Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors
In the world of reality TV, Kody Brown's confessions are as blunt as they come.
During the Sunday, October 20 episode of Sister Wives, the 55-year-old TLC icon raised eyebrows again when he pinned the blame — or credit — for his feelings squarely on his partners.
"Don't blame me for not loving you. I was doing my duty," he declared in one tell-all confessional. "Blame yourself if I don't love you, OK?"
Elaborating on his perspective on love and blame, Brown explained, "When I'm in love with a woman, that's her fault. So what happens when I'm not in love with a woman? Is that just my fault? If I'm mad about a woman, want to serve her, passionate, want to rub her feet, want to carry in her groceries, if I want to buy her jewelry, if I want her to feel special all the time, if I'm in love with a woman, I think that's her fault."
Things took a dramatic turn as the polygamist visited his first wife, Meri Brown, to discuss her decision to file for an official marital termination from their church after 32 years of spiritual marriage. Their legal union ended in 2014, allowing Kody to marry Robyn Brown and adopt her children, but the spiritual ties remained until January 2023, when Meri announced her split from her longtime husband.
Despite their long estrangement, the dad of 18 didn't hold back, suggesting he could "fake through" their relationship if needed. Meri, 53, wasn't having any of it, though, quickly shutting down the idea: "Yeah, I'm not interested in faking a relationship."
As for Kody's take on his other marriages? He admitted to the cameras that he "was in terrible relationships but wasn't willing to discard them, didn't want to discard them."
For those out of the loop, Christine Brown was the first wife to leave the family in November 2021. Following her exit, Janelle Brown announced her separation from Kody in December 2022, ending their 30-year-spiritual marriage.
In November 2023, Meri made it clear that she was ready to move on, too. Kody has since remained married to Robyn, 46, and said he "wouldn't be interested" in finding another wife. "I would have to tell that woman I will never love you as much as I love her [Robyn]," he told People in an interview last year.
Catch Sister Wives on TLC Sundays at 10 p.m. ET.