Spoiler, Speculation and Social Media

[Meow Mix]

I do think Paedon is speaking his truth and understanding is a three edged sword - your side, my side, and the truth.  The more I learn about Meri, the more I see that this was absolutely the wrong lifestyle for her.  She certainly wasn't cut out for plural marriage because of massive insecurity and low self esteem.  But in addition, I just don't think Meri is a kid and chaos person.  Having a bunch of nearly feral kids (because no one else seemed to handle discipline) must have been very difficult.  It doesn't excuse what she did, but I think it is yet another cautionary tale about marrying before you know who you are and what you want out of life.  In that, I do feel sorry for her.  Trust me as someone who never wanted kids (I don't have them) and has a low speaking voice and isn't pretty and perfect and feminine I know that it is very easy for people to make assumptions about you that are unfair.  Not saying she did nothing and is perfectly innocent, but also not believing that she was on the verge of killing one of the kids.

And let's not forget, Robyn was perfectly happy to have Meri be the enforcer when Robyn's kids were being bullied.  No one's motives here are pure and that includes Christine and Janelle.

Edited January 16, 2023 by Meow Mix

[Teafortwo]

Paedon did an earlier interview where he said that per his mother, he was not allowed to talk about Meri (and Robyn). I wonder why he's "allowed" now - or is he defying his mom and perhaps TLC?

[Cetacean]

32 minutes ago, Teafortwo said:

Paedon did an earlier interview where he said that per his mother, he was not allowed to talk about Meri (and Robyn). I wonder why he's "allowed" now - or is he defying his mom and perhaps TLC?

Another member of the Brown Clowns who can't keep his lies straight.

[General Days]

There are a half dozen new videos on that Toxicitea TikTok channel, since I looked at it last night (they could be the ones which were deleted yesterday before I found the page, idk).

The information they are "disclosing" may or may not be from JO, but it is all right out of JO's playbook. Despite thinking some of the earlier voices sounded like some of the kids, I cannot believe the Brown kids are involved in this at all. If I had to bet, I'd bet it was JO, and/or the other person, and or anyone else who might have ever been on their side.

Summary

1. Allegations on this video: [DISCLAIMER: I am not claiming any of this; I am summarizing what was said on the videos, without repeating the videos' disclaimers before each claim.]

In 2008 (NOTE: Before Show) there was reason to believe "a wife" had been having "extramarital affair" for a year. After discovery, wife's "abusive behavior" toward other family members increased. This video attributes to Paedon Brown's interview with John Yates*, words that Paedon did not say in that interview, including, "Paedon Brown claims that the abusive behavior was not just emotional, but also physical." (*NOTE: Paedon did not use those words in the John Yates video linked above.)

2. Allegations on this video: [DISCLAIMER: I am not claiming any of this; I am summarizing what was said on the videos, without repeating the videos' disclaimers before each claim.]

More about the alleged 2008 affair. Texts and emails were discovered between three individuals, including "one wife," and "were of a sexual nature." There were grounds to suspect physical interactions between the three individuals. After discovery, wife committed to intensive solo and group therapy. There are claims the text/email communication continued, but no evidence of physical interaction after 2008.

3. Allegations on this video: [DISCLAIMER: I am not claiming any of this; I am summarizing what was said on the videos, without repeating the videos' disclaimers before each claim.]

After discovery of 2008 "affair," the marriage was over, but wife remained in home to "better co-parent" the child. In late 2009, family was in talks with producers to do a polygamy documentary. When filming began in April 2010, husband and wife had already agreed not to disclose the separation in the documentary. By the time documentary premiered in September 2010, the husband and wife were attempting to reconcile, involving therapy and counsel affiliated with their church. The reconciliation attempt created rifts in the family, especially between the other wives, and with one child.

4. Allegations on this video: [DISCLAIMER: I am not claiming any of this; I am summarizing what was said on the videos, without repeating the videos' disclaimers before each claim.]

Couple decided to "call it quits" in 2013, but agreed not to disclose their separation to the producers, in order to do more seasons of the show. In late 2014 a "consensual relationship" between wife and another person had begun. The relationship was both allowed and encouraged by the husband.** Most of the family knew about the relationship but were told not to discuss publicly. By 2015, the wife's "partner outside her marriage" became "disgruntled" because she refused to publicly leave her marriage or go public with her new partner. This is when wife's partner went public about their relationship. Catfishing story concocted to "protect both" (husband and wife's, presumably) "reputations" and do additional seasons of the show. This is why husband's reaction to catfishing was so mild, compared to what you'd expect.

