How Is the Show Sister Wives Legal

The three existing wives cautiously support Kody`s possible fourth marriage, but Christine admits she was “panicked” when she learned that Kody and Robyn had sealed their engagement with a kiss. “We kissed over the altar first because I didn`t feel good kissing a married man,” Christine says. Kody also held a family gathering to get feedback from his children on the proposed new marriage, and they, at least during the recordings, were in favor of the addition. The series tackles the delicate subject of sex in the first episode. Yes, the wives reassure viewers, each of them has a sexual relationship with Kody. But no, sex never affects more than one woman at a time. “Kody is welcome in each [of the three] rooms. Alone. That`s the way it is.

We don`t get weird,” Meri says. Mark A. Puterman added: “I can`t speak for everyone, but I believe in the sanctity of marriage. It`s sad to see TLC capitalizing on people who don`t. [22] Former prosecutor and television personality Nancy Grace criticized the show, saying she thought Kody Brown should go to jail, but expressed doubts that he would, based on Utah`s history, neglect polygamy. [23] Christine Seifert, associate professor of communication at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, said the show could give viewers who are unfamiliar with the LDS Church the false assumption that polygamy is accepted by the traditional church. [16] Several commentators have noted that the family`s religious beliefs are downplayed in Sister Wives. [18] [21] [24] Given its sensational subject matter, TLC`s “Sister Wives” was refreshing and modest. The stars [have] a natural and honest presence in a genre known for the antics of Jersey Shore. Instead of simply pointing out what`s different about the Brown family – the most obvious being their “plural marriage” – Sister Wives shows us how normal they seem: loving and cheerful towards their children, sometimes prone to envy and feelings of betrayal. In a statement to PEOPLE, Kody, who has 18 children with his wives, said he hoped the verdict “will ultimately lead to the freedom of all plural families everywhere.” As a result of the investigation, the Brown family decided to move to Las Vegas, Nevada. “I can`t let my family live in fear,” Kody said on the show.

“Every day we are here, our family sinks deeper and deeper into fear of what may happen. Sister Wives gained national media attention after the first season[16] and generally received mixed reviews from critics. Hank Stuever, a Washington Post associate, called it a “refreshing opening” and found the small details of family life such as food supply, division of labor, and minor conflicts most interesting. [17] Mary McNamara, television critic for the Los Angeles Times, said she was fascinated by the matriarchal nature of the polygamous family, an entity traditionally considered patriarchal. McNamara said women form the center of the family and that “their bonds seem much stronger and more vital than the casual affection with which they treat all Kodys.” [18] Salon writer Schuyler Velasco praised Sister Wives for introducing viewers to unfamiliar topics, calling it “refreshingly modest” given its controversial subject. Velasco said he had “a natural and honest presence in a genre known for the antics of Jersey Shore.” [15] Shelley Fralic of the Vancouver Sun called it fascinating and surprising and was impressed by the family`s thoughtful and articulate way of defending their way of life. When the Brown family appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in October 2010, talk show host Oprah Winfrey said she found the sisters` relationship particularly fascinating. [19] Sister Wives is an American reality television series that aired on TLC on September 26, 2010. The series documents the life of a polygamous family that becomes essentially monogamous in subsequent seasons, which includes father Kody Brown, his four wives (Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn), and their 18 children. The family began the series in Lehi, Utah, but moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2011 and to the unincorporated community of Baderville, Arizona (northwest of Flagstaff, Arizona) in mid-2018. [1] [2] After an eventful engagement, Kody and Christine were married in a spiritual ceremony less than a month later, on March 25, 1994.

Because polygamy is illegal in the United States, Kody can only legally marry one of his four wives. Christine and Kody`s marriage is not recognized by the government, but only by their church, the fundamentalist Mormon group Apostolic United Brethren (AUB). Laurent M. Friedman is Marion Rice Kirkwood Professor of Law at Stanford University and an internationally renowned legal historian. Professors Grossman and Friedman are co-authors of a forthcoming book entitled Inside the Castle: Law and the Family in Twentieth Century America (Princeton University Press, forthcoming 2011). Although Kody considers himself “spiritually married” to his four wives, he is legally married only to Robyn. The couple married in May 2010. They have three children and Robyn has three more children from a previous marriage to David Jessop. Kody`s desire to adopt Robyn`s three children from their previous marriage was ultimately the reason Kody and Meri legally divorced in 2014 and Kody and Robyn legally married the same year. Brown and his four wives said they participated in the show to raise awareness of polygamous families and combat societal prejudice. Brown claims that his polygamous arrangement is legal because he is legally married to only one woman (Robyn), while the other marriages (to Meri, Janelle, and Christine) are “spiritual connections.” With four wives, 18 children, a catfish scandal and an impending divorce, Sister Wives certainly had a lot of drama. The reality series TLC about polygamist Kody Brown and his wives Meri Brown, Janelle Brown, Christine Brown and Robyn Brown is gearing up for the start of season 17 after airing for 10 years in 2021.

As noted above, several media sources report that local police are investigating the “Sister Wives” Browns for violating Utah`s bigamy laws. Did they actually break the law? So far, all signs indicate that yes, although a question remains as to whether some or all of these marriages were authorized by the state, or whether these marriages were all “contracted” solely by a religious ceremony. On the show, Kody says that the three women are his “wives,” but says nothing specific about how the marriages were contracted. Based on the information released so far, there`s no way to tell if the Browns will extend their fame by 15 minutes by traveling through the criminal justice system and possibly in jail. Admittedly, they made it difficult for local authorities to ignore their blatantly illegal behavior by showing it on television for the whole world to see. Because the household does not seem to include the most shabby aspects of polygamy – child marriage, rape, sex with minors, or the burden of children insufficiently supported on the state— the Browns present the issue of polygamy in its purest form.