Latest news with #Janelle
Washington Post
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
The most quintessential American TV show is ‘Sister Wives'
One benefit of being a columnist is that every couple of years I get to subject all of you to a close analysis of the reality show 'Sister Wives,' and it turns out today is that day. What is 'Sister Wives?' It is a long-running TLC series about a family of fundamentalist Mormon polygamists who live in Utah, then Nevada, then Arizona and then eventually scatter as the clan breaks up. It's never-ending and dramatic and boring, and the faithful among us now just want to know whether erstwhile second wife Janelle, who moved to North Carolina, will ever open her unpronounceable flower farm (TAY-da? TIE-da? Tie-AY-da? Get it together, guys). Those of you have never seen the show: We know, you wouldn't be caught dead tuning in to this dumpster fire, you have better things to do, etc. etc. Congratulations on your brain cells. Now please leave us in peace to discuss a show, which wraps up its 19th season on Sunday, that has over the years become one of my lodestars for interpreting relationships and America. As a quick refresher: This show first aired in 2010, piggybacking off the popularity of 'Big Love,' an HBO drama about a fictional modern polygamous family, which starred Bill Paxton and which explored what it looked like to live a 19th century religion in a 21st century reality. 'Sister Wives' was that but less premium-cable. It introduced the country to Joseph Smith birthday celebrations, bulk meal prep (18 children!!) and the Utah accent, which pronounces 'real' and 'deal' as 'rill' and 'dill.' As a quicker refresher: The Brown family now hates each other. Kody Brown started off with four wives but now has just one as Christine, Janelle and Meri all spent the previous three seasons lining up to divorce him. The sad patriarch lives in Flagstaff with his single remaining spouse, Robyn, who began the series run as the hot new girlfriend but who now looks so perpetually low-energy that one podcaster I follow speculates that the couple's favorite spicy role-playing game involves pretending to be in hospice. The bulk of this most recent season was spent figuring out what to do about Coyote Pass, the overpriced land on which the family once intended to build a compound before everything went to hell. So now Christine has remarried, Meri is running a B&B back in Utah, Janelle has moved eastward with her grandbabies and her farm dreams, but all of them keep having to trudge back to Flagstaff to bicker with one another about who owes what to whom. As you might imagine, these are not really conversations about money. Why couldn't Kody just admit that he once he met Robyn, he started ignoring his other wives? Why couldn't Meri admit that her mid-series catfishing incident was an emotional affair? Did the family ever really function or was it just held together by a sticky paste of tuna casseroles and scripture? Here is Kody, once an earnest and good-natured lunkhead, gradually getting redpilled by the manosphere. And here is Meri, whose self-improvement journey dumped her at the alter of Brené Brown and Mel Robbins (this woman is always doing the work). And here is Christine, an irritating Disney Adult cheerfully rolling with her gay daughter's wedding, and here is Janelle, donating to the presidential campaign of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. At one point all the wives are involved in multilevel marketing schemes; at one point everyone's trying therapy. I'm telling you, the answer to every political pollster's question of the Trump era — how will the residents of flyover states deal with covid, with vaccines, with transgender issues, with health insurance, with poor retirement savings — is explored in one 'Sister Wives' episode or another. It's got every possible archetype. It's the most American show. There are podcasters who make their entire livings analyzing 'Sister Wives.' There is an honest-to-God communications professor who uses 'Sister Wives' as a weekly opportunity to teach his listeners about communication theory. Tourists travel to Flagstaff and take pictures of themselves at Salsa Brava or Fat Olives, restaurants that appear on the show, and, to be clear, all of these people are much crazier than I am. The biggest question of all at this point is: Why are any of us still here? 