Christine Brown from Sister Wives Reveals She and Ex Kody Are Distant Relatives

Christine Brown may have divorced Kody Brown, but she affirmed on Sister Wives that they share a familial bond — by blood!

During the Sunday, December 28, episode of the TLC show, Christine, 53, shared with her husband, David Woolley, “I grew up knowing I’d have to marry someone who converted, as I was related to practically everyone in the church.”

She further disclosed, “I did marry a convert, but I’m still related to him too. Yep, I’m related to Kody.”

Having been spiritually married to Kody from 1994 to 2021, Christine noted that she is a distant cousin of his.

“Third cousins once removed is totally legal. Absolutely,” she added with a laugh. “Polygamy isn’t legal. I’m third cousins once removed from Kody.”

David, 61, was left speechless, simply responding with a “wow” upon learning about his wife’s familial link to her ex-husband.

Janelle Brown, Christine’s former sister wife and still a close family member, remarked that it was a common joke in their home about Kody and Christine being related prior to their marriage.

“There was always this joke about [how] they were cousins, but their connection is so distantly related it’s amusing,” Janelle, 56, explained to the cameras. “In polygamist families, this sort of thing is quite common.”

Janelle clarified, “It wasn’t the kind of relationship where you met each other at family reunions — it was a very distant connection. But they always joked about being cousins. The community is just that small.”

Janelle understands the close-knit nature of polygamy due to her own family ties.

Before marrying Kody in 1993, Janelle was previously married to Meri Brown’s brother, Adam Barber, for two years. (Meri, 54, was Kody’s first wife, whom he married in 1990; the couple announced their separation in January 2023.)

“I think we might have actually lived together for about six months,” Janelle reminisced about her and Adam’s marriage during a November 2024 appearance on the “Reality Life With Kate Casey” podcast, joking that it “qualifies” as a “starter marriage.”

Janelle’s family connections extend further, as her late mother, Sheryl Usher, was spiritually married to Kody’s late father, Winn Brown, after they met through the couple.

“My mom came to rescue me from the polygamists because she couldn’t bear the thought of her daughter entering a ‘crazy cult,’” Janelle recalled in a November episode of Sister Wives. “And she ended up marrying Kody’s dad.”

Sheryl and Winn were married in 1992, just a year before Janelle became Kody’s second wife. Sheryl and Winn maintained a plural marriage until Winn’s passing in 2013. Meanwhile, Janelle confirmed her separation from Kody in December 2022.

While Christine’s connection to Kody took some viewers by surprise, it wasn’t the only topic of this week’s episode. Kody finally traveled to Cedar City, Utah, to meet with Meri and complete his self-described ex-wives’ apology tour.

The discussions were tumultuous, with Meri and Kody caught in several altercations during their encounter. Meri expressed frustration over Kody mentioning her friends and their supposed negative comments about him, while he attempted to redirect the focus onto his apology.

“Listen, an apology is absolutely necessary here because this is still quite toxic. And I apologize for that,” Kody stated to Meri at one point, alluding to their ongoing conflicts.

Meri candidly questioned, “Are you apologizing for being toxic to me, or is this just a general statement?” Kody replied, “Yes, I apologize for being toxic to you, Meri, or for having been toxic to you.”

As Kody continued to repeat the word “apologize,” it began to unsettle his former first wife.

“You need to stop using the word ‘apologize.’ The more you use it, the more insincere it feels,” Meri noted, indicating it “doesn’t trigger” her but “validates that this doesn’t seem like a genuine conversation.”

Meri explained, “Your frequent use of ‘apologize’ feels exaggerated and forced to me.”

Kody admitted, “I feel uncomfortable, Meri. I felt triggered the moment we came together. I apologize for that.”

Despite the tumultuous exchanges, they concluded the conversation with a hug, albeit with conflicting feelings about the discussion.

“Moving forward, I hope we can lower our defenses. If we can be kind and respectful, it might allow us to maintain good relations,” Kody stated to the cameras.

Meanwhile, Meri reflected, “At this point, I’m uncertain what everything means. There’s been much to process throughout this divorce and property situation, along with things I’ve uncovered. But this doesn’t affect me; I’m not dwelling on his words.”

Sister Wives airs on TLC Sundays at 10 p.m. ET.