5. Allegations on this video: They're implying the family moved because of child labor laws as pertain to the entertainment industry. It discusses regulations in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and at the federal level. I'm not summarizing.

6. Allegations on this video: [DISCLAIMER: I am not claiming any of this; I am summarizing what was said on the videos, without repeating the videos' disclaimers before each claim.]

The wife's child has explicit knowledge of their mother's extramarital affair with two other individuals, between 2007 and 2008. After the wife's second relationship in 2014-15, her child was close to cutting ties with her. There are grounds to suspect the child was opposed to publicly lying, twice, about her mother's relationships outside the marriage. The child was encouraged to lie, even though the relationships were known to several people outside the family.

 

**This has to be JO, or someone with a similar agenda. While they've expressed hurt, or disappointment (mostly about Covid rules and favoring Robyn and her brood) not one of the kids have been truly publicly hard on their Dad. Even Gwen and Paedon still express their love for him. Gabriel has expressed hurt, but I don't think he'd have it in him to do this to Kody. This can't be the kids. Also, in my opinion, most of it is bullshit, but with just enough truth and plausibility to make people think it could be true.

Edited January 15, 2023 by General Days
removed a name

[Cetacean]

The most telling statement is "catfishing story concocted".

This has JO's stink all over it.

Don't get me wrong, I do not care for Meri in the least. But in this case I do have to feel a little bad for her. She is getting slammed on all sides.

[General Days]

I agree, @Cetacean (although I have always had a lot more sympathy toward Meri, and all of the wives, including Robyn, than a lot of the audience seems to). 

One way I think JO or whomever outed themselves with this video, is by claiming that [Leon] knew about the alleged 2007-2008 affair. 

Leon could barely handle the online emotional affair at age 20-something, during a time they were undoubtedly working out their own faith, sexuality (and possibly gender identification).

As a still very religious adolescent, still living in Lehi in 2007/8, whose church meant everything to them, Leon would have utterly flipped their lid. They were born in 1995, meaning the were only 12/13 at the time.

Also, that the video maker's focus is still so much centered on alleged affairs tells me something. Most of the fandom has moved on. At worst, even people with no use for Meri mostly just bristle if/when "catfishing" is brought up, because they believe Meri should have been more forthcoming and not tried to write it all off to catfishing. We know there was catfishing though, because there have been other JO targets on the show.
 

Edited January 15, 2023 by General Days

[Celia Rubenstein]

6 minutes ago, Cetacean said:

The most telling statement is "catfishing story concocted".

This has JO's stink all over it.

 

Agreed.  Not one single solitary person on the face of earth except for JO has any interest in perpetuating the myth that "Sam Cooper" really exists and Meri was hooking up with him.   Everyone else knows it is transparent bullshit and wouldn't include it in their efforts to trash Meri because it destroys any credibility they might have.  

Damn nutter is back at it.   

 

 

 

[General Days]

deleted wrong post

 

Edited January 15, 2023 by General Days

[antfitz]

I think Robin catered to Cody and became his favorite. But I think it came back and  bit her in the butt. Now she's unhappy.

I would rather they follow Janelle, Mari, and Christine from now on, OR at least have their own show. Any body agree??

[Sandy W]

The scent of bullshit strong on this. 

In 2008 Meri reigned supreme as HBIC and revelled in it, no need to look outside the marriage for love and affection.  Despite the fact that Kody now claims dissatisfaction with the way Meri treated Janelle and Christine at that time, I think she was the favorite wife then.

[antfitz]

17 hours ago, Ms.Lulu said:

My two cents. I believe that Paedon spoke his truth. He is enjoying being in the spotlight -AND- exacting a sort of revenge on Meri.

A few thoughts on the alleged abuse. I don't assume that the abuse started at birth or continued after Robyn joined the family. It could have been when a few of the kids were in middle school/high schoolers. And it could also be directed at only a few children. We have heard both Madison and Paedon talk/write about it.

