It’s officially over between Sister Wives stars Kody and Meri Brown. The former couple took to social media on Tuesday to release a joint statement on the status of their marriage.
“In light of a recent unapproved press release, we feel compelled to share our own truth, in our own way, and in our own timing,” the former couple writes. “After more than a decade of working on our relationship in our own unique ways, we have made the decision to permanently terminate our marriage relationship.”
The exes note in their statement that they are “committed to kindness and respect toward each other and to all members of our family.”
They signed the statement, “In kindness, Meri and Kody.”
Meri captioned the post on her Instagram, “Today I reclaim my power.”
Despite saying in the recent Sister Wives One-on-One special that Kody had “made the decision” to end their marriage when he made comments on the TLC show about no longer considering himself married to Meri, his first wife claims that this was not her confirming the end to their marriage.
“The information, content, and timing was inaccurate and was based on a highly edited version of events that had been filmed months prior,” Meri writes. “In the months since the taping of those interviews, Kody and I have had many open and honest discussions that have led to our announcement today.”
Meri adds that there is “so much more to be told” and assured her fans she would do so.
“For now, know that there is peace in my heart, and I hold no animosity toward Kody. I am not, and pray that I never will be, in a place where I will enjoy making, or seeing you make, rude and demeaning comments about him,” she adds.
Meri also urges her followers to be aware of the impact of their comments.
“Please be considerate of the fact that we are real people, with real lives, and real emotions. Please try to refrain from congratulating me at the break up of my marriage,” she writes. “I value the relationship I had, and look forward to stepping into 2023 and my future with grace, kindness and power.”
Meri tied the knot with Kody in April 1990. She became his first wife and had always planned to add more wives to the family as she is part of the polygamist faith. The former couple struggled to conceive, but eventually welcomed their child, Leon Brown, in 1995.
She legally divorced Kody in 2014, so he could legally marry his fourth wife, Robyn Brown, in order to adopt her children from a previous relationship. Meri remained spiritually married to Kody after that.
In 2015, Meri was the victim of a catfishing scandal in which she was talking online with someone she believed to be a man, but who was actually a female career criminal.
The incident served to sever the already tenuous relationship between Kody and Meri and they were no longer intimate or even lived together after that.
Despite Meri saying she was sticking things out with Kody, in season 17 of the TLC series, he noted that he no longer considered himself married to her — a claim she later said he never expressed to her.
In addition to the end of his marriage to Meri, Kody and his third wife, Christine Brown, split in late 2021. He is also currently separated from his second wife, Janelle Brown. His only remaining marriage is to his fourth wife, Robyn.