Kody Brown once dreamed of living harmoniously as a married polygamous man, but that dream came crashing down very suddenly in the last two years after he spent decades growing his family.
The Sister Wives star, 54, was once “spiritually married” to four women: Christine Brown, Janelle Brown, Robyn Brown and Meri Brown. Today, 44-year-old Robyn is his only wife left standing after his three other wives left him in a span of 14 months.
Now finding himself unexpectedly monogamous, Kody’s vision for his future has shifted.
“The idea of ever marrying again after the experience I’ve had, there’s no reason for me to do that,” Kody says in this week’s issue of PEOPLE. “I feel like I’ve hit the bottom of a deep swimming pool, but I’ve pushed off and am headed to the surface.”
TLC’s Sister Wives Reflect on the ‘Domino Effect’ That Toppled 3 of Kody’s 4 Marriages in 14 Months (Exclusive)
TLC
Going into plural marriage, Kody and his four wives envisioned it as a blissful experience. But they were met with turmoil at practically every step, from jealousy between the wives to children feeling neglected to the legal repercussions that polyamorous marriages face.
“I went in with these ideas about how idyllic plural marriage was going to be — but it was really hard,” admits Janelle, 54. “Meri and I clashed on everything. Kody and I were amazing when it was just us, but the family dynamic was really tough.”
‘Sister Wives’ Teaser Goes Inside the Implosion of All but 1 of Kody Brown’s Marriages
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TLC
As Kody’s three ex-wives move forward, they are all trying to keep a positive outlook. Meri, 52, says her future is about “keeping the doors open and saying yes.” Janelle doesn’t “have any regrets,” noting that the “experience is what gave us the life that we have now.”
“I would do it all again,” she adds.
“Just because I left, it doesn’t mean we failed,” says Christine, 51. “It [only] means there’s change.”
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Season 18 of Sister Wives premieres Aug. 20 at 10 p.m. ET on TLC.
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Source: HIS Education