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Sister Wives returns to TLC with season 18 so here’s everything we know about the new series, including the release date and the latest family news.

If you thought Sister Wives season 17 was dramatic, just wait until you find out what has been going down in the Brown family for season 18.

Last season saw the breakdown of Christine and Kody Brown‘s plural marriage, and if you’ve been following the large family off-screen, you’ll know that the patriarch is only legally married to Robyn.

He is no longer spiritually married to his three other wives, so the upcoming episodes will document the family at its breaking point as Meri and Janelle Brown follow in Christine’s footsteps. Here’s what you need to know ahead of the new season.

Sister Wives season 18: New 2023 release date confirmed and where to watch

Sister Wives premieres on Sunday, August 20 at 10pm ET/PT on TLC with new episodes released weekly. You can catch up with episodes on TLC Go.

Filming reportedly took place at least during December 2022 as Christmas decorations are seen in several homes. It also includes Meri discussing her plans to leave the family with Kody and Robyn Brown, meaning it likely occurred before her January 2023 announcement confirming their “terminated” marriage relationship.

New Sister Wives trailer teases fractured family

With Christine officially leaving the plural marriage, the relationship drama shows no signs of stopping as Kody struggles to balance his connection with Meri and Janelle.

The trailer opens with Janelle questioning how determined Kody is to continue the polygamous relationship, before admitting to a stunned Christine that she is done with marriage.

As for Meri, she confesses to Robyn that “there’s no question” that Kody is “done” with her. Moments later, Robyn breaks down in tears as her image of the ideal polygamist family is drifting away.

“I wanted to sit on a porch with my sister wives, with our kids, and her grandkids,” the newest wife admitted.

The official press release reads: “In the upcoming season, Kody is still grappling with the fallout from his divorce from Christine, and he is struggling in many of his other relationships. Christine, however, is learning to love who she is on her own by planning trips and celebrations along the way.

Meri is steadily coming to realize that Kody isn’t going to have the change of heart she has been waiting for and makes a life-changing decision. Lastly, Kody has been spending less and less time at Janelle’s house, and, after an explosive fight, she kicks him out. Through their transparency and vulnerability, the Browns shed light on the hardships their family is struggling to overcome.”

When did Kody Brown split from his sister wives?

Meri Brown

Kody legally and spiritually married his first wife Meri Brown on April 21, 1990 after less than six months of dating. Meri was raised in a polygamous family in Utah and met through Kody’s sister, who introduced them in October 1989. At the time, Meri and Kody were 19 and 22 years old, respectively.

Meri and Kody legally divorced in 2014 so that he could legally marry and adopt Robyn’s children as polygamy is illegal in the US.

Fans watched their relationship deteriorate on the Sister Wives, including Meri’s catfishing scandal in which Kody believed his wife was having an affair in 2015. The 52-year-old, however, maintained that she did not engage in the online activity with the intention to leave him. It was later uncovered that the catfisher was a female named Jackie Overton.

The former spouses announced they were “permanently terminating our marriage relationship” on January 10, 2023.

“After more than a decade of working on our relationship in our own unique ways, we have made the decision to permanently terminate our marriage relationship,” the Instagram post read.

“During this process, we are committed to kindness and respect toward each other and to all members of our family,” it continued.

Janelle Brown

Janelle is Kody’s second spiritual wife and the second to leave him, following Christine Brown. Janelle and Kody spiritually married in 1993 after first meeting in 1989.

The couple met through Janelle’s first husband, Adam Clark Barber, who is Meri’s brother. Janelle was even a guest at Meri and Kody’s wedding, and the women maintained a friendship even after Janelle split from Adam.

Things became more confusing when Janelle’s mom, Sheryl, ended up marrying Kody’s father, William, before Janelle and Kody became romantically involved.

In the One-On-One special in January 2023, Janelle and Kody both confirmed that they are officially separated after nearly 30 years of marriage. 

Christine Brown

Christine and Kody were spiritually married on March 25, 1994 and publicly announced their split on November 2, 2021 on Instagram because they had “grown apart”.

Relationship troubles began in season 1 when Christine struggled with Kody’s new romance with Robyn. Over the years, tensions rose as Christine expressed her desire to move the family back to Utah while shutting down Kody’s dream plan to build one large house for the large family.

As they grew apart, Christine expressed that she didn’t feel “safe” in her marriage anymore and spent Thanksgiving 2020 with her kids in Utah.

Robyn Brown

Robyn is the only sister wife who is spiritually and legally married to Kody. The couple spiritually married on May 22, 2010 when Robyn was 31 years old. Kody was 41.

He asked Meri for a divorce so he could legally marry Robyn and adopt her children. Robyn and Kody then legally married on December 11, 2014.

How many kids are in the Sister Wives family?

Kody Brown shares 18 children with his four wives. The oldest Brown child is Logan, born May 1994, who Kody shares with Janelle.

Janelle and Kody are parents to six children in total: Logan; Maddie (November 1995); Hunter (February 1997); Garrison (October 1998); Gabriel (January 2001); and Savanah (2004).

First wife Meri struggled with fertility issues but eventually welcomed their only child in 1995, Leon, who came out as transgender in 2022. Meri suffered a miscarriage sometime between 2007 and 2008.

Christine and Kody gave birth to their first child in 1995, a daughter named Aspyn. They went on to have five more kids – Mykelti (born 1996), Paedon (born 1998), Gwendlyn (2001), Ysabel (2003), and Truely (2010) – during their 27-year marriage.

Robyn’s children from her previous marriage are Dayton Brown (born January 2000), Aurora Brown (June 2002), Breanna (July 2005). She and Kody share two biological kids: Solomon Kody (October 2011), and Ariella Mae (January 2016).

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