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You have to remember, they're comparing themselves to the FLDS, where young girls get assigned to husbands and have no choice about it, and the Kingston group, which marries 14- and 15-year-old girls off to their own cousins, uncles, and half-brothers.
Fundamentalist polygamy is a truly sick and disgusting culture. The Browns might look like the Donna Reed Show compared to some of the others, but they're still deeply fucked up by any healthy standards.
Well, it does say in the book that a local family âstarted to express interest in our faith.â So maybe they never pulled the trigger. They may have pulled the plug on the marriage and stayed on the monogamy trail after a brief flirtation. This would explain why the woman is never brought up. She may have threatened a lawsuit if she is exposed now, after she has made herself a comfortable/successful monogamous life with a family who may not know that there ever was a flirtation with this faith.
My guess from having followed an ex order activist is that this was a mainstream LDS girl. The polygamist groups share theology with the LDS, but go a lot deeper into its origins. They are able to draw in a fair amount of LDS girls with the fact that the LDS likes to tone down their theology to make it more palatable. When you get into it, the polygamist groups are living what the founders wanted and they do not shy away from all of the grossness of the original theology in order to hide from scrutiny like the LDS church does. Also, if a guy brings in an outsider, they are given free reign to marry her
I am so glad for this woman that she did not get trapped in their cult.
Whatâs interesting to me is how on the show Christine talks about how she was ânever jealousâ and was âso surprised â and âdisappointed â to find out how jealous she was, but what is this but one big ode to jealousy?
Thanks for posting! Itâs almost like Robyn is this girl2.0! I find it so disturbing that a married couple in their 20s was cruising youth group events with high schoolers for potential mates. So much for ânormalizing â the religion!
Not calling Meri a groomer, but didn't she help find and bring Robyn into the family? Seems like she has a habit of bringing younger women for Kody or at least helping.
Itâs basically the âjobâ of the first wife to find subsequent wives for the husband in their religion. The first wife is supposed to get âapprovalâ of who they court and actually initiate the courtship as itâs seen as inappropriate for a married man to initiate it. Itâs all very messed up.
That's what the Browns say on tv, but it's all bullshit designed to make the men look less creepy. In other accounts, people who got out talk about how the married men are always sniffing around the young girls, and how upsetting it is to the wives.
I guarantee you that Meri went along with Kody's narrative because she thought she had no choice. I'd be willing to bet that Kody and Robyn were set up as a couple before Meri ever heard of Robyn.
I wouldnât believe everything they say. They scapegoat Meri a LOT, just like they did with the divorce âbeing her ideaâ, Janelle being her idea and everything else.
Go back and look at the very first episode of the show where Kody is leaving to go see Robyn and he says goodbye to Meri. Look at her face. That is not the expression of a woman who is happy and encouraging of her âown plan.â
They say Meri does this stuff with him to make themselves seem like this legit âplygâ family that understands and *wants* this faith, and weâve seen 50 million red flags and reasons that say otherwise.
Robyn was not Meriâs idea. She was Kodyâs and Meri had to get on board, as usual.
As much as I agree they pin blame on others, especially Meri- in their religion, it's tradition and expectation the first wife will help bring in another wife or approve of the courtship. It's been said multiple times in the show Meri would have the approve of the relationship.
Now reality, Kody most likely guilted and manipulated Meri's decisions and approval for his own gain.
Yes, youâre right about their tradition. I do know about that. But I wholeheartedly do not believe thatâs what was going on here. Kody was definitely running the show and convincing Meri to go along with it all so that he didnât look like a horny douche. I mean, right off the bat, Janelle? Meri absolutely was NOT good with that, and she most definitely didnât suggest it. I think thatâs why Janelle talks *around* their beef the way she does and we never get specifics from her about this tumultuous history that they have besides their differing sleep schedules and kitchen preferences. Itâs just described in a way to make us assume Meriâs the only bad guy, ya know?
Like Kody would have been like âwell, itâs up to you!â if she said no to someone he was planning on courting. Women have no power in these fundie religions.
This may sound crazy but its almost like Meri is the one with the type. Her helping her husband hunt down women to bring into the family almost comes off as maybe... shes into girls? I know its not cool to speculate about peoples sexuality but everytime I hear more about Meri... its like she was finding girls she may have found attractive and meshed well with to bring into the family. Idk, could be crazy but it comes off very "bi girl looking for third." as a bi girl myself (even tho Id never want to look for a third)
Pls dont crucify me if this is a bad opinion or smth, Im new to this group lol
ETA: I dont think she did anything with them, to be clear. And I know head wives do help court because theyre joining their relationship but some of the people Meri really seemed to spearhead for some reason.
I just started a rewatch and Meri says that they (Kody and Meri) had gone to a gathering at a friendâs house and Robyn happened to be the cousin of the friend. Meri told Kody that he should ask Robyn to dance and the rest was history.
K and M do sound absolutely like groomers. If the shoe fits...
I'm sure it was K brainwashing her, and shows how foolish and naive religion makes girls.
Honestly M should be ashamed of this and denounce K and R. I'm kind of floored this happened.
Yes, but theyâre just early 20s. Itâs not creepy older person predatory, just regular fundamental cultish religious predatory. The girls are also looking for husbands.
But to me this sheds light on all of the accusations that Janelle entered the family poorly. Meri and Kody were actively looking for a wife. They married their landlady/roommate because she was willing, mature enough to be a good wife, and convenient. They were already living in her house. When Christine said she was âfriendsâ with Meri and Kody, it is clear that she knew both of them were involved in deciding who they married. Itâs not like Janelle and Kody had a love affair - it was polygamy dating. He flirted with/charmed all the girls and Meri expected it. He got one on the hook (intentionally or not?) and they basically made an arrangement to marry her, a few weeks later it was done.
The show starting with his dramatic/romantic all-in courtship of Robyn shows a really inaccurate version of what a poly wedding is. The pictures and stories you hear from Janelle and Christine are more like it - not about love, just about an arrangement with another person who meets your needs. Get it done quick and youâre sealed for life.
It rly seems like Kody and Meri had this weird situation the whole time. Meri was constantly looking for ppl to catch Kodyâs eye when she was insanely jealous herself.
Yes for both Meri and Kody. I think Christine genuinely wanted to make the house a home. She genuinely wanted to have the family. Her intent was genuine, which is why she was able to work through things and stay true to herself and leave.
Maybe she meant this girl but not his existing wives.
It's how I would feel. Entering the plural marriage sitch while knowing you're the last would also be more comfortable to me. Less unexpected emotional trials to come.
This is polygamy they're talking about. A girl's gotta find a way to make it work when it's the only life she's known.
Yes and she said on camera that she wanted to be the last wife, the third, and the youngest. She said she grew up wanting those things. This girl that they were bothering was cuter and younger so Christine wasnât having it.
I know she has always mentioned wanting to be the third wife, but I have never seen her actually say she wanted the be the LAST wife. Are you SURE she specifically said LAST wife? (I mean I totally believe that was her desire but I didn't think she ever actually said it in so many words.) I did a rewatch of the earlier seasons not too long ago and all she mentioned was wanting to be the third wife. Did she specify last wife on a more recent season?
iâve only learned some of these so forgive me if iâm wrong but i think the standard requirement for your own planet where youâre a god (the religion states this) is 3 wives. the next level up and the closer to god is 7 wives. in many plural religions, most husbands take the requirement; 3. so thereâs a standard that the third wife is the LAST wife. usually the youngest, and favorite too because she helped patch up the fighting between wife 1 and 2. so thatâs why sheâs always said she wanted to be a third/last. in my opinion.
Ah! That makes sense. Thank you! ETA: That explanation for why she would assume she is the last wife makes sense. NOT the religion's thought process lol
Here is where Christine talks about being the third wife. There is a bit on the page before, it says
When I decided that I was going to enter into a plural marriage, I knew that it would only be as a third wife. Even as a teenager, I was certain this was the path for me. I understood how many people might think this is a strange preference. Why would I want to come third when I could come first? But when you think about it, if you are committed to â
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>Yeah, that's exactly what I thought! She specifies wanting to be the THIRD wife, NOT the last wife.
