'Sister Wives' Janelle Brown Opens Up About The Final Blow To Marriage With Kody

Janelle Brown is once again reflecting on her relationship with Kody Brown.

The reality television star disclosed that the head of the Brown family liked to act like he dedicated more time and energy toward making their marriage work. And that, according to Janelle, was not the case at all. She joined the Brown family through a spiritual wedding ceremony with Kody on January 20, 1993, becoming his second wife.

In the latest episode of "Sister Wives Talk Back: Part 1," the cast revisited a clip where Kody expressed feeling "so betrayed" by former first wife, Christine. He accused her of speaking negatively about him to their children — a claim that the 51-year-old has denied, stating that their "frustrated children" approached her with their concerns.

Besides validating Christine's feelings in the process, the same clip allowed Janelle to identify a recurring behavior in her ex that raised concerns for her after she watched it. As she recalled:

"Kody has this thing where he's like, 'I've done so much and I've sacrificed so much for this relationship.' Well, that right there is a red flag. If he feels like he had to sacrifice for the relationship, maybe it's better if it's over because it's a two-part equation in a marriage."

The 54-year-old continued, "We both were doing the work but he wants to act like he did a Herculean effort [in] this marriage and how dare she betray him." Responding to a fan's question about whether she would have left the marriage sooner, considering her current life, Janelle admitted:

"Honestly, for me, it really came down to the kids. I would have stayed if Kody had stayed the father that he was for my kids for many, many years. So, when the relationship with the kids broke down, that cost was no longer a factor."

When asked to offer her younger self advice, Janelle reflected on missed opportunities, expressing regret for not pursuing education and setting boundaries in her relationships with her "Sister Wives."

"I think I would have told myself to be brave and rock the boat and have those tough conversations," she added.

The candid insight comes almost three months after the doting mama shared a heartwarming family portrait on Instagram, featuring her six children with their partners and three grandchildren. 

Janelle looked radiant in the snap as she donned a pink maxi dress and a silver necklace. Alongside the sweet photo, she wrote in the caption, "Finally got a picture with my babies. Happy mama."

Since going live on October 12, the post has received over 155k likes with fans praising her, stating, "Pat yourself on the back, mama... you did good!"

"You have a beautiful family. You did a great job being a loving parent. They all have your big beautiful smile," a second fan gushed, while a third chimed, "Jenelle [sic] is a beautiful lady who deserves happiness in her life. I pray you find that someone special one day."

A fourth Instagrammer also asserted, "Beautiful family. It is such a blessing and fun to have them all together! Canvas picture for the wall!"

Just days before fans fawned, The Blast reported that despite hitting the one-year mark of their public split, Kody remained persistent in his efforts to win back Janelle. In an episode of "Sister Wives," he took his now-estranged second wife out on a birthday date, aiming to reignite their connection.

Kody appeared in good spirits during the birthday celebration as he took the celebrant to an upscale Arizona restaurant. Even though she maintained a pleasant demeanor during the date, Janelle expressed her true and resolute feelings about the end of their marriage in her confessional.

"I just don't think there's much path forward for Kody and I. We just are different people now. He thinks differently. He's very, very wrapped up with the children at Robyn's house. Robyn and he think a lot alike. They want to live the same kind of life. And I'm really looking for a relationship where I'm equally considered," she revealed.

The evening took a turn for Kody when he expressed a desire for a goodnight kiss on the date — a wish that Janelle had no intention of fulfilling. Shocked by his former wife's lack of interest in reigniting their flame, he expressed:

"I don't know why we can't reconcile. So we had a bad fight? We've had worse. So we're separated. We've had other separations." 

Janelle responded, "You know, there just isn't anything there anymore. There just isn't. Our relationship has been unraveling for years."