Janelle Accuses Kody of Taking "Lots" of Money from Family Fund on 'Sister Wives'
Janelle Accuses Kody of Taking "Lots" of Money from Family Fund on 'Sister Wives'.
Janelle Brown is reevaluating her marriage to Kody Brown following their separation, with particular attention to their financial situation.
“I never felt like I had much control over my own money because everybody was pulling from the same [account],” Janelle, 55, told Christine Brown during the Sunday, January 26, episode of Sister Wives.
Janelle, Kody's second wife, remarked that having a family fund was beneficial during their time as a plural family. However, upon reflection, she stated that financial matters eventually became problematic for all involved. (Janelle declared her separation from Kody, 55, in December 2022, following Christine's departure from their shared spouse in November 2021.)
“We set our family up that way. But, like, toward the end, it was just really hard,” Janelle said. “When we all first started, there was kind of like this thing [where] we weighed in on what bills should be paid, how we were going to pay, who got priority.”
She alleged, “And then 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.”
Kody, who was previously married to Janelle, Christine, Meri Brown, and Robyn Brown, has refuted claims that he mismanaged funds. It is noteworthy that Meri, aged 53, and Kody announced their separation in January 2023, while he remains married to Robyn, who is 46 years old.
“I was a father to 18 and a husband to more than just Janelle,” Kody quipped. “So we had a lot of places that money needed to go that weren’t always Janelle’s business.”
He clarified that because Janelle was responsible for the family's bookkeeping, she had visibility into all transactions without the accompanying rationale. “So, some of the bills to be paid by all of us were supposed to be paid by her,” Kody added.
Janelle, on the other hand, contended that her access to the funds was not as extensive as Kody had asserted.
“He loves this mantra that somehow I was [the] all powerful one with all the financial control,” Janelle fired back, insisting, “I really was just the person who recorded the transactions and sent them to the CPA.”
Earlier in the season, Janelle asserted that Kody had been disseminating falsehoods regarding her influence over their family finances. She contended that Kody informed Meri during their marriage that Janelle was “controlling the money,” a claim that she refuted.
“I’m like, ‘Dude, man, if I controlled the money, we would have paid off [Coyote Pass and] built a house,’” Janelle told Christine during the November 24 episode. She alleged that she simply recorded “what was spent and sent it to the accountant.”
Kody did not address the misunderstanding at that moment, stating to the cameras, “It’s funny, my other wives remember Janelle controlling the money.” He acknowledged that he “sort of guided where the money went” but asserted that they “all had access to the account.”
In the episode aired on Sunday, Janelle and Meri reached a mutual understanding regarding financial matters, as well as their persistent land conflict with Kody and Robyn. The former spouses of Kody decided to retain individual legal representation to ensure they receive an equitable portion of the family's Coyote Pass property located in Arizona.
After Christine's separation from Kody, she transferred her share of the property to her former spouse and his fourth wife, Robyn. In contrast, Janelle and Meri remain listed on the deed and are therefore seeking to sell their shares in order to realize financial gains from their assets.
“I trusted it would all work out in the end. And looking back now, I’m like, ‘Wow, it’s really dumb. Why did I not insist that we were all titled on all the pieces?’” Janelle told the cameras. “I just was too trusting, I guess.”
While speaking with Meri about what they are each owed, the women both said that they “paid for the land out of the family account” and “paid for it equally.”
Kody, however, says that this isn’t true. “We didn’t pay for Coyote Pass all equally. I paid for an entire lot all by myself, at least 92 percent of it,” he alleged. “The rest of the property, we all chipped in.”
The varying memories contributed to heightened tension between Kody and the women. “I feel like Kody and Robyn probably have some plan of what they want to do and how they want to handle it. I think that Janelle has some sort of plan, and I know that I do as well,” Meri explained. “And none of us are talking to each other because none of us trust each other.”
Kody told the cameras that he was “working on this” issue but “not rushing” to get it done. “I’m not your servant to boss around,” he said of his exes.
Janelle disclosed in a confessional that her primary desire is to resolve the land disputes, as they are the last remaining connection she has to Kody and Robyn. She expressed her readiness to move on, stating, "I’m prepared to close that chapter."
Sister Wives is broadcast on TLC every Sunday at 10 p.m. ET.
