Sister Wives season 17 ended on Jan. 8 with a third and extremely explosive tell-all episode. Since then, fans of the series have spent hours discussing whether TLC will be bringing the show back for an 18th season. While TLC has yet to mention whether the show will return, most viewers assumed it was a done deal until now. In recent weeks, several Brown family members have opted to share family secrets. As more secrets come to light, the Browns could prove to be a bigger liability to the network than the ratings are worth.
‘Sister Wives’ season 17 was the most explosive yet
Season 17 of Sister Wives premiered on Sept. 11 and followed the Brown family as they navigated through Christine Brown’s divorce from Kody Brown. TLC also documented her move to Salt Lake City, Utah. There were plenty of fights along the way and a lot of raw emotion.
Christine’s journey toward independence wasn’t the biggest change the Browns would see. By the time the family filmed the show’s famed tell-all episodes, Kody was down to just one wife. Janelle Brown announced her separation from Kody Brown during the tell-all episodes. Meri Brown took to Instagram weeks later to reveal she and Kody had permanently terminated their spiritual marriage. She also alluded to the divorce during the tell-all episodes. The emotional divulging of information didn’t stop there, though.
More drama has come to light since the season ended
While season 17 of Sister Wives was explosive, the real drama started after the final tell-all episode aired. Since the season ended, several Brown family members have stepped forward to tell their side of things. Paedon Brown and Mykelti Brown have stepped forward to allege Meri Brown was verbally abusive to them as children. Paedon Brown has painted a picture of violent outbursts from Kody Brown, too.
Gwendlyn Brown has also shared her experience living inside the polygamist Brown family, and now she’s throwing shade at TLC. In a recent Patreon exclusive, Gwen alleged that the network exploited her sexuality for ratings. According to People, the 21-year-old college student said, “They were like, ‘Ooh, we have another queer. We’re going to exploit that. And make ourselves famous.” Gwen’s remarks have angered fans on her behalf.
Gwen, Mykelti, and Paedon’s reports have painted the Brown family in a negative light. Those same statements aren’t making the network that has aired the family’s reality TV series for the last 17 seasons look good, either. Could the rogue comments endanger the Brown family’s future with TLC?
Could ‘Sister Wives’ become a liability for TLC?
While the Brown family is busy spilling tea and slinging thinly veiled accusations at one another, fans are watching from afar. Surely, they are not the only ones watching. TLC has weathered multiple scandals, often involving their most famous reality TV families. People from the network’s various reality TV shows have dealt with domestic violence issues, legal troubles, and poor decision-making.
So, could the network eventually see the Brown family as a potential liability? Maybe, but it will likely take a massive bombshell for the network to completely step away from the family if past scandals influence future decisions. It took a lot for the network to cancel the Duggar family. The ultra-conservative Christian didn’t get the boot until Josh Duggar was arrested for receiving and possessing child pornography.
So far, the Brown kids have alleged abuse at the hands of multiple parents. Most recently, Gwen Brown, who launched a Patreon account ahead of the season 17 finale, claims the network leveraged her coming out story for ratings. Could that be enough to make the network to cancel Sister Wives? Only time will tell, but it seems possible.