'Sister Wives' was marketed as an exploration of how one man could manage four wives, and the ultimate answer is, he couldn't. The original premise no longer exists. We're at the 'Tell All' point of the season now, a multi-part saga in which cast members sit down and dissect whatever we all saw on camera this season. The host, Sukanya Krishnan, does her best, but Robyn compares the experience to a root canal. Reading between the lines, the only reason any of them are here is because the show is now their main source of income. Kody and Robyn are constantly adding to their collection of horse-themed jewelry and art, and to earn their paychecks, the job description is self-reflection. And through that reflection, viewers get a master class on the mechanics of reality television. These five adults managed to put on a happy facade for a really long time. But since the cameras kept rolling, eventually the facade melted. Turns out they spent a lot of the early seasons lying to us and to themselves. Meri and Janelle didn't just have a complicated relationship, they could barely stand to be in the same room as one another. Christine wasn't just going through a rough patch with Kody, she was actively fantasizing about leaving for years. Midway through the season, a tragedy struck, which is so unspeakable that I worry how to even bring it up in this snarky column: One of Kody and Janelle's sons dies by suicide. Garrison had struggled with alcohol for a long time, we are told — something else we didn't see on screen — which had been brought on by the isolation of covid. And viewers, who are human, couldn't help but wonder about the other contributing factors. Was his fractured family to blame? Were we, the audience members who kept tuning in to watch the injuries? I couldn't imagine the show would continue after that event, and yet, there we were the next Sunday, watching grief-stricken parents trying to make sense of the most horrible event that could ever befall a parent and doing it while wearing microphones. We were told that Garrison loved cats. That a good way to honor his memory would be a donation to the Humane Society. I made a donation and wondered if it was time to permanently say goodbye to the Brown family. As for why I, and so many others, hung in for so long — my personal answer is that I wanted to see if they could put it all back together. I'm not asking whether they can all get married again, because they won't. Rather, I'm wondering what it looks like when everything has burned to the ground, but the cameras keep showing up, so you do too, trying to figure out this mess of your life and how it got this way. In the most recent episode, Krishnan kept prodding Janelle on whether she could be friends with Kody and Robyn again. After politely demurring several times, Janelle finally came out with it. 'I just don't like them,' she said. It was weird, frankly, for Krishnan to press the issue. Janelle left Kody, so why should she be expected to pal around with him and his remaining wife? But I got why Krishnan wouldn't let it go. Because this is the most American show on television. Because we all have to understand our past before we map the future. Because these are people who once vowed to spend their whole lives in a united state, and even if they sell Coyote Pass, they're still going to be bound by joy, grief, struggle, memories. Because every one of us living out this broken current reality of America is also trying to figure out whether an RFK Jr. supporter can sit down with a manosphere resident and a chipper Disney princess and an MLM high-seller and try to remember what we have in common. Try to envision what it could look like if we could ever put it back together. Try to remember that a family is still a family and a country is still a country no matter how much you hate each other, so you just have to grit your teeth and try again next season.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Sister Wives' Star Janelle Brown Reveals Touching Reason She and Kody Buried Their Son Garrison in Wyoming
'Sister Wives' star 's ex-wife Janelle has revealed the heartbreaking reason why the duo chose to bury their son Garrison in Wyoming, and not in their home state of Arizona, while opening up about how his tragic death helped to strengthen their connection as a family. Garrison died by suicide at the age of 25 on March 5, 2024, and now, in a new episode of the family's TLC reality TV series, Janelle and Kody have lifted the lid on how they overcame their bitter rift to honor their son's legacy together. In the May 11 installment of the show, Janelle explains to the cameras that she and Kody were in total agreement that Garrison should be laid to rest in Wyoming. Their family has 'deep roots' in the state, both on her side and Kody's, she explained. 