'Sister Wives' Sneak Peek: Janelle Says Kody and Robyn Are Keeping the Family Apart as Her Marriage Suffers

Janelle Brown isn't keeping her marital struggles a secret. In ET's exclusive new sneak peek clip for this week's episode of Sister Wives, the mother of six sits down for a deep chat with her pal and sister wife, Christine Brown, who left their husband, Kody Brown, in 2021. 

Christine looks uncomfortable, asking Janelle if she and Kody are "fine," to which Janelle replies, "Um, no." 

"I think what's happened is when everybody moved out, I think it was kind of one of those things where we went, 'Oh, how do we do this, just the two of us?'" Janelle says, referencing her older children, whom she shares with Kody. The mother of six had her last child graduate high school this past spring. 

"I don't know what to do. We're both sort of like, 'OK, do we keep working for this?'" Janelle admits to Christine's surprise. "He seems so set about the kids respecting him and my kids are like, 'What?'"

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Kody has previously spoken out about his frustrations surrounding his and Janelle's children. Many of Kody's older kids have had a falling out with him in the wake of the Brown family patriarch's COVID rules and protocols, claiming the polygamist was using the pandemic as an excuse to show favoritism toward his wife, Robyn Brown. 

In the clip, Janelle says that since Kody and Robyn both got COVID, they have now focused on her sons' disrespect as the reason the family can't get together.  

"Now that's their new drum. It's the new excuse to keep everybody apart," Janelle tells Christine, reflecting on the family's argument over getting together for the holidays. "Kody is so angry about this. He's getting angrier and angrier, and he's getting sharper and sharper, and he's getting more black and white with me."

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"Ew, really?" Christine replies. 

In her confessional interview, Janelle seems unwilling to give the relationship with Kody more of her effort considering the fact that their children have moved out and that they are at different places in life. 

"I'm not going to sit here and try to put together this relationship post-children leaving when there's not a whole lot in common," she explains. "I don't even know who this guy is anymore, and I don't see that it's worth the work anymore." 

When Christine asks Janelle to clarify what that all means, Janelle says, "We're not getting divorced. We're not walking away, but I don't know what to do."

Telling Janelle she's "so sorry," Christine adds in her aside interview, "Her and Kody, I didn't think they were that bad. Gosh, things are pretty rough right now."

Fans of the show know that Janelle and Kody announced their separation during the show's One-on-One special in January 2023. Janelle has since described herself as "single," saying her marriage to Kody is "over," but Kody has claimed that he still hopes to reconcile with his ex. 

Kody's first wife, Meri Brown, also ended her marriage to him this past January, making Robyn his only remaining wife.  

New episodes of Sister Wives air Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on TLC. 

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