Summary
- Janelle Brown started a new family tradition of chasing solar eclipses after grieving the death of her son Garrison.
- Janelle’s private grieving process was revealed following the tragic loss of her 25-year-old son.
- Kody’s feud with Garrison and family tension worsen during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to estrangement.
Still grieving the tragic death of her son Garrison Brown, Sister wives star Janelle Brown may have started a new family tradition. When the long-running series premiered in 2010, Kody Brown, his three wives and 12 children lived under one roof in a large house in Utah. They seemed genuinely happy. It’s hard to remember now, but in the beginning, the wholesome Browns were the best version of what a polygamous family could be. Instead, the show chronicled the slow dismantling of a once happy family.
During the primetime season Sister wives, Kody married his fourth wife, Robyn Brown, which changed the entire family dynamic. In addition to this, the family left Utah and moved into several separate homes for the first time. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it exposed the existing cracks in the Brown family, and they were never able to recover. On March 5, 2024, Kody and Janelle’s 25-year-old son Garrison was found dead in his Arizona home of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. While mourning her son, Janelle started a new family tradition.
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kids-watched-the-total-eclipse”> Janelle and her kids watched Total Eclipse
“Here Comes the Sun”
On April 9, North America was treated to a lunar eclipse, with the path of totality falling in parts of the United States. To Jane posted footage of the event on Instagram, with The Beatles song “Here Comes The Sun” playing in the background. The caption reads in part: “It is also difficult to describe how profound it is to witness this phenomenon. It left us all with a deeper sense of respect for the physical world around us.” A reminder that the world is still a beautiful place is just what Janell needs after Garrison’s death.
As a nod to the future, Janelle also wrote:The next total eclipse will be in Spain in 2026 and we’re wondering if we’re crazy to decide to chase it.” Janelle has raised her children and they are all away from home. After losing her son, Janelle is more focused than ever on being close to her family. Chasing eclipses around the world as a family would be a beautiful way to honor Garrison’s legacy.
Janelle’s journey
Irreconcilable differences
After almost 30 years of marriage Janelle ended her spiritual union with Kody during Sister wives season 18. It was a contentious divorce. Janelle was Kody’s second wife and they married just two years after Kody married his first wife, Meri Brown. Less than a year after marrying Janelle, Kody married his third wife, Christine Brown.
It took another 16 years for Kody to bring another wife into the family, marrying Robyn Brown in 2010. With four wives and 18 children, there were several large, chaotic households. In the end, it proved too much, and in December 2022, Janelle and Kody announced their separation. Jane had another of Kody’s wives who walks away after Christine and Meri. Kody has found himself in a monogamous relationship with his last remaining wife, Robyn.
The way Janell has mourned the garrison
Maternal love
Garrison’s death was devastating for Janelle, who always enjoyed a great relationship with her son. She had been concerned after Garrison sent text messages that sounded like he was struggling with his mental health. When he couldn’t reach her, he sent his other son, Gabriel Brown, to check on her. Gabriel was the one who found his brother’s body, and the depth of the family’s tragedy is almost unfathomable. Janelle has to mourn her son, and worse, she has to do it in public with the whole world watching.
On March 5, moments after news of Garrison’s tragic death broke, To Jane posted a loving family tribute to Garrison on Instagram. The caption read: “Kody and I are deeply saddened to announce the loss of our beautiful son, Robert Garrison Brown. She was a bright spot in the lives of all who knew her. His loss leaves such a gaping hole in our lives that it takes our breath away.“Since then Janelle has been staying out of the public eye and mourning her son in private.
Kody’s feud with Garrison
They were not on speaking terms
While Janelle was in a good place with her son before his tragic death, Kody was not. At the time of Garrison’s death, he and Kody were in the middle of a long-simmering Brown family feud. Kody and Garrison were always close when Garrison was growing up, but things changed when Kody married Robyn. With Robyn’s three children and two more of his own, Kody had less and less time to spend with the children he had with his first three wives. The older children in the home felt bitter, which created tension and conflict in the family.
The situation worsened in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. Kody and Robyn were cautious about the virus, while some of Kody’s older children were not. Kody argued with Garrison and Gabriel as the boys continued to work and date during the pandemic. The boys refused to follow Kody and Robyn’s strict rules, so Kody didn’t want to see them. At one point, Kody demanded that Janelle kick her son out of her home. Her refusal led to her decision to leave Kody. By the end of the year Sister wives season 18, Kody and Garrison stopped talking.
Children at home |
Age |
Mum |
Leon Brown |
28 |
Sea |
Logan Brown |
28 |
To Jane |
Maddie Brush |
27 |
To Jane |
Aspy brown |
27 |
Christine |
Mykelti Brown |
26 |
Christine |
Hunter Brown |
25 |
To Jane |
Garrison Brown |
25 (dead) |
To Jane |
Paedon Brown |
24 |
Christine |
Gabriel Brown |
22 |
To Jane |
Dayton Brown |
22 |
Robyn |
Gwendlyn Brown |
21 |
Christine |
Aurora Brown |
20 |
Robyn |
Ysabel Brown |
19 |
Christine |
Breanna Brown |
18 |
Robyn |
Savannah Brown |
18 |
To Jane |
Really brown |
12 |
Christine |
Solomon Brown |
11 |
Robyn |
Ariella brown |
6 |
Robyn |
Sister wives
season 1-18 can be streamed on Discovery+.
Sources: Janelle Brown/Instagram Janelle Brown/Instagram
Sister wives
Sister Wives is a television series created for TLC that follows Kody Brown and his four wives as they raise their 18 children and face the challenges of their massive family dynamic and the stigma attached to their lifestyle.
- Throw
- Kody Brown, Madison Brown, Janelle Brown, Tamron Hall, Aspyn Brown, Robyn Brown, Andrea Canning, Gwendlyn Brown, Meri Brown, Logan Brown, Christine Brown, Sukanya Kirshnan
- Publication date
- September 16, 2010
- The seasons
- 18
- Shooting locations
- Nevada, Utah, Arizona
- Production company
- Puddle Monkey Productions, Figure 8 Movies
- Number of episodes
- 167