'Kody actually grew up in Wyoming. My mother was married to Kody's father. The Browns have deep roots in Wyoming. Both Kody's dad and my mom are buried there, and I want to bury Garrison next to my mom,' Janelle, 56, explained. 'He was very much shaped by his experiences, going for the summer, working there on the ranch.' Janelle and Kody—who also share children Logan Brown, 31, Madison Brush, 29, Hunter Brown, 28, Gabriel Brown, 23, and Savanah Brown, 20, together—revealed that they buried Garrison's ashes in a small cemetery that feels 'very Wyoming.' 'You can look out, and you see the mountains surround this big basin. The wind is usually blowing. It's just a beautiful view. It's a Wyoming view,' said Janelle, who added that she wants to be buried next to her son when she dies. Garrison's tragic passing had put their family drama to rest, she continued. 'Garrison's death has brought about some healing of relationships, which has been good. Despite all of the flaws and problems that the adults had, we raised these kids that really do feel like they were siblings,' she explained. 'That was our biggest goal, because a lot of plural families raised them as separate households. Sometimes they don't even have anything to do with each other. But we really, really set out to make them siblings. I think we've been successful.' Meanwhile, Kody, also 56, candidly shared that the burial gave him a feeling of 'pilgrimage' with Garrison, with whom he had a tense relationship. 'I want to take his remains, and I want to take him home and I want to put him in the ground next to his grandma and grandpa,' he said. It was a way to 'finish the circle.' The family's decision to open up about Garrison's burial comes after Janelle revealed that she had a feeling something was wrong when she hadn't heard from her son after texting 'all day long.' 'I knew he was struggling. I always just picked up the phone, and I always make it a point to just talk to him. And it wasn't really about anything. I think he needed the connection, and I know he was talking to [and] calling his brothers and stuff, too,' she told the cameras. Janelle noted that worry consumed her when he 'kind of stopped texting me.' 'I knew he'd been drinking again. He would go through periods where he was really good, and then he just would have a binge, just as part of the cycle, I think. So I called [my sons] Logan and Hunter. I texted them … because we've tag-teamed. I said, 'Will you guys see if Garrison will respond to you?' They said, 'Mom, we're on it. We'll just kind of check on him and make sure he's OK.' 'So, I went to sleep, and Gabriel called me, and he's like, 'Mom, he's gone.' And I'm like, 'What?'' she added. Janelle previously revealed that she and the rest of the family members had tried to offer Garrison help amid his alcohol struggles. However, something 'got to him,' and he was unable to pull himself out of his addiction. Meanwhile, Janelle and Kody's daughter Madison confessed that she was attempting to get her brother to move to North Carolina, which is where she and her husband, Caleb Brush, reside. 'I was trying to get him to move out here, and so every step that we get closer to it, we talked a lot about that,' she revealed in a confessional interview. She added that although they came 'close' to getting Garrison to make the move, he was 'too deep' into his struggles. Kody also opened up about the heartache he experienced following his son's death and how the former couple solidified the next steps. The family decided to open up about their son's death after Kody denied accusations he tried to 'rip off' his ex-wives in the sale of their Coyote Pass, AZ, land. Kody, who shot to fame while documenting his life with his multiple 'wives' in the hit TLC series, and his only remaining wife, Robyn, had gone in on the property purchase with the reality TV star's three other partners—Christine, Janelle, and Meri—in 2018 while they were all still together. Homebuilding Giant Is Forced To Slash Prices in Florida—as It Highlights Sunshine State's Housing Market Weak Link Florida Homeowners Are in Crisis. Lawmakers Want To Offer Tax Relief as a Solution Record Number of Homes Pile Up in Florida—Making 2 Major Cities Hot Markets for Buyers
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sister Wives' Janelle Brown Says She ‘Knew' Son Garrison Was ‘Struggling' Before His Death
