Despite the divorce drama, TLC renewed its hit reality series "Sister Wives" for its sixth season.
Viewers of the long-running series were previously worried about the show's future because of the new development that was teased during the promo trailer for the season 5 finale. Fans were concerned that the Brown family structure would crumble as the season 5 finale reveals why Kody Brown's first wife Meri decided to file for divorce.
Meri was the only legal wife in Kody's polygamous family set-up. Kody has three other wives, including 42-year-old Christine, 45-year-old Janelle, and 36-year-old Robyn. However, Meri revealed that the reason for filing for divorce was not to leave the Brown household but to uphold the best interest of the family. She is expected to reveal the real reason why she wanted to legally end her relationship with her husband of 20 years.
The Daily Mail reported that Meri chose to divorce Kody so that he could legally marry his youngest wife Robyn, who has three children from a previous marriage. Out of the 17 children in Kody's conjugal household, Robyn's older children are the only ones who are not Kody's biological offspring. It means that they have fewer benefits compared to the other children in his polygamous family.
The article mentioned that the divorce happened discretely last year, and was finalized on Sept. 25, 2014. He reportedly married Robyn legally several months after the divorce took effect.
Fans were worried that Meri would have no place in the Brown household after the divorce. But on the contrary, Kody's first wife remains his "spiritual wife," and continues to co-inhabit with the rest of the big Brown brood who are known to be members of the Apostolic United Brethren faction of the Latter Day Saints Movement up to now.
Meri's revelations about the divorce will be featured on the two-part season 5 finale of "Sister Wives" on March 1, while season 6 will start airing this fall.
