Kody Brown's plural family is comprised of several complicated relationships in Sister Wives, and one of the most relentless stalemates is between fellow sister wives Meri and Janelle. Typically, fans are fixated on Kody's decomposing connections with his four partners, but the consistent discord between Meri and Janelle has garnered more attention recently. From Janelle's awkward introduction to the Brown clan to fighting over the pond plot of Kody's land, here's why Meri and Janelle will never get along in Sister Wives.
It's easy to gloss over the issues Meri and Janelle have with one another due to the glaring problems caused by Kody's relationships with his other sister wives, Christine and Robyn. Ever since Kody tied the knot with his fourth and favorite wife, Robyn, the polygamist has neglected his first trio of wives. By prioritizing Robyn for 16 seasons, Kody has left Meri, Janelle, and Christine emotionally exhausted. Meri was so devastated by her marriage's deterioration that she developed an online relationship with a catfish. While it might be in the reality stars' best interests to band together against their common enemies, Meri and Janelle have continued to endure a disconnect that has existed before they even became sister wives.
Unfortunately, all of the Brown family's dysfunctional relationships are reaching a boiling point in Sister Wives season 3. On top of Christine gearing up to leave Kody for her dream of returning to Utah, the polygamous spouses have argued over their new home on Kody's Coyote Pass plot of land. Specifically, all of the sister wives want to have access to the portion of the property with a pond. Sadly, the pond has brought the underlying rift between Meri and Janelle to the forefront as the pair can't agree who should claim the patch of land. The pair might never get close because they see each other as contenders for Kody's attention. Some fans think the duo's argument about the pond has to do with Janelle's jealousy. On Reddit, one viewer theorized, "ANYTIME we see Kody and Meri doing an iota better Janelle swoops in with drama."
Although they're getting heated about this current issue, Sister Wives fans have observed issues between Meri and Janelle from the start. As one Reddit user explained, "I don’t think they ever really got along..wasn’t Janelle married to Meri’s brother before Kody?" Janelle met Kody because she was married to Meri's brother. Surely, abandoning Meri's sibling for Kody was a difficult pill for the reality star to swallow. As if Janelle leaving Meri's brother for her husband wasn't enough of a slap in the face, another commenter recalled that Janelle "tried to marry Kodi on Meri’s bday." While their past is certainly bizarre enough to set the foundation for a feud, fans also believe Janelle is calculated in her rivalry with Meri. A viewer speculated that Janelle keeps fighting with Meri because "Janelle is playing that long game!! I believe she intends to be the last one standing!"
Regrettably, Meri and Janelle's dispute over the pond property is only the tip of the iceberg rocking the sister wives' relationship. From Janelle's strange transition into the Brown family to the pair's competitive efforts to win their husband's affection, the television personalities have decades of issues to sort through before they can get along. Hopefully, Meri and Janelle can build a bridge and get over the pond of issues poisoning their sisterhood in Sister Wives.
Sources: kayl6/Reddit, BrightDay85/Reddit, unclericostan/Reddit, hypatia0803/Reddit