There are many things that Kody, Janelle and Christine may have done that we don't know about. For example, when Robyn allegedly called out Meri's behavior, that may have been when Meri went into counseling. They may have prohibited the children from being alone with her Meri. Kody may have moved into his no sex for you phase in his Meri marriage.

The words 'not safe' are largely used to describe Christine's and Janelle's relationship with Meri, and they each have children that have publicly vented about Meri (although Madison didn't name her and pulled it down). There is a reason that this family used the term 'safe' so much. I used to think it was hyperbole, but maybe there was a sense of danger. 

I'm inclined not to dismiss Paedon's words. Nobody is refuting his claims. But we'll see how the parents respond. 

Wow, I had no idea and read nothing.

[General Days]

That crazy bitch works fast. There are three more videos up, since I posted.

https://www.tiktok.com/@toxcicitea/video/7188925385189379370: Implies Kody got in a "physical altercation" with one of Janelle's adult kids (video uses no names). Says wife intervened, then decided she was leaving and made preparations to further those ends. Kid cut off all contact with father. (I think it refers to Janelle, because one of the claims is: "It's been claimed that by 2021, the adult child's mother had changed her living situation to one that would no longer accommodate the father.")

 

https://www.tiktok.com/@toxcicitea/video/7188929103565917486: implies Kody's behavior has changed because he's on something.

 

jhttps://www.tiktok.com/@toxcicitea/video/7188940064519441707: Implies Robyn got her ex to surrender their three children for adoption by Kody, because she had info. linking the Jessops to the Jeffs.

 

It's amazing (to me) how protective I now feel for the whole family. Whoever is running that TikTok needs to be stopped.

[antfitz]

32 minutes ago, General Days said:

I agree, @Cetacean (although I have always had a lot more sympathy toward Meri, and all of the wives, including Robyn, than a lot of the audience seems to). 

One way I think JO or whomever outed themselves with this video, is by claiming that [Leon] knew about the alleged 2007-2008 affair. 

Leon could barely handle the online emotional affair at age 20-something, during a time they were undoubtedly working out their own faith, sexuality (and possibly gender identification).

As a still very religious adolescent, still living in Lehi in 2007/8, whose church meant everything to them, Leon would have utterly flipped their lid. They were born in 1995, meaning the were only 12/13 at the time.

Also, that the video maker's focus is still so much centered on alleged affairs tells me something. Most of the fandom has moved on. At worst, even people with no use for Meri mostly just bristle if/when "catfishing" is brought up, because they believe Meri should have been more forthcoming and not tried to write it all off to catfishing. We know there was catfishing though, because there have been other JO targets on the show.
 

JO??

[MamaGee]

1 minute ago, antfitz said:

JO??

That's my question. Who is JO?

[General Days]

2 minutes ago, antfitz said:

JO??

 

1 minute ago, MamaGee said:

That's my question. Who is JO?

"JO" are the initials of the woman who catfished Meri, by posing as a rich man. I try not to use their name, because I think they thrive on attention.

https://allaboutthetea.com/2022/11/10/sister-wives-catfish-scandal-outline-of-the-online-affair-that-rocked-the-brown-family/

[Sandy W]

2 minutes ago, MamaGee said:

That's my question. Who is JO?

JO would be Jackie Overton the woman that masqueraded as "Sam".

[antfitz]

59 minutes ago, Cetacean said:

Another member of the Brown Clowns who can't keep his lies straight.

Lol perfect! "Brown clowns."

3 minutes ago, General Days said:

 

"JO" are the initials of the woman who catfished Meri, by posing as a rich man. I try not to use their name, because I think they thrive on attention.

https://allaboutthetea.com/2022/11/10/sister-wives-catfish-scandal-outline-of-the-online-affair-that-rocked-the-brown-family/

Thank you! I don't need the name.

[Tuxcat]

8 minutes ago, General Days said:

That crazy bitch works fast. There are three more videos up, since I posted.

 

Yes. She's rearranged her whole page from a few days ago and by her latest videos, it's got to be Jackie. Definitely targeting just Meri and Kody. I noticed comments calling the account out on all the inconsistent things and those comments are now gone. When the first videos started, it really did sound like the kids - I knew it wasn't them - but I had to second guess. Now its for sure not them (though seemingly a lot of people still believe it is). It's funny because those same people probably question how Meri could have been catfished haha. 

