Here's What Kody Brown From Sister Wives Really Does For A Living

Some would balk at the idea of being married to one person for the rest of their life until death do us part. Kody Brown definitely doesn't; he's a glutton for punishment with three spouses under his belt. The "Sister Wives" star did have four until one recently flew the compound. (Although to some, he's still a quadruple hubby, as Kody and Christine Brown may not be officially divorced after all.) Christine announced she was leaving the plural party in November 2021. "Thanks for your understanding and compassion!" she wrote via Instagram.

However, Kody was lacking in the understanding and compassion department. "We never agreed. We never went to our church leaders and said, 'Hey, we're divorced,' or, 'We want a divorce,'" he informed Christine in an episode of the reality show (via Entertainment Tonight). The sister wives concurred. "We're spiritually married to Kody by our church," Janelle insisted.

The church, maybe, but not by U.S. law. Pew Research notes that polygamy is illegal in "every state." Thankfully, Christine couldn't be forced to reside with the Kody clan in Flagstaff, Arizona. She moved back to Utah and now runs an "empowered living" group with Janelle Brown. Despite losing one wife, the patriarch still has three others, 18 kids, and three grandchildren to support (per Distractify). So, what does Kody Brown from "Sister Wives" do for a living?

Kody and his stable of spouses belonged to the Apostolic United Brethren. Per World Religions and Spirituality Project, one of the tenets of the Mormon splinter group is strict adherence to "traditional gender roles." Live Science notes the traditional female role is nurturing and caring for their husband. The primary male role is bringing home the bacon to support his family.

Kody's wives stick to their side of the bargain, cooking, cleaning, raising the 18 children, bolstering his ego, and generally catering to his every whim. Kody aces it in the "masculine" stakes; he's the patriarch, strong, assertive, and Alpha. However, his earning status is a little sketchy. Per In Touch Weekly, Kody worked for weapons manufacturers until they closed. Now, he occasionally crops up at gun shows, charges $99 upwards for videos on Cameos, and is paid for the reality show. Still, his actual "job" remains a mystery — aside from his son Paedon Brown hinting that it could be viewed as "controversial."

Meanwhile, Distractify reports that Meri Brown "runs a bed and breakfast," peddles clothing, and sells diet products. Christine and Jenelle Brown are also in the diet biz, and Jenelle is a life coach, with a website, "Strive With Janelle." Robyn Brown manages the family business, My Sister Wife's Closet. They also charge for Cameo videos. Perhaps Kody's work is managing all their income to ensure they sufficiently support him and the kids.

Kody Brown's first wife was Meri Brown. They legally married in 1990 (per ABC News). However, Kody valiantly put his strict beliefs aside in 2014 to divorce Meri and get hitched to Robyn Brown. Kody insisted to In Touch that he and Meri remain "spiritually married."

The Apostolic United Brethren lay out their stance on divorce in a lengthy document. "Divorce brings destruction, and we insist on the words of God repeated by Christ, saying that what the Lord has joined together, let no man put asunder," they state. The AUB insists it "should be the last resort, the exception," not the norm. "Drunkenness, cruelty, lack of financial support, incompatibility or any other cause" are not grounds for divorce — only infidelity. Presumably, as the AUB condones polygamy, they define "infidelity" as sexual relations outside existing legal and "spiritual" marriages. 

The Guardian writes, "sexism and misogyny are explicitly woven into the dogma and traditions" of religion. So, perhaps that's why Kody Brown is an Apostolic United Brethren rule breaker because it's a man's world. He allows his wives to go forth and multiply the dollars to support the family and sets his own rules on divorce while professing to remain religiously devout. It's little wonder how damaged Kody's family dynamic has become.