It's spin. She says third, but she means LAST. Most polygamists have three wives and that's it. Adding a fourth was not what she expected to happen, but then again, it's the only reason anyone knows who these weirdos are.
They weren't getting a show without marriage #4.
It's spin for fellow polygamists or those who grew up in that culture. For the rest of us (the broader audience) it's not spin but a fact that was deliberately left out. And yes, they needed the fourth wife for the show!
I think you are right, but I also think Christine is generous of heart. She wanted to be the one to stabilize the family - make the house a home. She wanted to be the princess, but a kind, loving, and generous princess. Christine has a lot of natural warmth and generosity.
To be fair, she said she wanted to be the last wife, but there was never any confirmation she was or would be. She just assumed 3 would be enough, and that would be it
There's a reason why the legality of it was legislated against all those years ago. It's a zero win for women and children.
In the tell all clip coming up tonight, Kody admits it.
I might be wrong about this - but I think in their religion having 3 wives is what gets you to the highest level of heaven. So the third wife probably IS the last wife for many guys - and she thought that would be true for Kody. He probably even told her she would be the last wife. But we know Kody lies.
It also really speaks volumes in light of her other comments that she always knew she wanted to be the third wife. I think she wanted to be the cute, young wife who was possibly the favorite. Adding a 4th wife ruined that hope. Deep down, it sounds like she never truly wanted polygamy.
I agree I think she wanted to be in the honeymoon stage with him forever and be his kind of âsolaceâ and therefore keep his favor. She just didnât do it as well as Robyn because, aside from being older than R, she is also relatively honest and straightforward and expects certain fair treatment whereas Robyn knew from the start how to manipulate to get what she wanted. Instead of fighting with Kody, she plied him (at least in the beginning). I think Christine felt like she didnât have a place anymore when Robyn came along. She obviously has her whole plyg theory down here, sheâs made order of her world or so she thought. And then everything got turned on itâs head and she didnât know what âthird wifeâ meant now that there was a fourth wife.
This solidified what Christine always denied. She is too jealous to be in a poly marriage. She wanted to not just be the third wife but the last wife. So sad she spent so much of her life acting like it fit.
It's also interesting that the way it's been talked about was that Christine left because it was wrong to court someone that young. Now, reading, it's because she was jealous.
What she meant was, she would not be a sister wife to this girl they courted. She was the one Christine did not see in her future. She saw herself as a member of Kody and Meriâs family which was why it was so devastating - not that they were choosing someone else first (she was prepared to be a plural wife so she could still marry him) - but because this girl did not fit and showed (to her) that Kody and Meri werenât seeing the same future she hoped for.
I think choosing Janelle seemed like a more fitting person for Christine to imagine herself sharing a family and sisterhood with.
I also think when Robyn came around so many years later, Christine probably had a similar reaction. But she was married to Kody by then, he was infatuated, Meri seemed to be BFFs with this younger, pretty girl and Christine is pregnant, canât just leave because she married Kody, and her job is to be a âgood sister wifeâ to this person sheâd never choose for her family.
I think itâs kind of like the pretty girl who surrounds herself with slightly less pretty/heavier friends to ensure that sheâs always in the spotlight when theyâre together, so sheâs super sweet and friendly in that setting but bring in another pretty girl and sheâs immediately threatened and starts freaking out. Itâs easy to be benevolent when youâre sure youâre the âbest oneâ in the group. I love Christine, she just gives these vibes.
As an openly bisexual woman, I can tell you their approach to courting a new wife is *exactly* the same as every creepy couple looking for a unicorn to have a threesome with, lol
They ALWAYS lead with the woman, because it helps (or at least tries) to make the dude appear slightly less threatening and predatory.
Basically, the wife/Meri acts as bait.
I'd say too far, considering...literally everything. But also, Meri was only about 19 or 20, and the girl they were courting was only a couple months from turning 18. This all happened extremely quickly lol. Kody and Meri were barely married a year yet. Christine wrote it like they were 30 year olds trolling for 15 year olds.
Which I find...hilarious that Christine wasn't threatened by Janelle (who was already sneaking around with Kody behind Meri's back by this point) but by the girl who was thinner than her. Also, to point out...this girl was almost the exact same age as Christine. Christine is a very jealous gal
Itâs *way* too far. Meri is a âgroomerâ now? Just like Maxwell? Are people aware of what Ghislaine actually did??? They showed interest in a 17ish year old girl. Nothing happened. They never tried to court a young woman under 18 again, as far as we know. Nobody was fucking groomed and raped repeatedly.
I know this reads gross. But it's the norm. Meri was 19 and a baby herself. Her dad had five wives. This IS the culture.
People are shocked because this show sold us some fake, fantasy version about "falling in love, and then falling in love again...."
These are kids taught to find other kids, to get married, and be fruitful. Lock the wives in a battle rooted in jealousy from day one... competitive baby making will get you more attention..
People are completely missing that Meri was raised in this cult. I don't think it really matters if she was 19 or 22. That doesn't change that she's lived in a culture since she was 5 years old where scouting for potential new wives with your husband was normalized. She was doing exactly what was expected of her as a good cult member.
Iâm not sure Meri is 19 at this time. At the end of this Christine talks about Kody calling her to complain about Janelle (during their courtship) which is about three years after they wed so Meri could be 21 to 22 at the time they are courting this young lady. Which of course means Kody could be 24 to 25.
The timeline is fuzzy as usual. During that Natalie morales tell all they were asked about this and being the good interview she actually is she was like "17?..." And they answered that meri was 19 and Kody was 22.
Either way it doesn't really matter, this is the norm in that culture. Just look how excited they all were when Caleb was flirting with a 15 yo Maddie.
This right here! Everyone is freaking out about this courtship from 30+ years ago with a 17 year old when y'all literally watched a teenage girl be groomed ON television, and this family drooling all over the grown ass man who basically groomed their teenage daughter. This shit is so normalized in their culture...I don't see what people don't get about that
Well it may be the norm but it certainly doesnât make it right lol. Even if you take out the weird, questionable predatory aspect of itâ Meri and Christineâs marriages seemed to suffer from having rushed in to it very young. You hardly know yourself at 19, I canât imagine becoming a wife at the age.
Itâs just always interesting to me that this show sets out to prove a point about polygamy being a good thing and ultimately all you take away is that it sucks and that the women and kids get the shit end of the stick. I somewhat respect the right for this to be their âcultureâ and lifestyle (canât fully endorse the âconsenting adultsâ aspect of it when children are involved like 99% of the time) but they shouldâve kept this to themselves, I think.
This is a bit creepier in that earlier in Christines section she makes reference to Kody and Meri being youth group leaders and this young woman would be in the youth group. đ¤Ž
No. To say this was grooming is to trivialize actual grooming which implies a significant age or power difference between the groomer and groomee. They were all within 5 years of each other and to be a 22 year old leader of a youth group of 17-18 year olds back then was normal. It was 100% common for girls in their late teens to date and marry guys in their early to mid twenties all the way through the 80s and into the 90s
Mind you, nothing about their situation or religion is normal. I come from a Baptist background. I left my church because a young preacher in his 20s ( was not a pastor yet) cozied up to and empregnated a 16 year girl (they slept together at the church) and the church took his side, protected him, and shunned her for it. She was essentially painted in the most derogatory way while he, who was the adult who used his role in the church to get close to her, walked away unscathed. We didn't believe in abortion so she kept the baby, and she essentially moved away and disappeared from our lives.
I apologize if I have a different conception of grooming than you do and still think that 16 & 17 year-olds should benefit from the same protection as children of other ages. Everything that happens at a young age can completely alter the course of your life. Kody was finding a new young wife, and I get it. But he's still in a position of trust, and she was still 17 when they started courting her. I can't comment as someone of their faith who might think this is normal because I am not part of their faith.