13 minutes ago, General Days said:

It's amazing (to me) how protective I now feel for the whole family. Whoever is running that TikTok needs to be stopped.

And they changed the header now saying "for entertainment purposes" to protect themselves. 

[magemaud]

On 1/12/2023 at 11:45 AM, SunnyBeBe said:

I never knew their faith precluded vaccines.  Nevada law requires them for school attendance, unless for religious or medical reasons

Kody has basically formed his own religion, I call it "Kodyism," where he can cherry pick the rules he likes including a religious exemption from getting vaccinated.  

[Roslyn]

It's quite easy to call "bull" on anyone saying the catfish story was concocted just for the show. Even prior to JO releasing voicemails and photos it was played out quite publicly on Twitter and Facebook.

🙄

[TurtlePower]

4 minutes ago, Roslyn said:

It's quite easy to call "bull" on anyone saying the catfish story was concocted just for the show. Even prior to JO releasing voicemails and photos it was played out quite publicly on Twitter and Facebook.

🙄

This. I was just about to post something similar. Also “Sam” was already outed as a probable catfish before Meri even jumped in. She’d been warned. 

[mythoughtis]

Given Kody’s behavior toward his wives and children  this last two  seasons and on the more recently filmed tell-all, there is no way he wouldn’t have have  screaming to the rooftops this season about a wife’s alleged affair that hadn’t been publicized yet.  Regardless of which wife it was or how long ago it was.  
 

Sone of the other allegations are just pure speculation based on Kody’s  behavior, his words about Paedon not fitting in and comments on this forum about ‘what is he taking’. 

Edited January 15, 2023 by mythoughtis

[Art Of Noiz]

3 hours ago, antfitz said:

I think Robin catered to Cody and became his favorite. But I think it came back and  bit her in the butt. Now she's unhappy.

I would rather they follow Janelle, Mari, and Christine from now on, OR at least have their own show. Any body agree??

I do. Even if for only a couple of seasons. 

[magemaud]

Apparently, Christine made a deal to still film and keep the show going after she left:

"I made a promise to Kody and everybody else that I would stay in Sister Wives as long as we have the show just to be fair," she told ET back in October. "It's what our family's been doing for so long. I feel like it would be disloyal if I decided to not be part of the show."

[goofygirl]

5 minutes ago, magemaud said:

Apparently, Christine made a deal to still film and keep the show going after she left:

"I made a promise to Kody and everybody else that I would stay in Sister Wives as long as we have the show just to be fair," she told ET back in October. "It's what our family's been doing for so long. I feel like it would be disloyal if I decided to not be part of the show."

Which in plain English just means "We want to keep the gravy train going as long as we can!"

[Libby]

This show is getting way too negative to me.

It's just like Jon and Kate, and the Duggars all over again.

It starts as a nice family and a heartwarming show, and then the truth comes out.

So now with the Brown's we find out that they've always been dysfunctional and unhappy. Kody is literally behaving like a crazy person. We find out that since Robyn joined the family, he's been a neglectful father to all of the first three wives kids.

Worse yet, there are allegations of child abuse. I believe Paedon. I think that Paedon's story is being questioned because people don't like his world views. If Logan, Hunter, or one of the more liked kids came forward, people would be calling for Meri's arrest.

Paedon hasn't retracted his story and nobody in the family has come forward and refuted his story.

I will say that nobody has come forward to back him up either.

Maybe they all think that if they stay quiet the story will blow over. That's sad. I don't think that child abuse allegations should ever be ignored.

Edited January 16, 2023 by Libby

[Irate Panda]

Christine’s Original Quote: "I made a promise to Kody and everybody else that I would stay in Sister Wives as long as we have the show just to be fair," she told ET back in October. "It's what our family's been doing for so long. I feel like it would be disloyal if I decided to not be part of the show."

Irate Panda translates Christine’s Original Quote:  “I need the show to shill my mlm schemes and everybody hates Kody and Robyn, so I’m cool with still filming.”

[Teafortwo]

7 hours ago, Celia Rubenstein said:

Agreed.  Not one single solitary person on the face of earth except for JO has any interest in perpetuating the myth that "Sam Cooper" really exists and Meri was hooking up with him.   Everyone else knows it is transparent bullshit and wouldn't include it in their efforts to trash Meri because it destroys any credibility they might have.  

