'Sister Wives' Stars Christine & Janelle on Life After Polygamy | PEOPLE

explain the term but it is like she's my sister there's a bond that happened when we raised our kids together I think so and we chose to do things together because we were a family and because we had these kids together but now we're choosing to do things with each other because we like the other person growing up I did not even know that people still lived polygamy I mean I belonged to the LDS church and in the history of the LDS church there was polygamy and was always discussed at church but it's something that would was not done anymore and um I remember my grandmother because she taught school and so she would have polygamous kids come through periodically through her classroom I remember her saying well they're in the clan and I'm like what is that I didn't know what the clan was it's like oh they're polygamous I'm like I was floored I can still remember the moments I was floored that people still clicking me I was like what people still live polygamy so it was was not even on my radar I was floored when I found out that I was literally my whole life I was floored that there were Mormons that didn't live polygamy oh really yeah yeah Janelle we don't really use an order but you know if you're questioning the order of how family came together she's she's number two I went in with such ideas about how I feel like plural marriage was gonna be and it was really hard it was really hard very nice personalities are very different we clashed on everything there was a lot of jealousy um a lot of I don't know it's just really hard so those first few years Cody and I were amazing so like when it was just us we just kind of existed in this little bubble but the whole family Dynamic was really tough Cody and I always had a pretty good relationship but we definitely had two or three periods where I just wasn't I there was we really had a I don't know I don't know how to explain it like that head sometimes pretty severe oh yeah and so then what would happen is you'd separate for a little bit like I'd stay behind there was one time when everybody moved to Utah and I wasn't sure I was going to come so I thought about staying I did stay behind for quite a while I know you said you were afraid I wasn't gonna come yeah yeah so like we would separate for a period of time and then whatever and we'd get it we'd figure it out because for the sake of the kids right I had to consider all these children that I had and I wasn't going to take them away from that stability you're acting like you're not even culpable in this situation culpable for what what culpable for not having any respect for me about the covid what are you were asking me to choose between my children and you when covet came he really got funny about the rules and they were very strict Cody I was doing what I could I was walking a line between my adult children and you and everybody else I was following all the CDC guidelines it was really hard for my household to observe that level just because of of my children or adults so that that really started to like really started to twist us twist our relationship to the point of breaking and so he he started to be away more and I thought wow you know I could do this I could be on my own I could do this and then we had this really big fight like the biggest fight we probably have ever had and after he left I was like I felt relieved there was like this emotional shock a little bit and then I was relieved and I thought I can remember I was sitting in the parking lot of a store I'd rent an Aaron and Aaron and I thought wow I just felt this burden come off me and I thought wow wow okay I guess I guess this is what we're gonna do we're going to be a part you and I have intimacy and love in the relationship I'm sorry it's conditional based upon being part of a plural family a couple times a year doesn't work for a marriage I was always wanting more of a romantic relationship more of a romantic partner more I was definitely more of a like I had more emotional needs that I weren't being met for me or as you were so independent and so strong and you knew who you were you knew your value to yourself and you didn't need the kind of relationship that I had it was more for you how I was with your kids at first yeah I need to make a choice to have joy in my life and peace and there hasn't been a lot of Hope at all until I decided to leave I feel strongly this is the best choice for me when I left um I'll never forget how you came over the next day like when I told all of you guys and I needed to leave you'd come over the next day and you talk to me about it and you're like really does this mean it's like over and I'm like yeah I'm moving and everything and um you're like okay then what does it look like next I remember realizing I'm like I don't know if I can be a sister wife I don't know if I can understand that word I don't know I don't know what anything looks like and then I moved and the next time I saw you I was like oh there's my sister wife Janelle um you were always so supportive even when I was struggling in the marriage you were supportive and then when I left you were supportive even though you knew it meant the change of everything yeah you were still supportive because you know just wasn't working yeah and you continue to be supportive thank you for being one of my best friends you know thank you we've actually been doing a lot more together and it's been really fun do you know what I mean um and I've called Christine several times when I've been like well when I needed her to like give me some emotional perspective on something that was happening either with Cody or the kids or just anything she's the only one who really gets what I'm going through and I really knew who you were married to I'm just saying it really really she was a different perspective it was like it was a valuable perspective for sure because we never were legally married I can't really say I'm divorced I just say I've I'm no longer with when I explained it to outside people I'm like I'm no longer with my partner I don't know like really like what are you saying well I say I'm sorry I'm divorced oh I love that title I love saying I'm divorced huh I love it I don't know I guess I've always just been like I'm just my partner and I split up or something you just say divorce I'm single are you single and ready to mingle oh no no no no no no no no no no dating no no maybe 10 years we'll see I would actually consider a plural marriage because I really do love the freedom and the Independence that it gave me and I think I was it was a good fit for me I don't even know what it would be like to be married in a monogamous relationship I mean if that's what works out great but so I'm open to plural marriage but I don't know if there's really a lot of men who can actually pull it off I'm engaged David oh he's really great guys I really like him a lot yeah I really like him I just love him to pieces he's really really just the best guy I know by far he's amazing we started talking in October last year I met him online through like a dating site and I messaged him first and then he responded and I just got to know him and then I'm like we just need to meet in person and we did and the date went great and we just clicked really really well and then on our second date I realized that we actually had something really special he has a lot of kids and I was so worried about coming with all of my history of everything in us and and all of our kids together and when I told him I'm like I have a lot of kids and I have a sister wife and Everywhere I Go Janelle has to come with me and all of her children come with me too there's not just me and he's like okay he knew about polygamy enough he understood it and um we just clicked and it was easy he gets me so well and he understands and he doesn't care about all the extra stuff that comes with me um because there's a lot I'm fairly complicated and but me as a person I guess that's what it is is as a person and when it's just the two of us it's simple it's really simple it's a simple simple life and I didn't know I could have a simple life with somebody I'm extremely proud of Janelle I would be proud of Janelle if she stayed with Cody too just because the choices that she makes are right for her 100 and so whether she stayed with Cody whether she left Cody I that never I didn't care I just wanted to see her happy and living whatever life she chose for herself I mean on the outside on the inside I was always like girl there's a whole huge freaking world out there that we knew nothing about for me at this point in my life because my marriage is over and I'm no longer part of a plural family it means like I have infinite ability to choose what my next chapter looks like to redefine myself recreate myself transform into whatever I want to be and it's not going to be that much different than who I am let's be real I don't I don't I like myself you know what I mean but I have so many opportunities now huge opportunities so I'm excited for this next chapter

Channel: People

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Keywords: People, people magazine, news, celebrities, interview, magazine, sister wives, christine brown, kody brown, sister wives 2023, christine and janelle brown, christine and janelle say goodbye, polygamy, polygamy relationship, David Woolley, reality tv, reality shows, janelle brown interview, janelle brown weight loss, janelle brown leaves kody, christine brown new boyfriend, christine brown engaged, christine brown interview, janelle and christine brown interview

Id: QYVJMnu2NZ8

Length: 9min 33sec (573 seconds)

Published: Wed Aug 16 2023