Sister Wives star Janelle Brown has separated from her husband, Kody Brown, and is now separating her finances from the rest of the family. New details about Janelle’s new production company have been revealed. Could this be the first step in divorcing Kody?
The Brown family’s production company
Since the Browns debuted their family on Sister Wives, TLC has been paying them for participation in their reality TV show. While the exact amount of the TLC paycheck has never been disclosed, it’s estimated that the Browns make anywhere from $25,000 to $40,000 per episode.
According to Open Corporates, the Browns created their production company, Kody Brown Family Entertainment, LLC, in 2018, first registered in Utah. As the family relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada, and Flagstaff, Arizona, they created branches of the entertainment LLC in those states. All branches of the LLC list Kody and his then-four wives, Meri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn Brown, as members.
Everything changed in Sister Wives Season 17, as Christine Brown divorced Kody in Nov. 2021, Janelle separated from Kody in mid-2022, and Meri and Kody ended their marriage in Jan. 2023, leaving Kody in a monogamous marriage with Robyn.
Separating himself from his three former wives, Kody launched his own production company on May 17, 2022, Dabsark Entertainment, LLC. Robyn and Kody are the only ones listed as members of Dabsark, and the name is an acronym for the couple and their five children — Dayton, Aurora, Breanna, Solomon, and Ariela.
New details about Janelle’s new production company
The mother of six admitted in Sister Wives Season 17 that she put herself in a “stupid” situation financially after using $222,500 of the proceeds of her Las Vegas, Nevada home as a downpayment for Kody and Robyn’s million-dollar home. She was upset with herself for not having anything to leave her children, which motivated her to separate herself from Kody financially.
Janelle created her own production company, Janelle Brown Production, LLC, on Dec. 29, 2022, which is currently active in Flagstaff, Arizona. The business is categorized under “Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation,” which indicates that she will be getting paid by TLC through her new production company.
On the same day, the Sister Wives star also started her health and wellness business, Strive with Janelle, LLC. Janelle hasn’t spoken publicly about the new business venture, but perhaps it will be featured in the Sister Wives Season 18 storyline.
Is Janelle getting divorced from Kody?
Some Sister Wives fans were worried that since Janelle and Kody are only separated, they would end up reconciling at some point. But with the separation of finances, it appears that Janelle is moving toward divorce rather than reconciliation.
Janelle and Kody were spiritually married in a temple in 1993 but were never legally married. The Browns are part of the fundamentalist Mormon sect called the Apostolic United Brethren (AUB).
The only marriages recognized by their religion are the ones performed by a male church elder who holds the priesthood performed in a Mormon temple. Once married, the couple is believed to be “sealed for eternity” and only can be “unsealed” in a ceremony.
On the Sister Wives Season 17 reunion, Janelle said she decided to separate from Kody. Even after 29 years of difficult marriage with sister wives, she admitted she still has a “testimony” of plural marriage.
Unlike Christine, who left the faith before she left Kody, Janelle appears to be holding onto her faith. Since Janelle is currently only separated from Kody and not divorced, it could be that she’s still holding onto the concept of plural marriage as a religious practice.
Whether she’s officially divorced or not, many Sister Wives fans are happy to see Janelle taking control of her finances and separating her TLC check from Kody and the rest of the family. Many Sister Wives fans thought Kody and Robyn had taken advantage of the OG wives’ paychecks to fund their lavish lifestyle.
Sister Wives Season 18 is expected to premiere in September 2023.
