Sister Wives’ Christine Brown Says She and Ex Kody Are Distant Cousins

Christine Brun is no longer married to Kody Brownbut she confirmed the Sister Wives that they are still linked — by blood!

“Growing up, I knew I would have to marry a convert because I was literally related to everyone in the Church,” Christine, 53, explained to her husband: David Woolleyduring the Sunday, December 28 episode of the TLC series.

She then revealed, “I married a convert, but I was still related to him too. Yeah, I’m related to Kody.”

Christine, who grew up in a polygamous householdnoted that she is a distant cousin of Kody, to whom she was spiritually married. from 1994 to 2021.

“Once removed, third cousins ​​are completely legal. Completely,” she said with a laugh. “Polygamy is not legal. I am a third cousin once removed from Kody.”

David, 61 years old, was speechlessonly muttering a “wow” after hearing about his wife’s family relationship with her ex-husband.

Christine’s former sister – and still close friend/family member – Janelle Brownhowever, stated that it was a running joke in their household that Kody and Christine were a family before they got married.

“There was always this joke about [how] “They were cousins, but they’re so distantly related it’s ridiculous,” Janelle, 56, told the cameras. “I think in polygamous families, this kind of thing happens all the time.”

Janelle clarified: “It wasn’t the kind of relationship you’d see each other at a family reunion, it was a very distant relationship. But they always joked that they were cousins. It’s just a little community.”

Janelle knows how small the world of polygamy can be because of her own family ties.

Before marrying Kody in 1993, Janelle was married to Meri Brunthe brother of, Adam Barbierfor two years. (Meri, 54, was Kody’s first wife, whom he married in 1990. The couple confirmed their separation in January 2023.)

“I think we could have lived together physically, actually lived together for about six months,” Janelle said of her marriage to Adam during a November 2024 appearance on the show “Reality-Life with Kate Casey» Podcast, teasing it “calls” it a “starter marriage.”

Janelle’s family ties didn’t stop there, as her late mother, Sheryl Usherwas spiritually married to Kody’s late father, Winn Brownafter meeting through the couple.

“My mother came to save me from polygamists because none of her daughters were going to marry some of them into some crazy cult,” Janelle recalled in an interview. November episode of Sister Wives. “And she ended up marrying Kody’s dad.”

Sheryl and Winn married in 1992, a year before Janelle became Kody’s second wife. Sheryl and Winn remained in a plural marriage until his death in 2013. Janelle, meanwhile, confirmed her separation from Kody in December 2022.

While Christine’s connection with Kody might surprise some, it wasn’t the only focus of this week’s episode. Kody eventually traveled to Cedar City, Utah to meet with Meri and complete his self-proclaimed apology tour of his ex-wives.

The conversation was awkward at best, with Meri and Kody arguing more than once during their time together. While Meri was at odds with Kody raise your friends“Having allegedly spoken poorly of himself, he attempted to refocus attention on his apology.

“Listen, [an] the apology is so necessary here because it’s still so toxic. And I apologize for that,” Kody told Meri at one point, referring to their constant bickering.

Meri asked bluntly, “Are you apologizing for being toxic to me, or are you just being general?” to which Kody replied, “Yes, I apologize for being toxic to you, Meri, or for being toxic to you.”

As Kody continued to use the word “apologize,” it ate away at his former first wife.

“You need to stop with the word ‘excuse’. The more you use it, the more it doesn’t seem sincere” Meri shared, noting that it “doesn’t trigger her,” but it “validates that it doesn’t feel like it’s a sincere conversation.”

Meri explained: “Your use of the word ‘apologize’ seems very extreme and very forced to me.

Kody confessed, “I’m actually uncomfortable, Meri. I triggered it the minute we got together. I apologize for that.”

Despite much exchange between the two men, they ended the conversation with a hug – but very different feelings about what had happened.

“From now on, I hope the swords are down. If we can move forward into the future, just making sure that we’re very nice, maybe we can stay in good places with each other,” Kody told the cameras.

Meri, meanwhile, revealed, “I’m not sure at this point, you know, what any of that means. There’s been a lot of things throughout this divorce process, throughout the property process, things that I’ve since discovered. But it doesn’t affect me. I don’t listen to what he says.”

Sister Wives airs on TLC Sundays at 10 p.m. ET.