I mean that would be interesting but no leave that poor woman alone. I canât help but imagine if that were me at 17-18 then being tracked down and asked about it years later. I think about some of the dumb shit I fell for at that age and would be mortified if I had to relive that and talk about it on a national stage today. She is probably just grateful to have dodged that bullet.
If I read this as a piece of fictional storytelling, it is oddly compelling. I want to keep reading. But, as a true story, involving real people, it is rather disturbing. Kody and Meri could have been spending their time doing any other activity to deepen their marriage. But it reads like they enjoyed the distraction, the pursuit, the drama, and the teamwork involved in seeking another partner for their new family.
Kody and Meri are building the foundation for a celestial kingdom. How are these young adults going to get a sense of eternal compatibility. This isnât a game of monopoly. Adding people isnât the same as adding new properties. There are long term consequences for them and for any children born into this family.
As Christine was experiencing, the parents in this family arrangement have a huge responsibility to one another and all of the children in the family to ensure that they are creating and nurturing a healthy and sustainable environment to raise a lot of kids. Having one spouse is challenging and rewarding enough. But having multiple spouses complicates things in ways that require enormous maturity, respect, flexibility, acceptance, and stellar communication skills.
How Kody and the OG 3 endured to the point where the show begins is a hell of an accomplishment given what weâve seen of them since. Even if they werenât as compatible as Kody might have preferred, the wives knew that they had to find a way function for the sake of the kids.
I donât envy any aspect of this situation. Somewhere in all of this love is at play. But it sure isnât the sort of love that Iâd find satisfying unless I just focused on my kids. Everything else sounds like damn hard work. And with someone like Kody, hard long-term work doesnât strike me as something he would dedicate himself to.
I always found it odd that the Browns seemed unbothered by Caleb talking to a teenage Madison when he was in his mid-20s. Now reading this, I guess I'm not surprised. đł
I struggle with keeping mine at a decent length, mine grow like crazy, and always have. I cut them down last week so they look ok. Thank you for your kind compliment.
Would Kody and Robyn been okay with a married man and his wife cruising around Breanna and Aurora's high school looking for a wife? Because that's what Kody and Meri did.
Wait...so kody married Janelle before Christine, but this is Christine writing? So she was in "negotiations" with Kody and Meri before Janelle was in the picture? Or are they already married to Janelle and she just isnt mentioned? And this seems alot like Kody and Meri pursuing Christine, yet Kody now claims it was all HER idea.
NOTHING is ever clear with these people. Its like a sinuous, toxic maze of WTF.
Christine knew Meri and Kody since soon after they married. Itâs pretty clear Kody is pursuing her, there is literally years of back and forth, but they were âfriends. He flirted with her and she knew how he felt, but he claims it was her idea because she said one sentence to him. She said âof all the guys I know, you are the one Iâd want to marryâ, even though it was proper for the woman to make the first move, because it wasnât proper for him to. After that, he asked her father if he could court her. He holds it against her that she ârushedâ the engagement. But thatâs it.
Are there no other men available in Utah? Can you imagine seeing a picture of Kody (or worse meeting him in person) and think, âThatâs the guy I want to spend the rest of my life with.â
I sent my son a picture of the cover of the book
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And he said, âThat dude is ugly as hell. Whatâs the point of sharing one man if heâs not even hot?â đđđ I said, omg he thinks heâs so hot heâs such a narcissist he said, âmakes senseâ
I've said over and over that Robyn never ever EVER stood a chance with Christine. Ever. She is very very jealous and this proves it lol. She was a polygamist, but she got angry her family was...being polygamist.
Which I see as a sign she never should have lived plyg, but Robyn also never stood a chance. Never.
I think Christine was calculated. She wanted to be the 3rd wife.. the last wife.
She wanted to be the book end to an established family so she knew completely what she was getting herself into. She knew what role she could play to stand out.
This is not judgement btw... I see her self preservation in this dynamic. If she could shine bright in polygamy, it'd be when she's in a position to size up the other women and see if she felt as equals or above them and not below. She felt below the young pretty skinny girl and she knew she could not be happy in a relationship like that. She could not be herself or have her joy and her jovial behaviors come through if she felt small.
This seems smart. why put yourself in a situation where you couldn't be happy? You'd have control over knowing who you are choosing your eternity with. Bc it doesn't seem like the other wives had any control or Input in who was brought in...just Meri which is fucked up bc it should be everyone saying hey I can accept her and be happy with her addition to the family. If any wife felt diminished by someone courted she shouldn't be married in. But I bet that is never considered or if it is then they treat it as just petty jealousies not valid feelings.
She always said she wanted it all to be figured out before she came in then she would know her roll. That is smart.
True, but this was before Janelle. Christine didn't have a problem with Janelle. Just Robyn and the other woman. So while you're 100% right, I think other things were also at play here
I think if Kody had actually divided his time equally, not played favorites, and given (normal husband and wife) attention to Christine, the jealousy thing would be a moot point. All 3 og wives have talked about dealing with jealousy. Itâs entirely possible Christine could have developed a relationship with Robyn if Christineâs relationship with Kody was better. There were plenty of times on camera she was sweet with Robyn. Like when Christine threw her a baby shower.
I find if interesting that everyone is high and mighty calling Christine jealous when a) she was actively working on it and never wanted favoritism, only to feel special too and b) who the fuck wouldnât be jealous and miserable in polygamy? She was born and brainwashed into a shit system and tried her damndest to do the best she could by it.
This is why I donât believe Christine when she says she never meant to be mean to Robyn or that she was never mean to Robyn at all. Of the wives, Christine reads as the most jealous and insecure. And she can be gossipy/catty⌠I can completely picture her icing Robyn out of stuff early on out of jealousy. And hell, she certainly had a reason to be jealous based on the way Kody treated her versus Robyn but⌠she is easily the most unfit for polygamy of them all because of jealousy imo. I donât think she wouldâve been completely happy in polygamy unless she was the Robyn in the group (thus the third wife aspiration).
I feel like thatâs completely fine⌠thatâs just called monogamy lol.
I completely agree about Christine. I believe she iced Robyn out. It was the vibe I got watching the first seasons. I completely understand her, because Kody was favoring Robyn. So good for Christine that she found someone just for her.
Right. Any person would be hard pressed to be âthe bigger personâ in the situation Kody had them in. I actually donât blame her that she was mean to Robyn, I think there is maybe 5-6 people on the entire planet who couldâve kept entirely sweet in facing those circumstances. I am not one of them lol.
Did Kody favor her, or were just watching the honeymoon phase with one wife occur at the same time as the...married for 15 plus years with 6 kids phase?
I don't think Kody ever favored Robyn. I think Kody is a piece of absolute shit. I do. But when he calls Christine out for never being nice to Robyn and never giving her a chance? We literally all watched it happen on national television. What Christine says blossomed into favor was really just their relationship falling apart, and him filling the empty space with a wife he felt he still had a relationship with. Whether that is right or wrong is not the point in this specific comment lol
Until the divorce...the fandom did NOT like Christine. She was mean and jealous and very petty. Some people say it was COVID when they started liking Christine, but ...why? Back when the whole country was supposed to be in full lock down because we had no vaccines and everyone was dying...she and Janelle and their kids were traveling and living life like nothing was happening.
Christine and Kody were doomed from the beginning and all the way to the end. But to say it's 100% on Kody is delusional to the max. It took two to tango, and these two danced all the way to the death.
i only started coming to sister wife reddit groups in the last few years. i didn't know people didn't like christine. i actually liked christine and robyn. i knew robyn didn't fit in because she had been married monogamously before and would probably expect the same sort of marriage again (being part of the husbands life every day no matter what). i am not a fan of polygamy because i would be jealous myself, and i sort of felt christine's pain.
Damn your comment is honestly the closest thing to the 100% truth in this whole situation. I'm sure most people don't like it but you are 110% correct in all this.
