Kody Brown revealed during the latest Sister Wives episode that he’s hopeful he can mend his relationship with sons Gabriel and Garrison Brown.
“I haven’t been in touch with Gabriel and Garrison for quite a while,” Kody, 54, confessed during the Sunday, November 5, episode of the TLC series, while speaking about his and Janelle Brown’s kids. “I’m pretty sad that I’m not close anymore.”
The patriarch explained: “There were just so many things in our lives that we did that were rich together, you know, just special experiences. I think and hope that in time we’ll just get over this [and] it’ll be safe being back around each other.”
Kody, however, claimed that he’s at a standstill with Garrison, 25, and Gabriel, 21, after their COVID-19 fallout. “Right now, there’s not really an open door with Gabe and Garrison,” he said, alleging, “They’re not willing to engage [with] me.”
Last season, viewers saw Kody’s relationship with Gabriel and Garrison begin to crumble after he claimed the boys were disrespectful toward him and fourth wife Robyn Brown over Kody’s strict COVID-19 rules.
Kody insisted at the time that the kids apologize for their actions, which led to an even bigger rift in the family. As a result, Janelle, 54, and her six kids spent the 2021 holidays away from Kody and Robyn, 45.
In addition to Gabriel and Garrison, Kody shares Logan, 29, Maddie, 27, Hunter, 26, and Savanah, 18, with his estranged second wife Janelle. (Janelle announced in December 2022 that she and Kody had been “separated” for months after nearly 30 years of a spiritual marriage.)
During the beginning of season 18, it became clear that the tension between Janelle and Kody over their sons had not been resolved.
“I have worried about my boys’ mental health,” Janelle shared during the October 8 episode, which was filmed in early 2022. “Gabriel feels everything very, very deeply. But he’s also the kid who doesn’t say anything. And Garrison just seems angry or sadder, like, he’s not as happy-go-lucky as he used to be.”
Gabriel also commented on the nature of his relationship with his father in the episode, saying, “Me and Garrison are at odds with my dad, because when we expressed our discontent at how things were going with COVID, I was met with just a wall. Like and there was no line of dialogue. I think that that is what really drove the wedge between us.”
While Kody’s dynamic with Gabriel and Garrison hadn’t improved by summer 2022 when Sunday’s episode filmed, he had fixed his relationship with Savanah.
“Kody has been making an effort with Savanah,” Janelle shared during a confessional in the new episode. “He is seeing her more frequently than he was at the beginning of the year for sure.” Kody, meanwhile, called his dynamic with their youngest child “sweet” and “gentle.”
In addition to his separation from Janelle, Kody split from third wife Christine Brown in November 2021. His first wife, Meri Brown, confirmed in January that they were no longer in a romantic relationship. Kody is still legally married to Robyn.
Sister Wives airs on TLC Sundays at 10 p.m. ET.
