believe it is standard operating procedure for cult members to talk shit on anybody trying to leave so maybe it is cultural?

Meanwhile, Kodoosch disavowing his children, on national TV. This is so not ok. Kody does not seem to be emotionally  attached to (except Robyn's) his children. I'd say Mykelti was lucky to have him pay for her taco bar, because that ship has sailed as far as him being engaged in his childrens' lives.

The happy reunion of Christine, Ysabel and Truely with Hunter at Maddie's and her family, now that is family! This dour complaining of Robyn and Meri (who have no relationship with each other or anybody else) complaining about the damage to their family culture when they make no efforts to build bridges or make relationships with the other wives/children us toxic, as is their subservience to carrying out Kody's grudge campaigns.

 

 

[TuringMachine]

The four reactions to Christine letting everyone know she's moving in a week:

1. Kody - Why does you leaving me mean I can't control your life anymore! That's not fair!
2. Robyn - I can't believe you'd want to leave this incredible loving family! Also our family isn't incredible and loving, but only because for some reason your children refuse to be happy with clearly not being their father's favorites.
3. Meri - I'm strong because Kody treats me way worse but I'm staying.
4. Janelle - OMG congratulations! 

[Cults-r-us]

Anybody have a guess what would have happened if Christine submitted to the authority of the AUB requesting a divorce.

[gustava]

10 hours ago, TuringMachine said:

The four reactions to Christine letting everyone know she's moving in a week:

1. Kody - Why does you leaving me mean I can't control your life anymore! That's not fair!
2. Robyn - I can't believe you'd want to leave this incredible loving family! Also our family isn't incredible and loving, but only because for some reason your children refuse to be happy with clearly not being their father's favorites.
3. Meri - I'm strong because Kody treats me way worse but I'm staying.
4. Janelle - OMG congratulations! 

Did Janelle really say that??  If so, WOW!

[displayname]

1 hour ago, Cults-r-us said:

Anybody have a guess what would have happened if Christine submitted to the authority of the AUB requesting a divorce.

Wouldn't they be turned away? They either left or got kicked out according to sources.

BUT now that I think about it, Christine's family was considered "royalty" in the church, so I could see them granting the request only to try and stick her with another man in the church.

[Cults-r-us]

2 hours ago, gustava said:

Did Janelle really say that??  If so, WOW!

I think Janell said "yay" when Christine's house sold, and she's been supportive of Christine, but I didn't hear a literal "OMG congratulations" from Janell.