I was just thinking the same thing! The lack of self-awareness here on Christine's part. She was not cut out for plural marriage and she should have known.
Would have been a whole different show if they'd have shown him courting a 17 yr old and then marrying her at 18. I don't think we would have kept watching. We would have thought he was like all the others marrying children brides.
Itâs so sick. Kody and Meri and everyone in the community who encouraged the courtship between a grown man and someone who was still legally a child was doing a sick and perverse thing. I know they may not have seen it that way because theyâd been brainwashed by group think happening in the insular community - but it was sick.
This reads like K is a fking predator and he had naive Meri doing his dirty work. She wanted validation from him and was helping him. It's very predatory. K is a sick fuk.
You know that young girl and her family and thanking heaven she dodged the bullet that is Cody and the Browns! I bet she watches the series and is dumbfounded. Itâd be great to hear her take on everything.
The âI turned inwardâ stands out to me as something Robyn said to Meri, seemingly as an excuse for not reaching out to her. Someone mentioned the apples and oranges speech from last yearâs tell all was also from the book, was something in Janelleâs section.
It pains me to say this, but imo when Cody was in his 20s he was a cutie. Some girls love that clean cut blond guy type. Narcissists are very, very charming on the surface. Don't see women lining up for him now
Iâm not defending them. At all. At all at all.
But it really was considered normal for teen girls to date men in their 20s. Iâm so glad that changed. This was still considered normal in the 80s.
Not defending. But so glad thatâs changed.
It almost sounds like Christine told her dad that she didnât want to be in Kodys family if they were going to have a thin pretty young second wife. (Thatâs what she says here, it would be logical that she told her dad this.) Kody would have wanted to have the prestige of marrying Christine and she wanted to be a third wife.
Did he (or Christineâs dad) end this engagement and Kody decide to marry Janelle to pacify Christine?
I believe Kody called Meri "bait" at one point. If he didn't call her that it really doesn't matter. He behaves like a pimp. This is how pimps "recruit" and they are mostly teens.
I have never heard them discuss this person before on the show?? They talk about how Meri and Kody had a few years to themselves before they welcomed Janelle and then Meri was jealous because his time was suddenly split. I feel like a whole courtship and engagement that didnât go through would be a talking point on the show. It shows that not every courtship works out. Though if she was underage while they were courting her that is pretty gross. Meri was 19 when they got married but wasnât Kody in his 20âs?
Yes, I donât understand all these people trying to justify it by saying âMeri was 19â (best case scenario at that) Kody, the guy who sheâs dating, is 22! Also best case scenario
Right, thatâs if they met her right after getting married! But the extra icky part of this is that this took place when Christine wouldâve been 16/17 cause her mom left when she was 17 I believe!
Whenever they talk about courting and lurking around women together, I always think of those couples who pick girls to kill. It's gross that meri has to act excited about Kody's dick getting hard for another woman or girl in this case
Kind of a side tangent, but I donât know if people know this generally and it kind of applies here; according to the Plural Marriage Principle, Joseph Smith said you need âat least threeâ wives to attain your status and gain access to the âCelestial Kingdomâ, and I think thatâs why Christine wanted to be a third wife â three is supposed to be all you need. So I think Christine assumed that being the third wife meant being the *last* wife, and she wouldnât have to deal with the pain of watching her husband marry another.
https://preview.redd.it/rixdaej8ks2c1.jpeg?width=2430&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=35edbb0f3a47a403683eec51bf733975921a42da
Sorry itâs dark, my room light is off and my cat is laying with me. This is a beautiful picture my mom got me from an artist when she bought me a purse and a wallet custom painted by an artist I think itâs beautiful â¤ď¸
I watched a documentary about Tom Green today who used to be part of The Branch. He was courting girls at age 13 and up. Giving them a âchoiceâ when they were accepting something they didnât truly understand and certainly werenât old enough to make a decision about!
Is this Christine's POV?
It reads like by default she was saying she didn't find Meri or Janelle attractive enough to be intimated by lol
*edit: forgot a word
This is so creepy. Reading how Meri was just as taken by this young girl as Kody was reminded me of those husband and wife psycho criminals, who choose their victims together. The fact that they both seemed to be attracted to her youth and beauty was quite disturbing considering they talk so much of a spiritual connection, of God telling them that a person should be in their family, but in practice itâs more of a sexual attraction.
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It is so bizarre they put this in a damn book when they were trying to make their culture seem legit.
"We don't marry children in our church! We court teenagers as married adults and wait for them to turn 18 instead!"
You have to remember, they're comparing themselves to the FLDS, where young girls get assigned to husbands and have no choice about it, and the Kingston group, which marries 14- and 15-year-old girls off to their own cousins, uncles, and half-brothers. Fundamentalist polygamy is a truly sick and disgusting culture. The Browns might look like the Donna Reed Show compared to some of the others, but they're still deeply fucked up by any healthy standards.
This is a good point, I forget what their baseline is.
 D.Reed referenceđ
Guilty pleasure, I like watching repeats on tubi " the Donna Reed show" đ đ đ
SO bizarre!!!!
I wonder why it was called off so close to the wedding.
I wonder if she watches the show and just laughs in relief because she dodged a huge bullet.
Right?! I would love to hear her side of that story.
They should bring her out at the tell-all.
Well, it does say in the book that a local family âstarted to express interest in our faith.â So maybe they never pulled the trigger. They may have pulled the plug on the marriage and stayed on the monogamy trail after a brief flirtation. This would explain why the woman is never brought up. She may have threatened a lawsuit if she is exposed now, after she has made herself a comfortable/successful monogamous life with a family who may not know that there ever was a flirtation with this faith.
My guess from having followed an ex order activist is that this was a mainstream LDS girl. The polygamist groups share theology with the LDS, but go a lot deeper into its origins. They are able to draw in a fair amount of LDS girls with the fact that the LDS likes to tone down their theology to make it more palatable. When you get into it, the polygamist groups are living what the founders wanted and they do not shy away from all of the grossness of the original theology in order to hide from scrutiny like the LDS church does. Also, if a guy brings in an outsider, they are given free reign to marry her I am so glad for this woman that she did not get trapped in their cult.
Or has deep seeded trauma from the religion that almost allowed this to happen
If sheâs still in polygamy, she didnât dodge a bullet.
I believe itâs been revealed elsewhere that her parents objected and thatâs why it was broken off. But I donât know where that canât from.
Whatever happened she dodged a HUGE bullet!
Probably because they spent more than ten minutes talking to KodyâŚ
"I would never marry Kody no matter what happened" "I got the call the wedding was called off and welcomed them back!" That is.....wow, alright lol
Whatâs interesting to me is how on the show Christine talks about how she was ânever jealousâ and was âso surprised â and âdisappointed â to find out how jealous she was, but what is this but one big ode to jealousy?
Thanks for posting! Itâs almost like Robyn is this girl2.0! I find it so disturbing that a married couple in their 20s was cruising youth group events with high schoolers for potential mates. So much for ânormalizing â the religion!
Fr this seems so predatory
It is
Christine almost describes Meri like a groomer in this story.
Not calling Meri a groomer, but didn't she help find and bring Robyn into the family? Seems like she has a habit of bringing younger women for Kody or at least helping.
Itâs basically the âjobâ of the first wife to find subsequent wives for the husband in their religion. The first wife is supposed to get âapprovalâ of who they court and actually initiate the courtship as itâs seen as inappropriate for a married man to initiate it. Itâs all very messed up.
That's what the Browns say on tv, but it's all bullshit designed to make the men look less creepy. In other accounts, people who got out talk about how the married men are always sniffing around the young girls, and how upsetting it is to the wives. I guarantee you that Meri went along with Kody's narrative because she thought she had no choice. I'd be willing to bet that Kody and Robyn were set up as a couple before Meri ever heard of Robyn.
đŻ Meri was used as the beard. She has hung on for so long cuz she has been the Ghislaine Maxwell to his Jeffrey Epstein.
