Kody Brown has had a tumultuous year when it comes to his relationships with and the way he has treated his wives. Not only did he have to come to terms with a failed marriage to Christine in November 2021, but there may be some tension being felt between himself and Janelle. Add into the mix that Meri wants to be a part of Kody's life but Kody is hesitant to have an intimate relationship with her and there is enough drama for several marriages.
With all the relationship drama that swirls around the Browns, it can make it difficult to know who Kody is helping to support financially. After all, if Janelle and Meri are spiritual wives and Robyn is legally Kody's wife, then there should be something monetarily given to these women. But what should be done and what is done can be two different things at times. This has been leaving fans of the show with questions, including wondering how the polygamist family is being supported.
Here is information about whether Sister Wives' Kody Brown financially supports his three remaining wives.
Who Kody Brown Is Legally Monetarily Responsible To Take Care Of
While Kody is currently married to three women, he is only legally married to one of them. That woman is Robyn, whom Kody walked down the aisle with in December 2014.
Meri was Kody's original wife. The two married in April 1990. But, in order for Robyn's children to be able to be adopted by Kody, the two divorced. When this happened, Meri became a spiritual wife.
As for Janelle, she and Kody were spiritually married in 1993.
Why is this all important? Because while all three women bear the title of wife, the only one that Kody legally has to financially care for is Robyn.
But, with financial troubles following Kody, at this point, he is not in a position to be solely financially supporting any of his wives. Of everyone in the relationship, he appears to be the only one without any steady income outside of Sister Wives.
And because of this, the women are contributing to the household incomes to help make ends meet.
Remaining Wives Were Asked To "Conform To Patriarchy"
When Christine made the decision to leave Kody, the remaining wives were asked to "conform to patriarchy." Something that seems like a big ask from someone who is not financially contributing to the family.
If the women agreed to a patriarchal relationship, that would mean that any and all decisions, including the financial ones would be solely up to Kody. The money that came from the show, appearances, or side hustles would all be used at Kody's discretion.
Given that all accounts point to the three women remaining in a relationship with Kody, means that they agreed to do as he asked. Making Kody the head of the family, giving the women little to no say. Specifically when it comes to how money is divided up between the women and Kody.
Where Kody Brown's Income Comes From
Before Sister Wives came to fruition, Kody was making approximately $4,000 per month as a salesperson. But, once the show became a staple on TLC, the decision was made for Kody to leave his job and "build his family's brand" instead.
Building a brand included writing a New York Times best-selling book and making a strong reality television presence to help justify the money made from the television show. A figure, that Distractify estimates to be between $25,000 and $40,000 per episode.
With three wives and 18 children to take care of though, that money does not go very far. And as a result, the wives have had to take matters into their own hands to help to try to make ends meet.
Robyn, Janelle, And Meri All Have Side Hustles
An argument for a patriarchal household would have more traction for Kody were he the sole breadwinner for all three households. But, with Robyn, Janelle, and Meri all having side hustles to try to ward off debt, it is clear that they need to have a say in running the household and finances versus being told how things were going to be.
While there are no specific figures as to how much each woman makes with their side hustles, it is clear that each is working hard to make the most of the jobs they have to supplement the Sister Wives' income.
Though the money made from the show is split between Kody and the wives, according to Entertainment Chronicle, the supplemental income does not appear to be. Because of this, Robyn, Janelle, and Meri all have varying levels of success with their businesses.
With her bed and breakfast business, selling Plexus, and her "well-known" partnership with LuLaRoe, it is reported that Meri is the "wealthiest" of all the wives. The businesses keep Meri busy and traveling back and forth from Utah to Arizona.
As such, it is no wonder that there is no desire to share wealth with those who are not working as hard to be successful.
For those who need the motivation of a health coach, Janelle created a business called Strive With Janelle.
While the site does not have any updated blog posts, it does appear to still be active. And combined with "promoting products online," specifically Plexus, Janelle is doing what she can to make her money.
Robyn was once responsible for running My Sisterwife's Closet. But one look at the site, and it is clear that there is no money being made from it. Instead, fans think that "Robyn is trying her best to take Kody's income."
Much of this comes from the fact that the two appear to spend more time together in comparison to the time Kody spends with the other wives. As such, it may just be that Kody does provide the main source of income when it comes to this particular relationship.
The money made from Sister Wives is the main source of income for most involved in the reality show. As such, Kory is not the one who is supporting his three wives. It is the steady TLC paycheck and side hustles that are keeping the women afloat. And Kory as well as a result of his relationship with his wives.
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