Janelle married Meri Brown’s brother, and it gets weirder.
Before Kody Brown, before Sister Wives, Janelle married another man.
The monogamous marriage was to Adam Barber. Adam happens to be Meri’s brother. And yes, Janelle then married Meri’s husband, Kody.
Those men are firmly in the past, now. But as Janelle opens up about the “short-lived” first marriage, Sister Wives fans are scratching their hands.
Wait, Janelle married Meri Brown’s brother?
In 1988, Janelle Brown married Adam Barber, Meri Brown’s brother, at the LDS temple in Salt Lake City.
During a recent guest spot on the Reality Life podcast, Janelle opened up to host Kate Casey about that ill-fated union.
“It was very, very short-lived,” Janelle Brown began. She’s right. The two broke up in 1990.
As the podcast interview continued, Janelle Brown went on to characterize this erstwhile relationship as a “starter marriage.”
She admitted: “I think we might have lived together physically, actually lived together for, like, six months.”
Janelle then explained that the marriage to Meri Brown’s brother was something that “just didn’t take.”
After marrying Meri Brown’s brother, how did Janelle end up with Meri’s husband?
In 1990, Kody Brown married Meri. That was the same year when Janelle and Adam formally divorced.
“When I met Kody just in passing, Meri introduced us,” Janelle described on the podcast.
She admitted: “I go, ‘Oh.’ I had sort of a feeling. Like, ‘Oh there you are.’”
In 1993, Janelle ended up marrying Kody Brown — albeit not on paper, due to our nation’s discriminatory marriage laws that only recognize monogamy.
(It’s good to remember that as awful as Kody Brown is, there are plenty of wonderful people in plural marriages who aren’t egomaniacs or in cults. TLC didn’t give them a show because it’s not entertaining to watch four loving partners live their normal lives)
That marriage lasted quite a while … but, like all of Kody’s marriages (except to Robyn), didn’t last.
‘Sister Wives’ fans aren’t sure how to feel
A number of Sister Wives fans on social media took Janelle to task, however indirectly, for marrying Meri Brown’s brother and husband within the span of 5 years.
Others pointed out that Meri introduced the two of them. Also, that the community of Mormons who are willing to engage in a polygamous lifestyle is small enough that people tend to know each other. When the dating pool is small, there may be some overlap.
Either way, this is an awkward little detail. Especially since Janelle and Meri can’t stand each other these days.