Sister Wives star Janelle Brown admitted that she was aware of her son Robert Garrison Brown's struggles with his mental health before his death by suicide in March 2024. The TLC personality, 55, opened up about the day before her and ex Kody Brown's son's death at age 25 during the Sunday, May 4, episode of Sister Wives, explaining that it felt like an ordinary day. Janelle, who said she had been 'traveling back to Flagstaff' at the time, was 'texting all day long' with Garrison on March 4, 2024. "And this was not unusual because he and I talked probably three times a day,' she explained. "I knew he was struggling, and I always just picked up the phone, and I always make it a point to just talk to him. … It was just, I think he needed the connection." Janelle said that although Garrison eventually stopped responding to her texts, this was nothing out of the ordinary. She knew that he had been drinking. "He would go through periods where he was really good and then he just would have a binge just as part of the cycle," the Taeda Farms cofounder said. Janelle added that she got in bed at around 8:30 p.m. and called her sons Logan Brown and Hunter Brown, with whom she's 'tag-teamed' to check in on Garrison. "I said, 'Will you guys see if Garrison will respond to you?' And so they were on it,' she continued. 'They said, 'Mom, we're on it. We'll just kind of check on him and make sure he's OK.'' Janelle fell asleep, but she later woke up to a call from son Gabriel Brown telling her that Garrison had died on March 5, 2024. "Gabriel had found him," the reality star explained. "He's like, 'Mom, he's gone.' I mean, 'What do you mean?' He said, 'He's dead. He killed himself.' I don't remember the next few minutes, but I got in the car and drove." Janelle later told her younger sister, Carrie, that Garrison struggled with 'anxiety and depression' and had 'started drinking as a way to sort of soothe that." However, it "became the animal he couldn't get a hold of." "We knew he was in a bad place," she continued. "We were doing everything we could for him, but he just, he just couldn't get on top of it." Janelle and Kody, 56, confirmed their son's death in a statement on social media shortly after news of his passing broke on March 5, 2024. 'Kody and I are deeply saddened to announce the loss of our beautiful boy Robert Garrison Brown,' the statement read. 'He was a bright spot in the lives of all who knew him. His loss will leave such a big hole in our lives that it takes our breath away. We ask that you please respect our privacy and join us in honoring his memory.' Janelle has remembered Garrison on social media in the year since his death. On April 10, she paid tribute to her son on what would have been his 27th birthday. 'Such a weird day. You seem so alive in the millions of photos I have. I sometimes forget I won't see you again — and then — I remember,' she wrote on Instagram. 'Grief is so strange. I've loved all the remembrances of you posted by family and friends. And I had to re-share the reel from the county fair because it shows who you were so well. Till we meet again sweetheart.' If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sister Wives' Janelle and Maddie Reflect on Hopes to Relocate Garrison, Preparing His Home After Death
Maddie Brush (née Brown) said she was 'trying' to get late brother Garrison to move to North Carolina during a Sister Wives episode in which their mom, Janelle Brown, shared how they prepared his home to be packed up in the wake of his tragic death. Garrison's older sister, 29, and her husband, Caleb Brush, revealed they were trying to persuade Garrison to relocate from Flagstaff, Arizona, to be closer to them in North Carolina leading up to his passing. 'I was trying to get him to move out here,' Maddie shared during her confessional interview on the Sunday, May 4, episode. 'And so every step that we get closer to it, we talked a lot about that.' 'We almost had him here too,' Caleb, 38, added. 'He was almost coming.' Maddie replied, 'I think he was just so deep in.' Garrison was tragically found dead in his Flagstaff apartment as a result of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound on March 5, 2024. Janelle, 56, called Maddie to tell her the devastating news. 'There's a few moments in your life that I feel like alter your brain chemistry, and I definitely feel like calling siblings that a sibling had died definitely alters your brain chemistry,' Maddie said in hindsight. Janelle now resides in North Carolina not too far from Maddie and her brood as they work on building Taeda Farms, 'a sanctuary where people can gather, connect, and find solace in the beauty of nature,' per their website. In another heartbreaking scene with her sister Carrie, Janelle said she was preparing his home to be sorted through following Garrison's passing. 