The Sister Wives gang has all come a long way since Robyn became Kody Brown's fourth wife.
But that doesn't mean it's all been sunshine and rainbows between the ladies. From a bumpy
introduction to jealousy behind the scenes, here's how the Sister Wives really feel about Robyn.
As the second wife of the family, Janelle and Kody tied the knot in 1993 — with first wife
Meri's blessing, of course. But since Janelle had been with Kody for nearly 20 years when
Robyn entered the picture, it's only natural that she was a little cautious in accepting the change.
"I'm sorry but with Robyn coming along…It
just changes everything. It changes everything. It shakes everything up."
In their New York Times best-selling book, Becoming Sister Wives,
Janelle explained that she initially had a hard time allowing Robyn into the mix, admitting,
"I found myself unwilling to make the effort to build a bridge between us. […] Just because
something appears celestially destined doesn't make it easy."
Before Robyn, Christine was actually the "newest" wife in Kody's life.
So it's no surprise that Christine's initial feelings towards Robyn were mixed. Add in the
fact that Christine and Kody were also getting ready to welcome a new child when Robyn arrived,
and things got pretty messy. In the Brown family book, Christine revealed,
"Kody and Robyn's courtship came at a time of huge personal upheaval."
"Being a sister wife was what I wanted more than anything. I knew that I wasn't being a good one."
Christine was pregnant with their daughter, Truely Brown, at the time,
and the family had also just started filming their reality show. Christine remembered,
"When Kody started courting and then married Robyn it really rocked me.
I gave birth to Truely and was suffering from extreme postpartum depression."
Because of the laws in the United States, Kody could only be legally married to one wife,
Meri, and he shared, quote, "spiritual marriages" with the other wives.
"He and I both knew that eventually we would take another wife or wives into the family."
But with Robyn, things got more complicated, considering she had
three children from a previous marriage. Meri eventually agreed to divorce Kody so
that he could marry Robyn and legally adopt her children. On the show, Meri explained,
"It's an end of something that we had had, in a way, for 24 and a half years. But at the same
time, I know it's not, because I have eternity with him; I have eternity with the family."
"It's not about me. It's about the kids. And that's what makes me happy."
Because Robyn is the newest wife in the family,
many fans think she's Kody's favorite, with one fan tweeting:
"Kody and Robyn are not fooling anyone. Robyn is still the favorite and still catered to.
She gets whatever she wants."
"It makes a successful situation if you can look out for your sister wives
as much as you wish they'd look out for you."
Robyn steadily denies that she's getting any special treatment, explaining in a tweet:
"It has nothing to do with playing favorites when we all get together and make sure everyone feels
like they have a voice and that all the needs are met. That is so important in a plural family."
Though years have passed since Robyn joined the family, not everything has been peachy-keen.
Previously, Christine had been adamant about being happy with her position as wife number three.
But in 2016, a source close to the family alleged to the International Business Times,
"Christine really wants to rip Robyn's eyes out. She thinks Robyn is obnoxious,
spoiled, and a homewrecker."
"There's a lot of times where I was so frustrated.
But I didn't really speak and it ends up being something that I'm angry about now."
While the allegations have yet to be confirmed,
it appears Christine may have some strong feelings towards her newest Sister Wife.
While Meri may have come to terms with the deep sacrifice she made for Robyn,
their relationship has since experienced its rough patches. According to a source for Life & Style,
Robyn was allegedly so sick of Meri that she sent her friend a message that read,
"Meri is too big of a b---h to want to have [another] child."
And another source claimed,
"Robyn's camaraderie with Meri has always just been for the show."
"How safe is it to say what my opinion really is on it?"
The source further speculated that Meri and Robyn have never really been friends,
due to Robyn's so-called status, alleging,
"Robyn is the queen. Kody spends all of his time with her. If it's another wife's house date,
he'll go over at midnight and be back with Robyn by 6 a.m."
These days, Janelle's feelings towards Robyn appear to be steeped in admiration. In the wives'
book, Janelle explained how Robyn truly changed the family dynamic for the better, writing,
"The most important thing Robyn has taught us is how to argue in a more
effective and polite manner. With such a chaotic household […] [Robyn
taught us to] take the time to talk a problem out and not walk away from it."
"I'm thankful for all the time we have with our family and our kids. We do have that."
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