Janelle Brown Reflects on Independence Following Sister Wives Changes

After years of emotional distance, personal reflection, and unfinished business, Sister Wives star Janelle Brown reaches a milestone that feels long overdue.

In an upcoming episode of the TLC series, she officially severs the last remaining tie to her former plural marriage—and the moment is nothing short of liberating.

Viewers have watched the Brown family evolve from a united polygamous household into a fractured one. Christine Brown Woolley was the first to walk away from her spiritual marriage to Kody Brown, followed by Janelle.

Meri Brown later confirmed her own departure, leaving Robyn Brown as Kody’s only remaining wife. But for Janelle, leaving the marriage emotionally wasn’t the same as being free spiritually.

A Long Journey Toward Spiritual Closure

Earlier this season, Janelle revealed that she hadn’t initially realized she needed a spiritual divorce—referred to as a “release”—until Meri pursued one herself.

Her marriage to Kody, like Christine’s, was never legal but spiritual, overseen by the Apostolic United Brethren in Utah. While the relationship was long over, that spiritual connection lingered. In the episode airing Sunday, January 4, Janelle finally addresses it.

PEOPLE magazine shared a sneak peek of the moment when Janelle receives her official release from the Apostolic United Brethren, based in Bluffdale, Utah. Her reaction is immediate and emotional.

“That was easy. I thought I was going to have to come back for a second meeting. I am free. I am free. I am free. I am free,” Janelle Brown exclaims in the clip after receiving her official release papers.

‘I Felt Like a Weight Had Lifted’: Janelle Reflects on Freedom

The simplicity of the process caught her off guard—but the emotional impact ran far deeper than she expected.

“So there was really kind of a shift in my energy, and I think maybe it must have really meant something deep down that I’m sort of not always paying attention to. So I’m glad I did this,” Janelle Brown said after realizing how much the spiritual divorce really meant to her.

That realization continued to sink in as she reflected on what it meant to finally have closure.

“I felt like a weight had lifted off me. So, somewhere in the back of my mind, this must have been more important than I realized to have this done,” she added.

Despite closing this chapter, Janelle has been clear that she carries no bitterness about the life she lived. She and Kody share six children—Logan, Madison, Hunter, Gabriel, Savanah, and their late son, Garrison—and that bond will always remain.

Looking back on three decades of marriage and family life, Janelle says she has no regrets.

“You know, look, I don’t regret anything in the last 30 years. I love the family that we have, and I would do it all again in order to get the family and the kids that we have. [It] just is sort of like that chapter has ended,” she said.

Fans Applaud Janelle for Tying Up Loose Ends

Fans of Sister Wives, many of whom have encouraged the women to step away from Kody for years, responded strongly to Janelle’s decision to finalize her spiritual separation. Social media quickly filled with messages of support and understanding.

“I understand Janelle. The same way she went in is how she wants to go out to make sure nothing is left undone.”

“She needs to get complete closure”

“I think mentally she needs that break like she says”

“End all ties you deserve so much more”

“if that’s what she needs then I agree with her.”

“She’s just wrapping it all up in a nice bow”

Though Janelle and Kody have been estranged since she left the plural marriage, this moment marks the true end of their shared spiritual journey. For Janelle, it’s not just paperwork—it’s peace.

Sister Wives airs Sunday, January 4, and this episode promises a moment many fans have been waiting to see: Janelle Brown, finally free.

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