'Now I have the big job of getting his house ready and all that stuff,' she said, referring to the property where Garrison lived. Carrie replied, 'Well, with closing the house and the kids moving out and selling everything, that kind of closes that chapter.' Janelle spoke further about her grief journey while explaining how the pain comes in waves. 'Sometimes it catches you at a more raw moment for sure,' she said. 'I'm glad that I'm here now vs. still in Flagstaff.' Garrison was one of Kody Brown and second wife Janelle's six children. Janelle and Kody, 56, separated in December 2022. During the emotional episode, Janelle recalled losing her beloved son so suddenly, revealing it was an extremely distressing time for the family. 'I don't know what happened,' Janelle shared. 'He was never a drinking kid. He didn't like the taste of it. And he started to drink during COVID and something happened in this last year and it really just got him.' 'We had offered him all the love, all the support, all the help, all the resources,' she continued. 'I don't know what happened that night he did that because he's had other nights like this where he would drink and then pass out and he would go kind of radio silent, but he'd be back in the morning.' If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or chat at
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sister Wives' Janelle Speaks Out After Show Covered Garrison's Death: We'll Be ‘Reunited 1 Day'
Sister Wives star Janelle Brown spoke out after the TLC show covered her and ex-husband Kody Brown's son Robert Garrison Brown's death by penning a touching note. 'It's taken [a while] to accept the fact that, in the end, we did everything we could. Sometimes the mind convinces someone there's no hope, even when all the evidence says otherwise,' Janelle, 56, wrote alongside a black and white photo of herself and Garrison via Instagram on Monday, May 5. 'Being in Flagstaff this past week brought a deep awareness of how much I need this new chapter — somewhere different. Everywhere I looked, I could see traces of Garrison.' She continued, 'I'm so thankful for all of my children, and especially for my grandbabies — they are truly life-giving. And because of my faith, I know I'll be reunited with Garrison one day. That promise brings me immense comfort.' In addition to the personal caption, Janelle also wrote over the photo, 'Thank you to everyone for the amazing messages of love and support since the episode aired.' Garrison died at the age of 25 on March 5, 2024, from a self-inflicted gun wound. More than one year later, fans watched his death play out of the family's reality show. During the Sunday, May 4, episode, Janelle explained that she was traveling to Flagstaff, Arizona, where she previously lived with Kody, 56, and their kids. After the former couple called it quits in December 2022, she relocated to North Carolina to be closer to daughter Maddie Brush (née Brown). Janelle said that she and Garrison – who remained in Flagstaff – had been "texting all day long' the day before his passing. "And this was not unusual because he and I talked probably three times a day,' she noted. "I knew he was struggling," she continued, referencing Garrison's struggles with anxiety and depression. 'And I always just picked up the phone and I always make it a point to just talk to him." The mother of six went on to note that her and Garrison's last conversation didn't seem out of the ordinary. "It was just, I think he needed the connection,' Janelle recalled. Janelle added that she wasn't concerned when Garrison stopped responding to her messages, noting that she knew he had been drinking. "He would go through periods where he was really good and then he just would have a binge just as part of the cycle," she explained. When she was ready to go to bed, Janelle asked her sons Hunter Brown and Logan Brown to keep an eye on Garrison. It wasn't until the next morning that she learned that he took his own life. "Gabriel [Brown] had found him," Janelle said of Garrison. "He's like, 'Mom, he's gone.' I mean, 'What do you mean?' He said, 'He's dead. He killed himself.'" After she learned of Garrison's death, Janelle said she didn't 'remember the next few minutes' but managed to get 'in the car and drove' to Garrison's home. The episode also saw Janelle and Kody decide on Garrison's burial plans. "Kody and I decided that we would cremate him," she explained. "I knew that that's what he wanted, so we did that. And that way it gives us the opportunity to have the funeral in a better time of year." Garrison's final resting place is on the family's plot in Wyoming. "He loved it there," Janelle said. "So it felt appropriate."