Damn nutter is back at it.   

 

 

 

Furthermore, in an early episode Meri asks Kody hypothetically how he'd feel if she'd had an affair, and he says "the vulgarity of the idea of you with another lover" etc. If he'd discovered years before this convo, that Meri was having an affair, there's no way she would have initiated this topic.

[Tuxcat]

27 minutes ago, Libby said:

Paedon hasn't retracted his story and nobody in the family has come forward and refuted his story.

I will say that nobody has come forward to back him up either.

Paedon did cancel a second podcast. He was scheduled for another one with a different podcaster this week and cancelled it. 

 I still say it's really hard to refute because it was so vague. He says he didn't feel "safe," and Meri was "more the verbal"  - but he didn't say the word abuse. The internet just put that together. Though I'm sure that's what he meant to imply. But how do you defend yourself against something that he didn't actually say? So it's tricky to respond. She cannot deny him his feelings. And even I don't know what "more than verbal" actually means in Paedon language. It could just mean yelling?  And we for sure know she yelled.

Such a mess. 

Some sort of statement on either end would be helpful for sure. 

[altopower]

6 minutes ago, Tuxcat said:

And even I don't know what "more than verbal" actually means in Paedon language. It could just mean yelling?  And we for sure know she yelled.

Or it could be as simple as freezing the child(ren) out from fun activities. We know that we don't know much of anything except the words he used.

[General Days]

The problem is Paedon also credits Robin with possibly saving several of their lives. So either there was horrendous, clear-cut abuse, to which Kody, Janelle, and Christine turned a blind eye, or Paedon is full of shit and is happy to leave skid marks on not only Meri, but his other parents, too.

[Sandy W]

5 minutes ago, General Days said:

The problem is Paedon also credits Robin with possibly saving several of their lives. So either there was horrendous, clear-cut abuse, to which Kody, Janelle, and Christine turned a blind eye, or Paedon is full of shit and is happy to leave skid marks on not only Meri, but his other parents, too.

He may not have intended saving lives literally.  I have used the term "you saved my life" when someone merely helped me out of an awkward situation. Who hasn't?

Or as I mentioned earlier, he may have been insinuating that kids that feel unheard and neglected by parents often resort to dangerous, rebellious behavior leading down a rocky road. 

Possibly he feels that Robyn was tuned in to their sensitivities and spoke up on their behalf.

[Cetacean]

35 minutes ago, Tuxcat said:

 I still say it's really hard to refute because it was so vague.

He reminds of a petulant child on the playground taunting other kids with "I know something that you don't know but I'm not going to tell you what. But it's really bad. It's for me to know and you to find out. Neener neener."

[Tuxcat]

So on reddit, someone posted a screenshot allegedly from Gwen about the "abuse" from Meri. Gwen, who on YouTube has expressed a closeness with Meri said, 

she was scary as a kid but
she never attacked me and i
only saw her violent once.
that was all a long time ago

[Elizzikra]

4 hours ago, magemaud said:

Apparently, Christine made a deal to still film and keep the show going after she left:

"I made a promise to Kody and everybody else that I would stay in Sister Wives as long as we have the show just to be fair," she told ET back in October. "It's what our family's been doing for so long. I feel like it would be disloyal if I decided to not be part of the show."

Left unsaid "plus I could use the money..."

[GeeGolly]

I base my feelings about what Paedon is saying, or more specifically what Paedon isn't saying, on the facts before me, nothing more, nothing less. 

It does not make sense that one parent of four could get away with abusing children unless all four parents were onboard. It seems very convenient that Paedon said it all stopped when Robyn (and the cameras) came along. It doesn't make sense that Christine would send her young daughter to live with Meri if she abused her other children. It doesn't make sense that Robyn would send her child off on an overnight trip with a known child abuser. It doesn't make sense that Paedon bullied Robyn's children, if she is the one that saved him.

I agree the silence is deafening on both sides - not one Brown, except Gwen, is coming out to defend Meri or Paedon.

What I find curious is Paedon and Meri are arguably the most problematic and least favored within the family itself. I haven't seen any pictures of Paedon with Christine or Kody in sometime, and haven't seen any pictures of Meri with Leon in sometime.