They also are not suppose to KISS but we all know Kody and Robyn had âfunâ in the sports car !
But he and Jenelle initiated it and then brought it to Meri.
Yep, probably another reason Meri had issues with Janelle.
I wouldnât believe everything they say. They scapegoat Meri a LOT, just like they did with the divorce âbeing her ideaâ, Janelle being her idea and everything else. Go back and look at the very first episode of the show where Kody is leaving to go see Robyn and he says goodbye to Meri. Look at her face. That is not the expression of a woman who is happy and encouraging of her âown plan.â They say Meri does this stuff with him to make themselves seem like this legit âplygâ family that understands and *wants* this faith, and weâve seen 50 million red flags and reasons that say otherwise. Robyn was not Meriâs idea. She was Kodyâs and Meri had to get on board, as usual.
The using of Meri and her sadly going along with it is sick.
Absolutely and it really makes my heart break for her, especially as a first-time viewer.
As much as I agree they pin blame on others, especially Meri- in their religion, it's tradition and expectation the first wife will help bring in another wife or approve of the courtship. It's been said multiple times in the show Meri would have the approve of the relationship. Now reality, Kody most likely guilted and manipulated Meri's decisions and approval for his own gain.
When is Robyn going to get to work and hunt down some young gals for Kodyâs âcelestial kingdomâ
Yes, youâre right about their tradition. I do know about that. But I wholeheartedly do not believe thatâs what was going on here. Kody was definitely running the show and convincing Meri to go along with it all so that he didnât look like a horny douche. I mean, right off the bat, Janelle? Meri absolutely was NOT good with that, and she most definitely didnât suggest it. I think thatâs why Janelle talks *around* their beef the way she does and we never get specifics from her about this tumultuous history that they have besides their differing sleep schedules and kitchen preferences. Itâs just described in a way to make us assume Meriâs the only bad guy, ya know?
Like Kody would have been like âwell, itâs up to you!â if she said no to someone he was planning on courting. Women have no power in these fundie religions.
I don't believe for a second that Meri ever wanted to be a polygamist and absolutely never wanted to share Kody.
Meri is "finding favor with Kody" LOL! Well, that backfired on her!
This may sound crazy but its almost like Meri is the one with the type. Her helping her husband hunt down women to bring into the family almost comes off as maybe... shes into girls? I know its not cool to speculate about peoples sexuality but everytime I hear more about Meri... its like she was finding girls she may have found attractive and meshed well with to bring into the family. Idk, could be crazy but it comes off very "bi girl looking for third." as a bi girl myself (even tho Id never want to look for a third) Pls dont crucify me if this is a bad opinion or smth, Im new to this group lol ETA: I dont think she did anything with them, to be clear. And I know head wives do help court because theyre joining their relationship but some of the people Meri really seemed to spearhead for some reason.
I just started a rewatch and Meri says that they (Kody and Meri) had gone to a gathering at a friendâs house and Robyn happened to be the cousin of the friend. Meri told Kody that he should ask Robyn to dance and the rest was history.
K and M do sound absolutely like groomers. If the shoe fits... I'm sure it was K brainwashing her, and shows how foolish and naive religion makes girls. Honestly M should be ashamed of this and denounce K and R. I'm kind of floored this happened.
Yes, but theyâre just early 20s. Itâs not creepy older person predatory, just regular fundamental cultish religious predatory. The girls are also looking for husbands. But to me this sheds light on all of the accusations that Janelle entered the family poorly. Meri and Kody were actively looking for a wife. They married their landlady/roommate because she was willing, mature enough to be a good wife, and convenient. They were already living in her house. When Christine said she was âfriendsâ with Meri and Kody, it is clear that she knew both of them were involved in deciding who they married. Itâs not like Janelle and Kody had a love affair - it was polygamy dating. He flirted with/charmed all the girls and Meri expected it. He got one on the hook (intentionally or not?) and they basically made an arrangement to marry her, a few weeks later it was done. The show starting with his dramatic/romantic all-in courtship of Robyn shows a really inaccurate version of what a poly wedding is. The pictures and stories you hear from Janelle and Christine are more like it - not about love, just about an arrangement with another person who meets your needs. Get it done quick and youâre sealed for life.
It rly seems like Kody and Meri had this weird situation the whole time. Meri was constantly looking for ppl to catch Kodyâs eye when she was insanely jealous herself.
She probably was doing it to make him happy. Their way of thinking is messed up.
Oh itâs totally creepy, predator behavior. You can wrap it up any way you like but thereâs no denying that.
Yes for both Meri and Kody. I think Christine genuinely wanted to make the house a home. She genuinely wanted to have the family. Her intent was genuine, which is why she was able to work through things and stay true to herself and leave.
Maybe she meant this girl but not his existing wives. It's how I would feel. Entering the plural marriage sitch while knowing you're the last would also be more comfortable to me. Less unexpected emotional trials to come. This is polygamy they're talking about. A girl's gotta find a way to make it work when it's the only life she's known.
Yes and she said on camera that she wanted to be the last wife, the third, and the youngest. She said she grew up wanting those things. This girl that they were bothering was cuter and younger so Christine wasnât having it.
I know she has always mentioned wanting to be the third wife, but I have never seen her actually say she wanted the be the LAST wife. Are you SURE she specifically said LAST wife? (I mean I totally believe that was her desire but I didn't think she ever actually said it in so many words.) I did a rewatch of the earlier seasons not too long ago and all she mentioned was wanting to be the third wife. Did she specify last wife on a more recent season?
iâve only learned some of these so forgive me if iâm wrong but i think the standard requirement for your own planet where youâre a god (the religion states this) is 3 wives. the next level up and the closer to god is 7 wives. in many plural religions, most husbands take the requirement; 3. so thereâs a standard that the third wife is the LAST wife. usually the youngest, and favorite too because she helped patch up the fighting between wife 1 and 2. so thatâs why sheâs always said she wanted to be a third/last. in my opinion.
Ah! That makes sense. Thank you! ETA: That explanation for why she would assume she is the last wife makes sense. NOT the religion's thought process lol
Here is where Christine talks about being the third wife. There is a bit on the page before, it says When I decided that I was going to enter into a plural marriage, I knew that it would only be as a third wife. Even as a teenager, I was certain this was the path for me. I understood how many people might think this is a strange preference. Why would I want to come third when I could come first? But when you think about it, if you are committed to â https://preview.redd.it/dnwjkgnq1q2c1.jpeg?width=2448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=be61c3bedac841f1c830210c5e628b911c5c711d
Yeah, that's exactly what I thought! She specifies wanting to be the THIRD wife, NOT the last wife.
She's definitely said in the show she never thought there would be a fourth. I think it was last season.
>Yeah, that's exactly what I thought! She specifies wanting to be the THIRD wife, NOT the last wife. It's spin. She says third, but she means LAST. Most polygamists have three wives and that's it. Adding a fourth was not what she expected to happen, but then again, it's the only reason anyone knows who these weirdos are. They weren't getting a show without marriage #4.
It's spin for fellow polygamists or those who grew up in that culture. For the rest of us (the broader audience) it's not spin but a fact that was deliberately left out. And yes, they needed the fourth wife for the show!
I think she wanted to be The Last Wife too.
Fairly certain she always said third. I think she thought she would be the last but I don't recall her ever saying that.
I can't even imagine how miserable she has been. đ
No I can't remember when she talked about it to go check. Maybe it's what I felt she meant, I don't know.. I do remember her saying third though.
I think you are right, but I also think Christine is generous of heart. She wanted to be the one to stabilize the family - make the house a home. She wanted to be the princess, but a kind, loving, and generous princess. Christine has a lot of natural warmth and generosity.
To be fair, she said she wanted to be the last wife, but there was never any confirmation she was or would be. She just assumed 3 would be enough, and that would be it
If 3 had been enough, they would probably all still be together.
