The status of Kody Brown's plural marriage has been questionable for the past few Sister Wives seasons, and now that Christine has decided to leave the famous clan, fans are curious about what goes into a polygamous divorce. Kody and his wives have historically attempted to change or avoid the law, so viewers are naturally curious as to how the patriarch and his former spiritual wife will resolve their breakup. From the legal complications to their religious protocol, here's everything there is to know about how divorce works for plural marriages like Kody's.
Unfortunately, many Sister Wives fans saw the demise of Kody and Christine's marriage miles away. Ever since the Browns started their journey on reality television and welcomed Kody's fourth and favorite wife, Robyn, into their plural marriage, the patriarch's connection with Christine has been on the decline. The first significant indication of their marriage's downfall was when Kody was late for the birth of his and Christine's daughter, Truely, because he was spending time with Robyn. Another pivotal turning point in the polygamous pair's relationship was when Kody coldly suggested Christine allow their daughter, Ysabel, to get intense spine surgery on her own. Fans agree that the largest incentive for Christine to end her spiritual marriage was to fulfill her dream of leaving Kody's Coyote Pass property and returning to Utah.
Although most of the Brown family's followers anticipated Christine's departure from Kody's plural marriage, others didn't think there would ever be a day that one of the sister wives parted from the polygamous crew. First off, fans doubted that any of the wives had the gumption to abandon Kody and their fellow sister wives. Kody and Meri haven't had a loving marriage for years, but the reality star has stayed despite all logical compelling Meri to quit the relationship. Another reason why viewers were apprehensive about Christine leaving the Brown family is the perplexing notion of divorce within plural marriage. A divorce between a monogamous reality television couple is confusing enough, and it's difficult to imagine what goes into the breakdown of a marriage that's tied to three other relationships. Fortunately, Kody and Christine's 23-year-old son, Paedon, offered some clarity for fans.
On Instagram, Paedon answered fans' questions about what the future has in store for his parents' breakup. Paedon started by establishing that Kody and Christine's marriage has never been recognized by the law. Initially, Kody's only legal wife was Meri, but the polygamist divorced his first wife to legally marry Robyn in 2010. Since they've never been legally wed, Kody and Christine don't have to take the traditional divorce route and will leave dividing their assets to themselves. Although their marriage wasn't lawful, Kody and Christine's relationship is accepted by their church. Paedon explained that his parents will have to seek a spiritual divorce through their church, just as they began their spiritual marriage through one. Paedon did not divulge where Kody and Christine are in the process of completing their spiritual divorce or what steps go into the church accepting their split.
Kody and Christine had a complicated relationship throughout their run in Sister Wives, but the pair's split might be even more complex than their tumultuous marriage. From having to split up their assets on their own to needing the church to approve their spiritual divorce, Kody and Christine have some work to do before their relationship is done for good. Fans are set to learn even more about polygamous divorce as Kody and Christine's marriage comes to an end in Sister Wives.