Christine Brown, star of the reality show Sister Wives, has opened up about her past addiction to painkillers. The 53-year-old, who appears on TLC with her ex-husband Kody Brown and their polygamist family, revealed in her new memoir that she began taking oxycodone in 2016 after knee surgery.
In her book, Sister Wife: A Memoir of Faith, Family, and Finding Freedom, Brown wrote that she had never taken such a strong drug before, typically relying on ibuprofen or aspirin for pain. She described how after three days of taking oxycodone, she felt achy all over and realised she was taking it not for her knee but for the high. She admitted it gave her the 'best high' she ever felt, but after 45 minutes she would feel sad and crave more.
Two weeks into her addiction, Maddie Brown, daughter of Kody's former wife Janelle, confronted her, telling her she was a 'mess' and that her family missed her. Christine then told Kody and began breaking the pills in half, giving half to her daughter Aspyn. She eventually stopped taking oxycodone altogether, spending a weekend in bed sobbing while her mother cared for her. She credited Maddie for helping her overcome the addiction.
Christine said she felt 'unbalanced' for six months after quitting and was angry she could not get the painkiller. She kept the addiction hidden from the show, describing it as 'absolutely devastating' and 'embarrassing'. She acknowledged she can get addicted to things easily and now stays away from such painkillers entirely.
Christine was married to Kody for 28 years and they have six children. The couple split in 2021, and she has since remarried. The 20th season of Sister Wives begins on 28 September. Her memoir was released on 2 September in the US.
