RECAP: ‘Sister Wives’ Janelle Brown Reveals Kody STOLE MONEY From The Family Account
RECAP: ‘Sister Wives’ Janelle Brown Reveals Kody STOLE MONEY From The Family Account
In the Sister Wives episode that aired Sunday, January 26, Janelle Brown reflects on her financial situation with Kody Brown following their separation, shedding light on long-standing issues within their plural marriage.
Janelle Opens Up About Money Struggles
“I never felt like I had much control over my own money because everybody was pulling from the same [account],” Janelle confides to Christine Brown. Although she acknowledges that the family fund worked well when they were unified, she admits financial disagreements emerged over time.
“It was great when we all first started,” Janelle shares. “We set our family up that way. But, like, toward the end, it was just really hard.”
The mother of six recalls that in the early days, the family collectively decided which bills to prioritize.
“There was kind of like this thing [where] we weighed in on what bills should be paid, how we were going to pay, who got priority,” she explains. However, Janelle alleges that Kody began withdrawing significant amounts of money without explaining its purpose. “The last several years, Kody would just take out funds, and I don’t know what for. And the money was just being spent — and lots of it,” she claims.
Kody Defends His Financial Decisions
Kody denies Janelle’s accusations of misusing funds, defending himself as the head of a large family. “I was a father to 18 and a husband to more than just Janelle,” he says, pointing out that the money had to cover many expenses. “We had a lot of places that money needed to go that weren’t always Janelle’s business.”
Kody clarifies that Janelle, as the family’s bookkeeper, was responsible for overseeing transactions but may not have understood the reasoning behind them. “Some of the bills to be paid by all of us were supposed to be paid by her,” Kody says, suggesting Janelle had more control than she claims.
Janelle refutes this, saying, “He loves this mantra that somehow I was [the] all-powerful one with all the financial control.” She emphasizes, “I really was just the person who recorded the transactions and sent them to the CPA.”
Disputes Over Coyote Pass
The family’s financial disagreements are compounded by their shared property, Coyote Pass, which remains a sticking point for Kody, Robyn, Janelle, and Meri. Janelle reflects on her decision to trust Kody’s management of the land. “I trusted it would all work out in the end. And looking back now, I’m like, ‘Wow, it’s really dumb. Why did I not insist that we were all titled on all the pieces?’”
Janelle and Meri agree they paid for the property equally through the family account, but Kody disputes this. “We didn’t pay for Coyote Pass all equally,” he claims. “I paid for an entire lot all by myself, at least 92 percent of it. The rest of the property, we all chipped in.”
The conflicting accounts further deepen the divide between Kody and his ex-wives. “I feel like Kody and Robyn probably have some plan of what they want to do and how they want to handle it,” Meri admits. “I think that Janelle has some sort of plan, and I know that I do as well. And none of us are talking to each other because none of us trust each other.”
Kody, for his part, shows little urgency in resolving the land dispute. “I’m working on this,” he tells the cameras. “But I’m not rushing to get it done. I’m not your servant to boss around.”
Janelle and Meri Consider Legal Action
Janelle and Meri discuss hiring attorneys to resolve the ongoing issues with Coyote Pass. “I think it is time for somebody to be pushing my interests. I probably will get a lawyer,” Janelle says. “In fact, I’ve been talking to one. I hope you feel like that for you too.”
Meri agrees, noting, “I do because it has been a year and a half since I’ve had that conversation with Kody.” In her confessional, Meri admits, “There’s been a lot of confusion surrounding the way things were handled in the family. I think that’s why I am going to get a lawyer to help me through this process.”
She adds, “For quite a few years, I’ve sat back and just not wanted to ruffle feathers, so I haven’t pushed the issue on many things. But I will push the issue now.”
Janelle later shares with Christine that she has already taken legal steps. “I actually hired a lawyer. I’ve found one, and I put the retainer down,” she reveals. “Basically, I’m just going to be going for separation of assets. Like, that’s really all I can go for.”
Robyn’s Emotional Connection to Coyote Pass
While Janelle and Meri move forward with legal action, Robyn expresses her reluctance to let go of Coyote Pass. “I love Coyote Pass. I always have,” Robyn says. “It’s hard to think of letting it go.”
Kody acknowledges that he and Robyn have differing opinions about the property. “We’re in different places,” he admits. “Sometimes I want to keep it; sometimes I want to sell it. And Robyn knows we need to sell it but sometimes wants to keep it.”
Robyn shares the emotional attachment she has to the land. “Every time I’m at Coyote Pass, my heart aches,” she says. “I [just] see the vision that I’ve always imagined, you know, all of the space and the houses.”
Moving Forward
Janelle expresses her frustration with the slow pace of progress. “Nothing’s happening,” she laments in a confessional. “I’ve asked Kody, like, what about selling it? What about all these things? He’s like, ‘Well, I don’t know. Maybe you should talk to Meri.’ Like he’s always putting me off.”
She adds, “I’m like, dude, let’s just get it sold, let’s get it divided — however we’re going to do this. But it’s just crickets.”
As the property dispute drags on, Janelle and Meri’s determination to resolve the issue reflects their readiness to move on from Kody and the life they once shared. For both women, finalizing the land situation marks a step toward independence and closure.
Also in the episode, Christine and her husband, David Woolley, take a trip to Moab, where Christine proudly unveils the first rental property she purchased on her own. She explains that David wasn’t involved in the decision because she wanted to tackle the project independently — something she never did during her marriage to Kody. When the couple arrives and David gets a tour of the property, he praises Christine for her excellent choice, expressing his admiration, especially as someone with experience in the construction industry.
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Nancy Zhāng is an Entertainment Blogger for All About The Tea. Nancy covers hot topics, recaps and celeb news. She loves to multi-task as a writer and a private chef. She received a B.S. in Mass Communications from LSU. Nancy’s married and the proud mom of 2 German Shepherds.