Sister Wives star Janelle is valiantly trying to heal after the passing of her son Garrison Brown, and she's embracing a new detox plan for this year, while dealing with Robyn Brown's "core family" rudeness. Janelle's strength is so inspiring it's actually humbling. The way that she's persevered after such a great loss is so womanly... so brave. She's always had a lot of common sense, but Janelle also has grace, humility and resilience.
Robyn doesn't always appreciate the shining qualities of Kody Brown's exes, but she should.
Janelle's "detox" is centered on building routines that boost her energy and mood. Instead of lying in bed and checking out social media on her phone, she's doing workouts. In fact, it's a total reset. It's a holistic detox that benefits mind, body and soul, as Janelle's also prioritizing a healthier diet, and being more "intentional with her screentime." In addition, she's going to avoid people who don't add value to her life. All of this sounds very wise. She's on the right track. Unfortunately, women like "villain" Robyn aren't as evolved.
Janelle's Changing Her Life
She Deserves To Be Happy
Janellehas been through a lot, and as she's grieved, she's really let fans into her life. Instead of retreating from the spotlight, Janelle honored her son Garrison, making sure that her followers knew about all of his good deeds. Now, as she moves forward with her detox, she's sharing that too, as seen in her post above, where she shares details about her 2025 wellness plan.
A lot of reality stars pretend that everything is perfect all the time. However, Janelle's willing to talk about the vulnerabilities that most people face - the fears, the doubts, and the insecurities. Another thing that sets her apart is how she faces problems head-on, never hiding from life. It's clear that her commitment to carrying on is heroic. All she needs is backup from other Brown family members, including Robyn, who's still playing her childish games.
Robyn Brown Said Something Sketchy
Her Manners Need Some Work
Robyn never seems to adapt to changing circumstances - she's still tethered to the same "prom queen" mindset that she had when she was Kody's favorite wife. Back then, she didn't let a chance to lord it over Janelle, Christime and Meri Brown slip by. Whether she was glued to Kody's side at family meetings, or stage-whispering that Kody should make Meri a S'Mores at a family BBQ (yes, Meri overheard and felt humiliated, as her husband shouldn't need that kind of prompt), she was always onstage.
This histrionic quality was heightened by the usual floods of crocodile tears.
Now, even though she's got the man she wanted all to herself, she's still in full flower, overdramatizing situations and offending others. When she put herself on a higher plateau by referring to herself, Kody and their kids as the "core family," it was a new low. In the past, Robyn seemed to be the most comfortable with passive-aggression. Her "power behind the throne" schtick was tired, but that didn't change anything. The show went on.
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She would engineer outcomes while trying to keep her hands clean. The woman who secretly wanted a traditional marriage would drone on about the wonders of polygamy, making syrupy-sweet statements about her fellow sister wives. However, she obviously considered every one of those women a rival. Robyn never seemed to understand how transparent this was. She still doesn't. There was absolutely no need to use "core family" terminology. It was just a misguided attempt to show the world how good she has it.
To be excluded from the "core" may not be a bad thing, as, in many ways, Robyn and Kody's relationship is as troubled as all the rest, but the remark was still crass. It has to be said that if Robyn was really happy, she wouldn't need these weak displays of "power." She would just be happy.
So, as Janelle tries to move forward and become the person she's always wanted to be, despite the type of grief that can bring a person to their knees, she has to deal with Robyn's ego. She has to be reminded of the past, and the fact that Kody created a poisonous family dynamic, favoring one wife and putting the others in tiresome Cinderella roles. Kody's exes lived with so much pain - Janelle had money problems too, while Robyn lived in a fancy house in Flagstaff.
The exes aren't Cinderellas, or "princesses." Kody's exes are grown women who spent decades suffering in loveless spiritual unions with a man who put all the blame on them. He called them "princesses," whenever they tried to access basic human rights that any wives should have. The man who rhapsodizes about his "great abs" doesn't seem to understand that being so low on the totem pole for so long is demeaning. When the wives pushed for change, they weren't in the wrong.
Now, Robyn clings to the same dynamic, although the wives are gone and no one wants to go back. What does she achieve by continuing to sequester her "core family," from the "others?" Nothing at all. The Brown family's children by "other" mothers need more from their stepmother than "core family" chatter that triggers them emotionally.
Instead of trying to make people feel bad because they aren't in the "nucleus," Robyn should consider her own attitude. Has she really tried to welcome these Brown kids, young or old, into her home and her life? Or does she make sure that they can only get so close?
Robyn is getting older - she's lived quite a bit of life at the age of 46 and there's really no excuse for a "core family" remark that is akin to a mind game. Everyone in the Brown family has moved on, re-calibrating their lives due to the failed spiritual unions and Garrison's passing, but Robyn cannot change. She doesn't seem to want peace. Robyn may prefer unrest, as she's churning up drama for no good reason. She is basically fighting against people who are tired of the war.
In a beautiful Leonard Cohen song that was performed by Jennifer Warnes, called Joan of Arc, she sang:
Now the flames they followed Joan of Arc
as she came riding through the dark;
no moon to keep her armour bright,
no man to get her through this dark and smoky night.
Janelle has had to learn to rely on herself - it has not been easy. Trouble has followed her and some things weren't her fault. As she went "riding through the dark," she found reserves of strength that made even the darkest "nights of the soul" endurable. That is why Janelle is such a beautiful person today. Janelle has depth - she is not afraid. Robyn, who does have a "man" to get her through a "dark and smoky night." may not know as much about life.
Janelle is going into the light but Robyn's still in outer darkness, refusing to really embrace the "others." No, she doesn't need to be those kids' mother, as they have moms already. All she needs to do is recognize how powerful words are - she should think before she speaks. Robyn hasn't had to live with the same kind of pain that Janelle must endure every day and night - that kind of suffering will make a person change.
It's a rite of passage that can lead to a new level of self-understanding.
This is why Janelle is looking at the bright side. She knows how precious (and how fragile) life can be. Meanwhile, Robyn, who's been through so much (yes, Robyn lost Garrison too, but Janelle gave birth to him), spends her time coming up with catchphrases that make precious children feel bad.
Perhaps Robyn didn't mean it like that. However, the Sister Wives star Robyn Brown should say she's sorry. Life is short and the Brown children need to feel like they are right there in the nucleus with their father. They don't need to think about the "core family" and what it means to NOT be a part of it.
Robyn can be cruel, and may not even realize that she is. It is time for the Sister Wives star to think about the present and what is possible, far beyond the battles for supremacy that were so prevalent when the Brown family was still "whole." Robyn needs to, as Ram Dass said, "be here now."
Sister Wives can be streamed on the Discovery+ platform.
Custom image by César García
English (US) ·