Robyn Brown has been open about the stress she endures in Sister Wives, but fans recall that the polygamist reality star wasn't always this miserable. When viewers were first introduced to Robyn, she had a joyful glow that fans are finding difficult to recognize in season 16. From a challenging relationship with Sister Wives' audience to a possible battle with postpartum depression, these are all of the times that fans think Robyn lost her happiness.
Robyn first joined the Brown family at the start of the Sister Wives series in 2010. The dynamic of Kody's plural marriage was immediately shaken by Robyn's entrance. Most notably, Kody and Robyn were evidently smitten with each other, which irritated the patriarch's first wives, Meri, Janelle, and Christine. Kody and Robyn's affection for one another was so overwhelming that Kody was late to the birth of his and Christine's daughter, Truely. While Christine, Meri, and Janelle struggled to cope with Kody's shifting attention, Robyn appeared to be on cloud nine thanks to her prosperous romance. Over time, however, Robyn's bliss declined sharply and fans noticed that the reality star's personality lost its levity.
Now, instead of being remembered for her energetic induction into the family, Robyn's known for crying all the time. Ever since the coronavirus pandemic rattled the world, the Brown family's already strained relationships have been pushed to the brink of collapse. Robyn has conveyed her discontent with her role in the family, specifically citing that she thinks her fellow sister wives blame her for Kody's unpopular actions. Attentive Sister Wives fans have noticed that Robyn has come a long way from the happy newlywed she was in season 1. An astute Reddit user pointed out, "In the earlier seasons, Robyn looks young, vibrant, and happy... What do you think happened?" Other fans agreed that Robyn has lost her zest for life throughout her decade as a reality star and provided several plausible explanations for her evolving misery. Viewers recalled a shift in Robyn's personality came with her daughter's birth.
On January 10, 2016, Robyn and Kody welcomed their second child together, Ariella. Although the Sister Wives stars were elated to have Kody's eighteenth kid as a part of the ever-expanding Brown family, viewers perceived a change in Robyn's behavior following Ariella's birth. A fan explained, "Idk if [Ariella's] a difficult baby, if there was some [postpartum depression] involved... but she becomes a completely different person after that birth." Postpartum depression is a serious affliction that affects millions of mothers every year and can drastically change a person's personality. On top of potential kid trouble, viewers also shared that the Sister Wives fanbase's incessant criticism of Robyn could've worn away at the reality star. Fans have been so cruel to Robyn that she was forced to abandon social media. A commenter added, "She can't even get online without being harassed...that certainly would get old."
Robyn might not be the fan-favorite sister wife, but even the reality star's critics noticed the steep decline in Robyn's happiness throughout her run in Sister Wives. From the changes that came with the birth of Ariella to the endless hate she receives from fans, there are plenty of milestones that could have caused Robyn's morbid mood. Fans can only hope that Robyn makes a change to ensure that her mental health doesn't continue to decline in future Sister Wives seasons.
Sources: majf444/Reddit, jmctothesecond/Reddit, jgjgjgjgj88/Reddit