Sister Wives Season 19 is almost here, and fans are eager and anxious in equal measure about the new season, due in large part to the shocking and tragic death of Garrison Brown, son of Kody Brown and Janelle Brown.
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Garrison's sudden and unexpected passing in March devastated the Brown family, and their grief is still raw.
Complicating matters is the fact that Sister Wives has depicted a number of massive and often disruptive changes to the once-close Brown family in recent seasons.
Ahead of Season 18, the premise of Sister Wives itself – a reality show which ostensibly focuses on plural marriage – was tested in the wake of the slow-motion disintegration of the Brown family's polygamous relationships.
After a tense 2020 and endless arguments about quarantine, the Sister Wives fandom was rocked when Christine Brown and Kody separated in 2021.
The following year, Janelle and Kody went their separate ways, with Meri Brown following her Sister Wives out the door.
Consequently, Kody is down to one wife, Robyn Brown, and fans speculated that their marriage is on the rocks after they listed their shared home for sale recently.
Back in August, Mykelti Brown Padron (daughter of Kody and Christine) told fans that she was apprehensive about how TLC would handle Garrison's death on Sister Wives, and she said:
"I do hope whatever they do, it’s respectful, and it’s about [Garrison]. It’s not about petty grievances, or about anybody else or anybody else’s relationship."
Mykelti's remarks seemed to allude to a broader conflict concerning Garrison's death, and a new comment she made about her relationship with Robyn and a "recent funeral" further hinted that her worries aren't unfounded.
Mykelti Admits Something Happened At The Funeral
Both Mykelti and her husband, Tony, have discussed their general discomfort with the events around Garrison's death being televised, and Mykelti specifically said she hoped any reference to her brother would be solely to honor him.
Mykelti and Tony run a Patreon account together – Patreon is a platform which enables fans to financially support content creators – and Sister Wives fans consider it to be a good investment for a true behind the scenes glimpse into the Brown family's lives.
One Sister Wives fan and subscriber said:
"Overall, watching Mykelti and Tony's [Sister Wives] watch-along was actually REALLY eye-opening with regard to how little we see of their lives and relationships.
"They are very middle of the road. Mykelti is willing to defer to her mom's proclamation of favoritism but also thinks that there were a lot of miscommunications. [Mykelti] confirmed that Christine is closer to all of the kids than any of the other moms."
Tony and Mykelti's Patreon activity is available to paid subscribers, one of whom shared a screenshot of Mykelti's recent response to a supporter about the state of her relationship with her father, Kody, and her mother Christine's former "sister wife," Robyn.
At the top of the screenshot, a question posed by a fan was only partly visible, and it referenced topics the cast of Sister Wives "just can't talk about."
In response to the subscriber's unspecified question, Mykelti disclosed that her relationship with Kody and Robyn remains strained.
First, Mykelti (who shares an account with Tony) validated fan perceptions that the couple's dynamic with Robyn was different:
"Hey Alex[.] We try very hard to say what we can while respecting our families and relationships. We don't lie.
"To give you some insights[,] it's true we have always been super supportive of Robyn. Yes, lately it may seem as [if] that has changed."
Mykelti was clearly trying to walk a line between honesty and privacy, while also actively grieving for her brother, Garrison.
Reality television stars are bound by non-disclosure agreements, too, so Mykelti and Tony might be prohibited from disclosing details of their lives that are also "storylines."
However, the couple confirmed that the distance fans observed was the result of something that happened at "the recent funeral," presumably Garrison's:
"There are things that happened during the recent funeral that are the reason for that. We won't be talking about those events.
"So [you're] not totally wrong. Anyhow, thanks for supporting and watching. Hope this helps a little."
On Reddit, one fan commented:
"Whatever it is must have been pretty bad. [Mykelti was] always pretty supportive of Robyn. Definitely the most supportive out of the OG kids. For her to publicly say this, I don’t think it was something minor."
Another said:
"Well this is extremely upsetting. A horrific thing happened and even the child who was on their side said that Kody and Robyn did stuff during the funeral that was not ok.
"I super hope there was no blaming happening, I have lost a family member this way and I know it is easy to blame everyone else at the beginning but that doesn't mean it is fair or acceptable."
Based on the tone of Tony and Mykelti's comment, they're dreading how Sister Wives will handle Garrison's death, as well as renewed public interest in their private family grief.
- Main Characters
- Timothy Gibbons, Kirk Streb, Deanie Wilcher, Christopher Poole, Bill Hayes
- Number of Episodes
- 167
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