‘Sister Wives’ Janelle Brown Drops Bombshell — Kody Didn’t Know Madison Was Expecting

The complicated dynamics of the Brown family continue to play out on TLC’s Sister Wives, and this season has shone a spotlight on just how strained certain relationships have become.

Ex-wife Janelle Brown recently revealed that her daughter, Madison “Maddie” Brush, has been estranged from Kody Brown for years, going so far as to keep her latest pregnancy a secret from him.

“Maddie doesn’t really even tell him that she’s pregnant,” Janelle shared during the November 9 episode, matter-of-fact adding, “He’ll find out.” She explained that Kody and Madison “haven’t spoken for a long time. It’s probably been two or three years,” highlighting the extent of the distance between father and daughter.

Madison and her husband, Caleb Brush, welcomed their fourth child, Emilia Estelle, in March, joining older siblings Axel, 8, and sisters Evie, 6, and Josephine, 2. The episode, filmed before Emilia’s birth, offered viewers a candid glimpse into how fractured family ties can impact major life events.

Why Madison Chose Distance

Madison has previously opened up about the reasons behind the estrangement. One of the key issues, she explained, is Kody’s controlling nature within their relationship.

“Some people just don’t deserve to be in your life,” she said during a 2024 episode of her The Authentic Society. She also noted, “I always get messages from people who are like, ‘You should just forgive your dad [and] respect him.’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t think you know what you’re talking about because your experience with your dad could be very different than my experience with my dad.’”

Madison added, “He doesn’t have any respect for boundaries, and you have to play by his rules, and I just don’t care to do that.”

Janelle further explained that Madison’s decision to cut off contact and withhold major family news stems from her perception that Kody has shown little interest in her children.

“Maddie has observed to me that Kody has not been out to see her kids since [her daughter] Evie was born, and Evie’s 3,” Janelle said in a confessional. “Maddie’s like, ‘Why would I tell him that I’m having another one? He hasn’t really shown that much interest in the other two.’”

The mother of six defended her daughter’s choice, emphasizing that Madison wanted to protect her children from an awkward encounter with a grandfather who had not been present in their lives. “She did not want Kody to suddenly drop in and be like, ‘Oh, I’m your grandpa,’ and them be like, ‘What? Who is this guy?’”

Kody’s Perspective and Emotional Reflections

For his part, Kody has pushed back against claims that he is solely at fault. Speaking with his only remaining wife, Robyn Brown, he insisted that Madison was the one who set the boundary for no contact. “She never told me she was pregnant.

She never told me she was going to have a baby,” he lamented, according to People. Kody maintained that his older children are “purposefully leaving me out of their lives to punish me for a crime I didn’t commit,” referring to his failure to “fall madly in love with their mothers.”

He also alleged that whenever he speaks with Madison, she “spreads gossip about me to the rest of the family.”

Kody, who is also a recruit this season on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, grew emotional during a November 6 episode as the show’s Directing Staff grilled him on his lack of accountability for strained family relationships.

“There ended up being some bad blood with family over the divorces. In some cases with my children, communication has ceased,” he admitted. “When you don’t have a deep connection with your children, that is a disappointment.”

As Sister Wives continues to document the Brown family’s ups and downs, viewers are reminded that behind the cameras, family dynamics can be just as complex—and painful—as they are compelling.

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