I'll be the first to admit I'm wrong, but I hope I'm right because I hate to think of any of the Brown kids being abused. Being raised in polygamy alone is hard. Being raised in polygamy on TV is even harder. Throwing abuse in the mix is beyond terrible.

And one last thing - if Christine is letting her child flounder alone in the midst of all this bullshit to save the show, then she can go sit by Meri.

Edited January 16, 2023 by GeeGolly

[Libby]

2 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

I base my feelings about what Paedon is saying, or more specifically what Paedon isn't saying, on the facts before me, nothing more, nothing less. 

It does not make sense that one parent of four could get away with abusing children unless all four parents were onboard. It seems very convenient that Paedon said it all stopped when Robyn (and the cameras) came along. It doesn't make sense that Christine would send her young daughter to live with Meri if she abused her other children. It doesn't make sense that Robyn would send her child off on an overnight trip with a known child abuser. It doesn't make sense that Paedon bullied Robyn's children, if she is the one that saved him.

I agree the silence is deafening on both sides - not one Brown, except Gwen, is coming out to defend Meri or Paedon.

What I find curious is Paedon and Meri are arguably the most problematic and least favored within the family itself. I haven't seen any pictures of Paedon with Christine or Kody in sometime, and haven't seen any pictures of Meri with Leon in sometime.

I'll be the first to admit I'm wrong, but I hope I'm right because I hate to think of any of the Brown kids being abused. Being raised in polygamy alone is hard. Being raised in polygamy on TV is even harder. Throwing abuse in the mix is beyond terrible.

And one last thing - if Christine is letting her child flounder alone in the midst of all this bullshit to save the show, then she can go sit by Meri.

Yes, all that we know for sure was that Meri was a big problem in that family. What we know is she was scary, mean, and hit a kid that wasn't hers at least once.

Not a good look for Meri at all.

I also hope that Paedon and Maddie (who did use the word abuse) were exaggerating and Meri's behavior didn't rise to the level of abuse.

I honestly never believed that episode where Ysabel went to live with Meri. I think it was made up for the show. I never saw any child, other than Leon, stay at Meri's except for during that one, made up, in my opinion, episode.

Robyn did let Breanna go to Utah with Meri though.

Meri would never do anything to Robyn's kids. She knows there would be hell to pay.

Edited January 16, 2023 by Libby

[GeeGolly]

26 minutes ago, Libby said:

Yes, all that we know for sure was that Meri was a big problem in that family. What we know is she was scary, mean, and hit a kid that wasn't hers at least once.

Not a good look for Meri at all.

I also hope that Paedon and Maddie (who did use the word abuse) were exaggerating and Meri's behavior didn't rise to the level of abuse.

I honestly never believed that episode where Ysabel went to live with Meri. I think it was made up for the show. I never saw any child, other than Leon, stay at Meri's except for during that one, made up, in my opinion, episode.

Robyn did let Breanna go to Utah with Meri though.

Meri would never do anything to Robyn's kids. She knows there would be hell to pay.

Why is it, do you think, Christine hasn't come out and defended her son if what Paedon says is true?

[TurtlePower]

7 hours ago, Tuxcat said:

So on reddit, someone posted a screenshot allegedly from Gwen about the "abuse" from Meri. Gwen, who on YouTube has expressed a closeness with Meri said, 

she was scary as a kid but
she never attacked me and i
only saw her violent once.
that was all a long time ago

JMO. As someone trained to analyze statements, it’s the words she uses that make me suspicious, “she never attacked me”. She uses the word “attacked” as if it was known she did that to someone else. She said Meri was “scary”.  Then there’s Maddie’s claims as well. 

I recall Paedon saying it was “a few of us kids” Meri had it in for. A few, out of however many there are. So perhaps it was known who she liked to go after.

It at least warrants questioning. Gwen’s choice of words raises red flags to me — it obviously doesn’t convict anyone but a bookmark is placed for further lines of questioning. 

[RazzleberryPie]

10 hours ago, General Days said:

The problem is Paedon also credits Robin with possibly saving several of their lives. So either there was horrendous, clear-cut abuse, to which Kody, Janelle, and Christine turned a blind eye, or Paedon is full of shit and is happy to leave skid marks on not only Meri, but his other parents, too.

