Janelle Brown Doesn't Know If Family Would Be Together Without 'Sister Wives'

Janelle Brown is reflecting on the role Sister Wives has played in keeping the Brown family together.

“Do you think if you had not been part of a television show, that you would all still be in the same family unit?” Kate Casey asked Brown, 55, on the Tuesday, November 5, episode of the “Reality Life with Kate Casey” podcast. Brown replied, “It’s hard to know.”

She continued: “Everybody changes. We could have gotten to the same point. But I’m really glad, now, ‘cause we do have a lot of opportunities now.”

Sister Wives, which premiered in 2010 on TLC, follows the polygamist family of Kody Brown and his current and former wives, including Janelle, Meri Brown, Christine Brown and Robyn Brown. Janelle spiritually wed Kody, 55, in 1993 and the two went on to welcome six kids —Logan, 30, Maddie, 29, Hunter, 27, Gabriel, 23, Savanah, 19, and Garrison, who died by suicide at age 25 in March.

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Janelle was the second of Kody’s partners to leave him in December 2022. “I’m not waiting for him. I’ve kind of mourned that that part of our life is gone,” she stated during part 3 of the Sister Wives: One-on-One special in January 2023. “I wasn’t heartbroken.” (Christine, 52, and Meri, 53, announced their splits from Kody in November 2021 and January 2023, respectively. Kody remains legally married to Robyn, 46.)

On Tuesday’s podcast, Casey went on to ask Janelle whether her kids’ lives have been “helped or hindered” as a result of being on reality TV.

Janelle Brown with her six children and guests.

“We were always very protective of them when they were younger as far as filming and if they wanted to be on camera on whatever,” Janelle explained. “As they’ve gotten older, some of them have chosen to be more public, but some have chosen to completely step away. So, I think it’s just each kid, and they’re at the age where they know what they want to do.”

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Season 19 of Sister Wives premiered on September 19 and paid tribute to Janelle and Kody’s late son. “This season of Sister Wives began filming in late 2022,” the episode’s opening credits read. “On March 5, 2024, Kody and Janelle’s son Garrison passed away. He was greatly loved and will be deeply missed.”

Christine Brown, Janelle Brown, Kody Brown, Robyn Brown and Meri Brown.

The exes confirmed Garrison’s death in a joint Instagram statement back in March, writing, “He was a bright spot in the lives of all who knew him. His loss will leave such a big hole in our lives that it takes our breath away. We ask that you please respect our privacy and join us in honoring his memory.”

Last month, Janelle exclusively opened up to Us Weekly about how her family has coped with the loss of her son. “Every day is a day,” she said on October 10. “You just take it one day at a time, one moment at a time. … We were super, super lucky to have him in our lives. And we’ll miss him every day.”