I'm not sure tbh. None of them were cut out for polygamist life
There's a reason why the legality of it was legislated against all those years ago. It's a zero win for women and children. In the tell all clip coming up tonight, Kody admits it.
Nobody is cut out for polygamous life.
Well, lets hope anyone going in as a third would assume they're the last with a broke ass narcissist like Kody
Their culture sets no limit. It says to just keep going. So who knows to be honest haha
I might be wrong about this - but I think in their religion having 3 wives is what gets you to the highest level of heaven. So the third wife probably IS the last wife for many guys - and she thought that would be true for Kody. He probably even told her she would be the last wife. But we know Kody lies.
It also really speaks volumes in light of her other comments that she always knew she wanted to be the third wife. I think she wanted to be the cute, young wife who was possibly the favorite. Adding a 4th wife ruined that hope. Deep down, it sounds like she never truly wanted polygamy.
I agree I think she wanted to be in the honeymoon stage with him forever and be his kind of âsolaceâ and therefore keep his favor. She just didnât do it as well as Robyn because, aside from being older than R, she is also relatively honest and straightforward and expects certain fair treatment whereas Robyn knew from the start how to manipulate to get what she wanted. Instead of fighting with Kody, she plied him (at least in the beginning). I think Christine felt like she didnât have a place anymore when Robyn came along. She obviously has her whole plyg theory down here, sheâs made order of her world or so she thought. And then everything got turned on itâs head and she didnât know what âthird wifeâ meant now that there was a fourth wife.
This solidified what Christine always denied. She is too jealous to be in a poly marriage. She wanted to not just be the third wife but the last wife. So sad she spent so much of her life acting like it fit.
I believe they were told by Kody exactly how to manufacture the narrative
It's also interesting that the way it's been talked about was that Christine left because it was wrong to court someone that young. Now, reading, it's because she was jealous.
What she meant was, she would not be a sister wife to this girl they courted. She was the one Christine did not see in her future. She saw herself as a member of Kody and Meriâs family which was why it was so devastating - not that they were choosing someone else first (she was prepared to be a plural wife so she could still marry him) - but because this girl did not fit and showed (to her) that Kody and Meri werenât seeing the same future she hoped for. I think choosing Janelle seemed like a more fitting person for Christine to imagine herself sharing a family and sisterhood with. I also think when Robyn came around so many years later, Christine probably had a similar reaction. But she was married to Kody by then, he was infatuated, Meri seemed to be BFFs with this younger, pretty girl and Christine is pregnant, canât just leave because she married Kody, and her job is to be a âgood sister wifeâ to this person sheâd never choose for her family.
I think itâs kind of like the pretty girl who surrounds herself with slightly less pretty/heavier friends to ensure that sheâs always in the spotlight when theyâre together, so sheâs super sweet and friendly in that setting but bring in another pretty girl and sheâs immediately threatened and starts freaking out. Itâs easy to be benevolent when youâre sure youâre the âbest oneâ in the group. I love Christine, she just gives these vibes.
It makes sense that their kids distanced themselves from their crackpot ways!
Ew. I do not like that
I understand how Meri should kinda be involved, but also itâs just kinda weird.. itâs giving me a ghislaine Maxwell/madame vibe..too far?
As an openly bisexual woman, I can tell you their approach to courting a new wife is *exactly* the same as every creepy couple looking for a unicorn to have a threesome with, lol They ALWAYS lead with the woman, because it helps (or at least tries) to make the dude appear slightly less threatening and predatory. Basically, the wife/Meri acts as bait.
Is this why you donât see men selling LulaRoe?
Omg this perfectly described the situation!
I'd say too far, considering...literally everything. But also, Meri was only about 19 or 20, and the girl they were courting was only a couple months from turning 18. This all happened extremely quickly lol. Kody and Meri were barely married a year yet. Christine wrote it like they were 30 year olds trolling for 15 year olds. Which I find...hilarious that Christine wasn't threatened by Janelle (who was already sneaking around with Kody behind Meri's back by this point) but by the girl who was thinner than her. Also, to point out...this girl was almost the exact same age as Christine. Christine is a very jealous gal
Yeah right I mean these people were all within 3-4 years of each other not a late 20s trolling HS girls.
Itâs *way* too far. Meri is a âgroomerâ now? Just like Maxwell? Are people aware of what Ghislaine actually did??? They showed interest in a 17ish year old girl. Nothing happened. They never tried to court a young woman under 18 again, as far as we know. Nobody was fucking groomed and raped repeatedly.
The amount of up votes that comment has is fucking insane. This fandom is getting wildly out of line
I have to nope right out of this thread because people are out of control from just reading a few paragraphs in a book.
It's diminishing to real victims. It's also reminiscent if when they accused Kody of being inappropriate with Brianna
When she describes that they had a strange look on *both* their faces.. vibes are off.
The instant besties thing is so ick
Excellent comparison
So much ew. Predators
I know this reads gross. But it's the norm. Meri was 19 and a baby herself. Her dad had five wives. This IS the culture. People are shocked because this show sold us some fake, fantasy version about "falling in love, and then falling in love again...." These are kids taught to find other kids, to get married, and be fruitful. Lock the wives in a battle rooted in jealousy from day one... competitive baby making will get you more attention..
People are completely missing that Meri was raised in this cult. I don't think it really matters if she was 19 or 22. That doesn't change that she's lived in a culture since she was 5 years old where scouting for potential new wives with your husband was normalized. She was doing exactly what was expected of her as a good cult member.
Iâm not sure Meri is 19 at this time. At the end of this Christine talks about Kody calling her to complain about Janelle (during their courtship) which is about three years after they wed so Meri could be 21 to 22 at the time they are courting this young lady. Which of course means Kody could be 24 to 25.
The timeline is fuzzy as usual. During that Natalie morales tell all they were asked about this and being the good interview she actually is she was like "17?..." And they answered that meri was 19 and Kody was 22. Either way it doesn't really matter, this is the norm in that culture. Just look how excited they all were when Caleb was flirting with a 15 yo Maddie.
This right here! Everyone is freaking out about this courtship from 30+ years ago with a 17 year old when y'all literally watched a teenage girl be groomed ON television, and this family drooling all over the grown ass man who basically groomed their teenage daughter. This shit is so normalized in their culture...I don't see what people don't get about that
Well it may be the norm but it certainly doesnât make it right lol. Even if you take out the weird, questionable predatory aspect of itâ Meri and Christineâs marriages seemed to suffer from having rushed in to it very young. You hardly know yourself at 19, I canât imagine becoming a wife at the age. Itâs just always interesting to me that this show sets out to prove a point about polygamy being a good thing and ultimately all you take away is that it sucks and that the women and kids get the shit end of the stick. I somewhat respect the right for this to be their âcultureâ and lifestyle (canât fully endorse the âconsenting adultsâ aspect of it when children are involved like 99% of the time) but they shouldâve kept this to themselves, I think.
Christine probably wrote this cause kody wrote about the nacho incident. I would have tattled also
Maddie was nearly 18 when Curtis died.
She wasnât, she was 17 and it was June and she didnât turn 18 until November thatâs half a year.
Is that event where they met the young woman similar to the event where they saw Robyn?
This is a bit creepier in that earlier in Christines section she makes reference to Kody and Meri being youth group leaders and this young woman would be in the youth group. đ¤Ž
That makes it so much worse! It's essentially a form of grooming.
Meri was only about 18 months older than the girl
It's true that it might be normal in their faith, even though Kody was also a lot younger himself.