It could be both. Abuse and skid marks, another knife to the kidney, even. These people are all overly dramatic.

[GeeGolly]

I didn't watch the video - how did the subject of Meri come up? Was it kind of a natural evolution of the interview/conversation? Did the host bring it up? Did Paedon bring it up? Did the host push Paedon into the abuse topic?

I ask because Paedon seems a wee bit immature with a low current of anger, which makes me wonder if he was more giving the host what the host wanted to hear. Like if the host was reading Paedon, it seems to me it wouldn't take much to lead Paedon into some podcast worthy ranting.

[Libby]

Gwen, who likes Meri and hates Paedon verified that Paedon didn't pull his accusations out of the air.

Gwen said Meri was scary and that she hit Mykelti. Maddie said she was a monster and called her abusive. Paedon strongly implied abuse.

Based on Gwen, Maddie, and Paedon's comments, I think it's clear that Meri's behavior toward some of the kids was problematic.

Whether her behavior should be termed "abuse" is a matter of opinion.

[zenme]

Christine and Janelle both seem very mellow or lax with discipline. I can imagine that any version of being reprimanded beyond that might be very upsetting or devastating for someone not used to that. That being said, Paedon said the discipline was beyond verbal, so I’m very curious as to what he means. 

[Meow Mix]

3 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

I didn't watch the video - how did the subject of Meri come up? Was it kind of a natural evolution of the interview/conversation? Did the host bring it up? Did Paedon bring it up? Did the host push Paedon into the abuse topic?

I ask because Paedon seems a wee bit immature with a low current of anger, which makes me wonder if he was more giving the host what the host wanted to hear. Like if the host was reading Paedon, it seems to me it wouldn't take much to lead Paedon into some podcast worthy ranting.

This is what I am wondering as well.  As I said before, I won't give the guy doing the interviewing a click because he is very problematic, but I could easily see Paedon feeling comfortable with another guy and saying all sorts of stuff without thinking it through.  Once again, I do believe Meri took her resentment out on some of the kids which is yet another wrong choice from her.  But, I think Paedon was basking in the spotlight and things got out of hand.  The fact that he canceled an appearance on another podcast lends weight to that assumption.

ETA: What in the world is JO's problem?  This obsession is getting downright creepy.  While I think Meri played up the victim narrative with the catfish, this person does seem to have an unhealthy obsession with the family.

Edited January 16, 2023 by Meow Mix

[Ms.Lulu]

JY (host)directly asked about it. And some questions came in from viewers.

JY asked all the questions we wondered about:

1) Was Meri abrasive and mean--yes plus more (this whole topic)

2) Why they moved to Flagstaff--confirmation it was because Robyn wanted to follow Dayton

3) How often is there water in prairie plague pond--Paedon saw it once

4) Has he ever seen Robyn cry real tears--no, not once

5) Is Robyn the favorite--yes, the kids knew this from Las Vegas days

6) What has Robyn given up to be part of this family--her debt and tiny home

The only one he couldn't answer was, 'What does the nanny do?'

It was three hours long, Paedon clearly enjoyed himself, and seemed to answer candidly.

He also said that once the show is completely over he will share more details on Meri, but he recognizes that it is a source of income for the parents and several of his siblings, so he needs to wait so the show is not cancelled.

 

[Tuxcat]

Paedon had said before about Robyn's crying "I believe the reddit consensus is that there are no actual tears." He knows exactly what to confirm and what to say. Its not shocking that he confirmed "everything we (reddit) suspected!" And yes he was smiling and laughing when talking about the situation with Meri as he bantered with the hosts.

Regarding Gwen's comments, she actually did not say that Meri hit Mykelti. She said she "got physical once." In a small LDS offshoot closeted community in Utah, the use of physical discipline is likely common and accepted. We know Kody spanked. And we know Meri worked with At Risk youth - which in Utah may have like those camps we read about. Firm, strict, rigid discipline and even sometimes abusive. But this may explain Paeodn's version that it was savior Robyn who first "recognized" it as wrong??

It's shocking but according to varying state laws, you can spank, slap and even hit a child so long as it does not cause injury or leave any bruises or marks beyond twenty four hours. I hate it, but it's true. 

I suspect that Meri was very rigid and a harsh disciplinarian. I can believe she got physical and lost her sh*t and yelled a lot. I am unsure if that qualifies as abuse and none of us can actually know until all the vague language stops.

