A 71-year-old mother of eleven has launched legal action against her former polygamist husband, claiming he neglected her in favour of his four other wives and demanded monthly payments for her to remain on the property she helped establish.
The Breakdown of a 47-Year Plural Marriage
Shirlyn Watson filed suit against David Watson, 73, her husband of 47 years, asserting she deserves a portion of their shared property in Manti, Utah. The couple originally married in January 1973 through a plural marriage conducted by the Apostolic United Brethren, a religious group David would eventually lead as their prophet.
Despite having five wives simultaneously, David was only legally married to one woman due to ongoing restrictions surrounding polygamy in Utah. Shirlyn established her own business, Shirlyn's Natural Foods, in 1989, which expanded to three locations across Salt Lake County at its peak.
According to court documents, Shirlyn turned over all earnings from her business from the year 2000 onward directly to David Watson or to support their family home. "He promised that he was going to put us on a family trust and that we'd all be taken care of," Shirlyn told ABC4.
Investment and Exclusion from Property Rights
In 2016, Shirlyn relocated to Manti, Utah, with David and three of his other wives, each occupying separate homes on the property. She claims she was promised an equal interest in the property alongside David's other wives.
Court records indicate Shirlyn invested approximately $36,000 into improvements for her home on the property, operating under the assumption she held ownership rights. The relationship ultimately ended in August 2019 after Shirlyn had left and returned multiple times.
The situation escalated in May 2021 when David issued demands that Shirlyn and his remaining wives pay $260 each month to continue living on the property. "Shirlyn Watson refused to pay because she had an ownership interest in the property based on her previous investments," the lawsuit states.
Allegations of Neglect and Locked Doors
Shirlyn further claims that beginning in February 2020, David started neglecting her and their disabled son, Robert, who has since passed away. The lawsuit alleges David "left her there with their disabled son" while spending his time with his two other wives.
Following travel to California for Robert's celebration of life in 2023, Shirlyn returned to Utah to discover David had changed the locks on her home, though he denies this allegation. Her children intervened, persuading their father to allow her back into the property, to which he "reluctantly agreed."
Shirlyn maintains that David continues to exclude her from the agreement between himself and his other wives that entitles them to percentages of the home. "He won't put my name on the title because I left him. He doesn't think I have rights to anything," she told reporters.
Despite the acrimonious separation, Shirlyn reflects that "polygamy really worked for me. I know that that's really hard for people to accept. It was presented to me, and it felt right. We had a lot of good times together." She added that David "wouldn't have what he has without me."
All of Shirlyn's children have since abandoned the religion, and she rarely attends Apostolic United Brethren meetings due to ill health. She notes that David "started to lose me years ago. If something came up with 'the favourite wife' he would go take care of her first."
David Watson's legal team has filed a response denying several allegations, including claims that he promised anyone any interest in the property, asserting he owns it entirely. Shirlyn formally filed suit earlier this month seeking 25 percent of the property value.
"I'm asking for my home, I've made this my home," Shirlyn stated. "Somebody needs to take a stand. I'm prepared to take that stand. I'm willing to fight him."