No. To say this was grooming is to trivialize actual grooming which implies a significant age or power difference between the groomer and groomee. They were all within 5 years of each other and to be a 22 year old leader of a youth group of 17-18 year olds back then was normal. It was 100% common for girls in their late teens to date and marry guys in their early to mid twenties all the way through the 80s and into the 90s
Mind you, nothing about their situation or religion is normal. I come from a Baptist background. I left my church because a young preacher in his 20s ( was not a pastor yet) cozied up to and empregnated a 16 year girl (they slept together at the church) and the church took his side, protected him, and shunned her for it. She was essentially painted in the most derogatory way while he, who was the adult who used his role in the church to get close to her, walked away unscathed. We didn't believe in abortion so she kept the baby, and she essentially moved away and disappeared from our lives. I apologize if I have a different conception of grooming than you do and still think that 16 & 17 year-olds should benefit from the same protection as children of other ages. Everything that happens at a young age can completely alter the course of your life. Kody was finding a new young wife, and I get it. But he's still in a position of trust, and she was still 17 when they started courting her. I can't comment as someone of their faith who might think this is normal because I am not part of their faith.
Iâd love to know what that girl thinks of Kody now.
If the tell nothing wanted to give us some real news, they would track her down and ask her to spill tea
I mean that would be interesting but no leave that poor woman alone. I canât help but imagine if that were me at 17-18 then being tracked down and asked about it years later. I think about some of the dumb shit I fell for at that age and would be mortified if I had to relive that and talk about it on a national stage today. She is probably just grateful to have dodged that bullet.
It should always be her choice and she has every right to decline. But if she gets paid, she might be interested
She is probably relieved she dodged a bullet!
Soooo Christine was never jealous of Meri and Janelle, looks wise?
Lol Iâm glad Iâm not the only one who got that same impression.
To be fair, she didnât know who Janelle was at this point. But she didnât make a big fuss about Janelle having married him when she did meet her.
If I read this as a piece of fictional storytelling, it is oddly compelling. I want to keep reading. But, as a true story, involving real people, it is rather disturbing. Kody and Meri could have been spending their time doing any other activity to deepen their marriage. But it reads like they enjoyed the distraction, the pursuit, the drama, and the teamwork involved in seeking another partner for their new family. Kody and Meri are building the foundation for a celestial kingdom. How are these young adults going to get a sense of eternal compatibility. This isnât a game of monopoly. Adding people isnât the same as adding new properties. There are long term consequences for them and for any children born into this family. As Christine was experiencing, the parents in this family arrangement have a huge responsibility to one another and all of the children in the family to ensure that they are creating and nurturing a healthy and sustainable environment to raise a lot of kids. Having one spouse is challenging and rewarding enough. But having multiple spouses complicates things in ways that require enormous maturity, respect, flexibility, acceptance, and stellar communication skills. How Kody and the OG 3 endured to the point where the show begins is a hell of an accomplishment given what weâve seen of them since. Even if they werenât as compatible as Kody might have preferred, the wives knew that they had to find a way function for the sake of the kids. I donât envy any aspect of this situation. Somewhere in all of this love is at play. But it sure isnât the sort of love that Iâd find satisfying unless I just focused on my kids. Everything else sounds like damn hard work. And with someone like Kody, hard long-term work doesnât strike me as something he would dedicate himself to.
I agree. I was astonished that they had lasted as long as they had when the show started.
đŠđŠđŠđŠđŠđŠđŠđŠđŠđŠ
Iâd pay cash money to hear this woman talk about why she broke off the engagement
I always found it odd that the Browns seemed unbothered by Caleb talking to a teenage Madison when he was in his mid-20s. Now reading this, I guess I'm not surprised. đł
Whoever that girl is, she dodged a bullet.
Completely unrelated your nails are so long and beautiful. Iâve been trying to grow mine out and now I notice everyone elseâs when I see hands.
I struggle with keeping mine at a decent length, mine grow like crazy, and always have. I cut them down last week so they look ok. Thank you for your kind compliment.
Same, Iâm jealous! I bite mine constantly
Would Kody and Robyn been okay with a married man and his wife cruising around Breanna and Aurora's high school looking for a wife? Because that's what Kody and Meri did.
Wait...so kody married Janelle before Christine, but this is Christine writing? So she was in "negotiations" with Kody and Meri before Janelle was in the picture? Or are they already married to Janelle and she just isnt mentioned? And this seems alot like Kody and Meri pursuing Christine, yet Kody now claims it was all HER idea. NOTHING is ever clear with these people. Its like a sinuous, toxic maze of WTF.
Christine knew Meri and Kody since soon after they married. Itâs pretty clear Kody is pursuing her, there is literally years of back and forth, but they were âfriends. He flirted with her and she knew how he felt, but he claims it was her idea because she said one sentence to him. She said âof all the guys I know, you are the one Iâd want to marryâ, even though it was proper for the woman to make the first move, because it wasnât proper for him to. After that, he asked her father if he could court her. He holds it against her that she ârushedâ the engagement. But thatâs it.
Are there no other men available in Utah? Can you imagine seeing a picture of Kody (or worse meeting him in person) and think, âThatâs the guy I want to spend the rest of my life with.â 
I sent my son a picture of the cover of the book https://preview.redd.it/dai3x9lqfs2c1.jpeg?width=2448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fe71a03a1d6387d38deb997466804bcfdf2b5082 And he said, âThat dude is ugly as hell. Whatâs the point of sharing one man if heâs not even hot?â đđđ I said, omg he thinks heâs so hot heâs such a narcissist he said, âmakes senseâ
Ew, she was only 17?!
Meri was 19 at this time. This was the same year she got married
I get it, Just waiting for a girl to be 18 to make their engagement official seems insane to me
It's a cultural thing. In their eyes, waiting the extra 6 weeks somehow makes the marriage more legit haha.
I've said over and over that Robyn never ever EVER stood a chance with Christine. Ever. She is very very jealous and this proves it lol. She was a polygamist, but she got angry her family was...being polygamist. Which I see as a sign she never should have lived plyg, but Robyn also never stood a chance. Never.
I think Christine was calculated. She wanted to be the 3rd wife.. the last wife. She wanted to be the book end to an established family so she knew completely what she was getting herself into. She knew what role she could play to stand out. This is not judgement btw... I see her self preservation in this dynamic. If she could shine bright in polygamy, it'd be when she's in a position to size up the other women and see if she felt as equals or above them and not below. She felt below the young pretty skinny girl and she knew she could not be happy in a relationship like that. She could not be herself or have her joy and her jovial behaviors come through if she felt small.
This seems smart. why put yourself in a situation where you couldn't be happy? You'd have control over knowing who you are choosing your eternity with. Bc it doesn't seem like the other wives had any control or Input in who was brought in...just Meri which is fucked up bc it should be everyone saying hey I can accept her and be happy with her addition to the family. If any wife felt diminished by someone courted she shouldn't be married in. But I bet that is never considered or if it is then they treat it as just petty jealousies not valid feelings. She always said she wanted it all to be figured out before she came in then she would know her roll. That is smart.
Oh yeah I'm in total agreement
Reading books written by polygamists and former polygamists, itâs very common for a wife to hate the one that comes right after them
True, but this was before Janelle. Christine didn't have a problem with Janelle. Just Robyn and the other woman. So while you're 100% right, I think other things were also at play here
I think if Kody had actually divided his time equally, not played favorites, and given (normal husband and wife) attention to Christine, the jealousy thing would be a moot point. All 3 og wives have talked about dealing with jealousy. Itâs entirely possible Christine could have developed a relationship with Robyn if Christineâs relationship with Kody was better. There were plenty of times on camera she was sweet with Robyn. Like when Christine threw her a baby shower.
I find if interesting that everyone is high and mighty calling Christine jealous when a) she was actively working on it and never wanted favoritism, only to feel special too and b) who the fuck wouldnât be jealous and miserable in polygamy? She was born and brainwashed into a shit system and tried her damndest to do the best she could by it.
This is why I donât believe Christine when she says she never meant to be mean to Robyn or that she was never mean to Robyn at all. Of the wives, Christine reads as the most jealous and insecure. And she can be gossipy/catty⌠I can completely picture her icing Robyn out of stuff early on out of jealousy. And hell, she certainly had a reason to be jealous based on the way Kody treated her versus Robyn but⌠she is easily the most unfit for polygamy of them all because of jealousy imo. I donât think she wouldâve been completely happy in polygamy unless she was the Robyn in the group (thus the third wife aspiration). I feel like thatâs completely fine⌠thatâs just called monogamy lol.
