What Garrison Brown's Relationship With His Dad Kody Was Really Like

Garrison Brown's relationship with his dad, Kody Brown, has had its ups and downs. Viewers of the TLC show "Sister Wives" know this firsthand, as many got to see their relationship play out on screen.

Garrison was Kody and Janelle Brown's third son, whom they welcomed into their family in 1998. It wasn't until 2010, when "Sister Wives" premiered, that the world would get to dive into the lives of Garrison and the rest of the Browns. Throughout the show, fans could see Garrison and Kody's relationship go through different phases. Unlike his relationship with his father, however, Garrison's bond with his mom pretty much remained steady over the years.

Garrison's life was tragically cut short when he died at age 25 in March 2024. Kody shared a tribute to his son on Instagram following his passing. "Janelle and I are deeply saddened to announce the loss of our beautiful boy Robert Garrison Brown," he wrote. "He was a bright spot in the lives of all who knew him. Our loss will leave such a big hole in our lives, that it takes our breath away. We ask that you please respect our privacy and join us in honoring his memory." 

It was no secret that Garrison and Kody had a complex relationship, and his tragic loss is shedding light on his family ties — specifically, his difficult relationship with his father, Kody.

From what fans saw in early episodes of "Sister Wives," it seemed like Garrison and Kody Brown's relationship was that of an average father-son duo. In a 2016 episode, Garrison sought the advice of his father and his mother, Janelle Brown, for his plan to enlist in the National Guard. Kody wasn't opposed to the idea, but he did want Garrison to go to college before he enlisted. "I don't want to discourage you from the National Guard," he said, "but I really would like you to get your degree before you go there. I'd rather you deploy as an officer." Despite Kody's advice, Garrison did end up listing in the National Guard.

Garrison had taken on basic training and was away from his family for months, but it didn't seem to fracture his relationship with Kody. A 2018 episode showed Garrison returning home after basic training, and Kody was thrilled to have his son back home. Kody expressed his pride in Garrison for taking on this demanding role. He said, "When I'm looking at him, I'm really proud of him for making choices — making choices to serve mankind and making choices to do something hard, you know, it is really great growth for him, and I'm proud of him for doing it." 

It seemed like nothing could come between Garrison and Kody's bond, but a couple of years later, the father-son duo would become estranged.

Garrison and Kody Brown's relationship took a turn when the pandemic hit. Amid the isolation, Kody and his wife, Robyn Brown, took up strict protocols to prevent any of their family members from catching the virus. As seen in an episode of "Sister Wives," these strict rules included restrictions on his son, Gabe Brown, from bringing over his girlfriend and wanting Garrison to cut down his social life to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Garrison and Gabe saw their father's rules as extreme, and it damaged the family dynamic.

It didn't help that around this time, Janelle Brown, Garrison's mom, and Kody had called it quits on their marriage, creating more distance between the father-son duo. In a 2022 episode of "Sister Wives," Kody claimed Garrison had called him up and explained how he didn't want anything to do with him, per ET. Kody said, "Then [Garrison's] mad at me that I'm not coming around. [He said] I love you, Dad, but this is goodbye forever." Garrison meant what he said because the two stopped speaking to one another.

In November 2023, Kody revealed he wasn't close to Garrison or Gabe, per US Weekly. However, the patriarch was hopeful they would make amends. He said, "I think and hope that in time we'll just get over this [and] it'll be safe being back around each other." Unfortunately, with Garrison's tragic passing, it appears the father-son duo never had the chance to reconcile.