Fans of the long-running TLC reality series Sister Wives are concerned that Janelle Brown may be preparing to leave the show, following a series of introspective social media posts from the star. The speculation comes three years after she ended her spiritual marriage of nearly three decades to patriarch Kody Brown.
Cryptic Messages Hint at a Fresh Start
Janelle Brown, the 56-year-old former real estate broker who now runs a flower farm, set alarm bells ringing with a candid Instagram post on December 21. She reflected on pivotal moments in her life that she once perceived as failures. "I used to think I’d ‘broken’ at certain points in my life," Janelle wrote. "Leaving the show… leaving a marriage… starting over at an age where everyone expects you to have it all figured out."
She described how she would scrutinise these life events, questioning if something was wrong with her. However, her perspective has now shifted. "Standing where I am, I can see it differently," she continued. "None of those moments were breaking points. They were shedding points. Old expectations. Old versions of myself. Old identities that were never really mine."
Fan Reaction and Fears for the Show's Future
Followers were quick to pounce on the mention of "leaving the show", flooding the comments with worried messages. One fan pleaded, "Leaving the show? Noooooooooooooooo, you're the good, kind part." Another speculated, "Leaving the show? If you're leaving, I hope it's for a new show about yourself." A third supporter added, "I hope you get your own show!!! You deserve to have your own life."
Janelle currently appears on the programme's 20th season alongside her former sister wives Meri Brown, 54, and Christine Brown, 53, as well as her ex Kody Brown, 56, and his only remaining legal wife, Robyn Brown, 47. The show, which premiered in 2010, initially aimed to normalise polygamy and showcase the benefits of a plural family. However, it has increasingly exposed deep rifts, favouritism, and financial disputes within the group.
A New Life in North Carolina and Past Conflicts
Janelle's social media musings follow her major life changes. In early 2024, she relocated from Arizona to North Carolina to establish Taeda Farms, her flower-growing business, with her daughter Madison and son-in-law Caleb Brush. This move came after she formally ended her spiritual union with Kody in 2022.
Her posts also echo past tensions, notably a financial dispute aired earlier this year. In a January episode, Janelle accused Kody of taking "lots" of money from their shared family account without her knowledge towards the end of their plural marriage. "The last several years, Kody would just take out funds and I don’t know what for. And the money was just being spent — and lots of it," she claimed.
Kody defended his actions, stating to Us Weekly that as a father to 18 children and a husband to multiple wives, "we had a lot of places that money needed to go that weren’t always Janelle’s business." Janelle shares six of Kody's 18 children: Logan, 31, Madison, 30, Hunter, 28, the late Garrison, who died in 2024 at age 27, Gabriel, 24, and Savanah, 21.
In another poignant post on December 19, Janelle contemplated the strangeness of public perception, writing, "How strange it is to have people 'know' your story without ever really knowing you." She expressed a desire to share from her heart rather than a manufactured storyline, fuelling further speculation that her time on the long-running reality show may be drawing to a close.