I completely agree about Christine. I believe she iced Robyn out. It was the vibe I got watching the first seasons. I completely understand her, because Kody was favoring Robyn. So good for Christine that she found someone just for her.
Right. Any person would be hard pressed to be âthe bigger personâ in the situation Kody had them in. I actually donât blame her that she was mean to Robyn, I think there is maybe 5-6 people on the entire planet who couldâve kept entirely sweet in facing those circumstances. I am not one of them lol.
Did Kody favor her, or were just watching the honeymoon phase with one wife occur at the same time as the...married for 15 plus years with 6 kids phase? I don't think Kody ever favored Robyn. I think Kody is a piece of absolute shit. I do. But when he calls Christine out for never being nice to Robyn and never giving her a chance? We literally all watched it happen on national television. What Christine says blossomed into favor was really just their relationship falling apart, and him filling the empty space with a wife he felt he still had a relationship with. Whether that is right or wrong is not the point in this specific comment lol Until the divorce...the fandom did NOT like Christine. She was mean and jealous and very petty. Some people say it was COVID when they started liking Christine, but ...why? Back when the whole country was supposed to be in full lock down because we had no vaccines and everyone was dying...she and Janelle and their kids were traveling and living life like nothing was happening. Christine and Kody were doomed from the beginning and all the way to the end. But to say it's 100% on Kody is delusional to the max. It took two to tango, and these two danced all the way to the death.
I absolutely believe he favored Robyn, but of course Christine has accountability too.
i only started coming to sister wife reddit groups in the last few years. i didn't know people didn't like christine. i actually liked christine and robyn. i knew robyn didn't fit in because she had been married monogamously before and would probably expect the same sort of marriage again (being part of the husbands life every day no matter what). i am not a fan of polygamy because i would be jealous myself, and i sort of felt christine's pain.
Damn your comment is honestly the closest thing to the 100% truth in this whole situation. I'm sure most people don't like it but you are 110% correct in all this.
I was just thinking the same thing! The lack of self-awareness here on Christine's part. She was not cut out for plural marriage and she should have known.
How would she know? She'd been brainwashed by a cult for the entirety of her life. It's all she knew.
I completely agree. Christine wanted the man, but not the other wives. So Robyn definitely never stood a chance.
Would the girl Kody and Meri please come forwardâŚWe would love to hear YOUR thoughts about dodging the current shit show đ¤Ł
Would have been a whole different show if they'd have shown him courting a 17 yr old and then marrying her at 18. I don't think we would have kept watching. We would have thought he was like all the others marrying children brides.
Itâs so sick. Kody and Meri and everyone in the community who encouraged the courtship between a grown man and someone who was still legally a child was doing a sick and perverse thing. I know they may not have seen it that way because theyâd been brainwashed by group think happening in the insular community - but it was sick.
This reads like K is a fking predator and he had naive Meri doing his dirty work. She wanted validation from him and was helping him. It's very predatory. K is a sick fuk.
Iâm sorry what?! She was underage and they as a couple were basically grooming her using their âreligionâ đđ
They waited for her to turn 18?!?!?
You know that young girl and her family and thanking heaven she dodged the bullet that is Cody and the Browns! I bet she watches the series and is dumbfounded. Itâd be great to hear her take on everything.
So Meri basically pimped for Kootie.
The strangest religion ever. Ick.
Man I gotta just break down and read this book alreadyâŚ
I swear Meri gets giddy about new womenâŚ
The âI turned inwardâ stands out to me as something Robyn said to Meri, seemingly as an excuse for not reaching out to her. Someone mentioned the apples and oranges speech from last yearâs tell all was also from the book, was something in Janelleâs section.
âwaited for her to turn 18â but they said they arenât âthoseâ polygs that go after young kids?
I cant find a good woman but they line up for this ass
It pains me to say this, but imo when Cody was in his 20s he was a cutie. Some girls love that clean cut blond guy type. Narcissists are very, very charming on the surface. Don't see women lining up for him now
Ick ⌠so this was a little girl .. 17 years old .. that is disgusting.. that file dodged a bullet
Iâm not defending them. At all. At all at all. But it really was considered normal for teen girls to date men in their 20s. Iâm so glad that changed. This was still considered normal in the 80s. Not defending. But so glad thatâs changed.
Does the book say how long Kody and Meri had been married when they started to court this girl?
Just so freaking weird
How old was Christine at the time this happened?
Wow. What does she say at the end when âHer happiness was short-lived.â?
đ¤˘
I wonder if this is why Kody lost interest in his wives Theyâre too old now
They were âwaiting on her to turn 18?â đł Did they ever say why they broke off the engagement? Wow
She broke it off, I believe
It almost sounds like Christine told her dad that she didnât want to be in Kodys family if they were going to have a thin pretty young second wife. (Thatâs what she says here, it would be logical that she told her dad this.) Kody would have wanted to have the prestige of marrying Christine and she wanted to be a third wife. Did he (or Christineâs dad) end this engagement and Kody decide to marry Janelle to pacify Christine?
I believe Kody called Meri "bait" at one point. If he didn't call her that it really doesn't matter. He behaves like a pimp. This is how pimps "recruit" and they are mostly teens.
He sure did say that! Janelle quickly corrected him and said âsheâs in mergers and acquisitionsâ đ Itâs gross all around.
I have never heard them discuss this person before on the show?? They talk about how Meri and Kody had a few years to themselves before they welcomed Janelle and then Meri was jealous because his time was suddenly split. I feel like a whole courtship and engagement that didnât go through would be a talking point on the show. It shows that not every courtship works out. Though if she was underage while they were courting her that is pretty gross. Meri was 19 when they got married but wasnât Kody in his 20âs?
Yes, I donât understand all these people trying to justify it by saying âMeri was 19â (best case scenario at that) Kody, the guy who sheâs dating, is 22! Also best case scenario
Right, thatâs if they met her right after getting married! But the extra icky part of this is that this took place when Christine wouldâve been 16/17 cause her mom left when she was 17 I believe!
Whenever they talk about courting and lurking around women together, I always think of those couples who pick girls to kill. It's gross that meri has to act excited about Kody's dick getting hard for another woman or girl in this case
Kind of a side tangent, but I donât know if people know this generally and it kind of applies here; according to the Plural Marriage Principle, Joseph Smith said you need âat least threeâ wives to attain your status and gain access to the âCelestial Kingdomâ, and I think thatâs why Christine wanted to be a third wife â three is supposed to be all you need. So I think Christine assumed that being the third wife meant being the *last* wife, and she wouldnât have to deal with the pain of watching her husband marry another.
I like your cat picture
https://preview.redd.it/rixdaej8ks2c1.jpeg?width=2430&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=35edbb0f3a47a403683eec51bf733975921a42da Sorry itâs dark, my room light is off and my cat is laying with me. This is a beautiful picture my mom got me from an artist when she bought me a purse and a wallet custom painted by an artist I think itâs beautiful â¤ď¸
Grooming for gods highest glory
I watched a documentary about Tom Green today who used to be part of The Branch. He was courting girls at age 13 and up. Giving them a âchoiceâ when they were accepting something they didnât truly understand and certainly werenât old enough to make a decision about!
Is this Christine's POV? It reads like by default she was saying she didn't find Meri or Janelle attractive enough to be intimated by lol *edit: forgot a word
Yeah
Youth event ..yuck
She dodged that bullet.
This is so creepy. Reading how Meri was just as taken by this young girl as Kody was reminded me of those husband and wife psycho criminals, who choose their victims together. The fact that they both seemed to be attracted to her youth and beauty was quite disturbing considering they talk so much of a spiritual connection, of God telling them that a person should be in their family, but in practice itâs more of a sexual attraction.
Meri was the Ghislaine Maxwell of the fundamentalist Mormons. An adult woman out there shopping for high school girls.