 

Edited January 16, 2023 by Tuxcat

[laurakaye]

Wow, you don't read the threads for three days and come back to this!

As far as Paedon's accusations against Meri and the accountability of the other adults (specifically his own mother), I can unfortunately see how an overwhelmed Christine, essentially raising a dozen or so kids as best she could, would be afraid to speak out against Kody's then-favorite wife if she felt that Meri was punishing her kids harshly.  Also, sadly, with Christine having been raised in polygamy, she might not have seen Meri's behavior as necessarily wrong or if she did, she felt she couldn't do anything about it.

And if this Meri stuff is true, it kind of sheds a different light on why Christine was the over-the-top whispery keep sweet wife, and Janelle was quiet to the point of barely speaking in the early seasons.  If both women had to pacify not only Kody but Meri too at the cost of the treatment of their children, that's too hard to even think about.

Maybe Robyn coming into the family shifted the balance of power away from Meri enough that Meri could no longer loom unchecked over the kids with her sense of being HBIC.  In that respect, I can see where Paedon said that Robyn "saved their lives."  But he might have traded that safety for basically losing any attention from his dad that he may have gotten prior to Robyn.

In the end, I don't have a clue what's real or not but IMO, Paedon had a pretty crappy childhood and now, perhaps with his mom and Janelle out from under Kody's patriarchy (LOL) he's finally ready to speak out about it.

Edited January 16, 2023 by laurakaye

[Spisee Hotsos]

17 hours ago, Irate Panda said:

Christine’s Original Quote: "I made a promise to Kody and everybody else that I would stay in Sister Wives as long as we have the show just to be fair," she told ET back in October. "It's what our family's been doing for so long. I feel like it would be disloyal if I decided to not be part of the show."

Irate Panda translates Christine’s Original Quote:  “I need the show to shill my mlm schemes and everybody hates Kody and Robyn, so I’m cool with still filming.”

I would add to this:  “Since I'm completely unskilled and uneducated I can't get a job anywhere else, so I need the show to shill my mlm schemes, plus everybody hates Kody and Robyn, and why would I let those assholes make TLC money and not get any for myself, so I’m cool with still filming.” 

Edited January 16, 2023 by Thistle Howl

[Cherylyn]

I hope there will be more information on this at some point. Once the Brown kids became adults they are free to spill the beans. However, I’m not much on cryptic conversations, why not just say what exactly transpired, if Meri was abusive, then they should just describe the abuse. By not elaborating it just leaves the whole matter up for speculation and gossip.  I believe the kids but there needs to be more in-depth explanations about it. 
Meri is not a likable person. I liked the way the family therapist described it as her seeing things as black or white, that she didn’t know she was being too aggressive and abrasive…yeah, that is putting it soooo nicely.

 

 

 

 

[zamp33]

24 minutes ago, Cherylyn said:

I hope there will be more information on this at some point. Once the Brown kids became adults they are free to spill the beans. However, I’m not much on cryptic conversations, why not just say what exactly transpired, if Meri was abusive, then they should just describe the abuse. By not elaborating it just leaves the whole matter up for speculation and gossip.  I believe the kids but there needs to be more in-depth explanations about it. 
Meri is not a likable person. I liked the way the family therapist described it as her seeing things as black or white, that she didn’t know she was being too aggressive and abrasive…yeah, that is putting it soooo nicely.

 

 

 

 

Yes I agree everything is so vague. I do recall Kody saying many times in certain episodes that Meri had to repair her relationship with the "older" kids, so that indicates something happened - again vague and it is easy to speculate - but even thought Gwen indicated that "she only saw Meri get violent once" - verbal, psychological and/or emotional abuse could have also been happening.  I am sure more will continue to trickle out.

Meri having the same grocery money to feed one child, vs Christine and Janelle having to feed 6 children indicated to me that she really did not care about the big family and had no empathy or feelings about the other kids getting so much less than her one and the others doing without.  This was not just about material things (remember Leon had a king sized bed in Lehi and the other kids were squished into bunk beds) but food and other basic necessities. That always made me mad - no she did not choose to have only one child, but to be allotted the same amount for food and housing as moms who had 6 children, and they were one family, was so unfair and selfish.