The Great Wife Swap of 2014: The Dark Wife Rises

[zenme]

Omg! Don't even remind me about Robyn and Kody taking the Hawaiian vacation! Wow! I'm so disgusted! Earlier I'd felt some sadness for Meri, but now that's changed. She allows Kody to do whatever, so if she's sad, so be it. That's on her. Christine is probably seething. I'd love to know how she feels about it.

[RealityCowgirl]

My "gotta bring the kids into the fold" theory: if he's in a rush to adopt, it's because they're the only ones not named "Brown."

Superficial. But then remember the subject of the speculation.

Can't believe it has anything with insurance or financial security. Has he been similarly concerned with all those kids already named Brown?

Edited February 4, 2015 by RealityCowgirl

[Palomar]

I believe that Kody had to marry Robyn for custody or insurance reasons as much as I believe the family HAD to leave Utah to avoid prosecution. 

[redbird]

These jerks.  I canceled cable back in November and haven't been able to watch.  Just the other day I decided that maybe I'd pay to watch on Amazon...but now I can't.  No way am I going to give them anything on the off chance that this is just another scheme to stay relevant.  In fact, I feel so strongly about it that I'm writing it into my personal mission statement, which I plan to unveil at a ceremony in 2 years.

[LotusFlower]

 In fact, I feel so strongly about it that I'm writing it into my personal mission statement, which I plan to unveil at a ceremony in 2 years.

Ha! That reminds me - will we be treated to A Very Special Episode featuring the wedding ceremony? More dresses, more mission statements, more pledges of commitments, more drama......

[bumblebee]

It would be a real slap in the face to the other wives if Robyn gets another honeymoon or for that matter any pomp and circumstance surrounding this. It will be interesting to see if they do a "legal restructuring" or divorce/marriage joint party haha 

[MarysWetBar]

Maybe TLC wanted to add #5 to the harem, but Robyn said, "Not unless I am repositioned to #1." When they saw the dollar signs of another season guaranteed, Meri had to decide whether keeping the wet bar was more important than keeping Kody. We see the results . . . the wet bar stays; Kody goes.

I can get on board with that decision. *wink*

[riverblue22]

It would be a real slap in the face to the other wives if Robyn gets another honeymoon or for that matter any pomp and circumstance surrounding this. It will be interesting to see if they do a "legal restructuring" or divorce/marriage joint party haha 

 

Robyn already got another honeymoon.  Kody took her to Hawaii in December.  Here's the trip score:  Kody 3, Robyn 2, Meri 1, Janelle 0, Christine 0 (and if she wants a trip she has to save her grocery money, according to Kody)

[Oldernowiser]

Who's the primary demographic for this show, does anyone know?

Strictly a guess here, but I'm thinking it's mostly female and mostly middle-aged soap opera watcher types.

This is not a group that's going to be terribly sympathetic to a guy who's dumping his frumpy first wife and marrying the fourth younger, thinner wife after what, 15 years and a child? Especially since Meri has gone along with his bullshit and ego every step of the way.

Way to alienate your supporters... I guess Kody just assumes they're too dumb to notice.

[RazzleberryPie]

So if Meri is now the single mom with questionable income, is Mariah now eligible for tons more finanical aid at that super expensive private school with all the super expensive private rooms and European trips? No legal father also helps Janelle (which I don't think she gives a rats a$$ at this point, as long as her kids are on the right track) and Christine's brood. Christine likes the 'daringness' of being a polyg wife and married, but not married, so except that she can't stand Robyn, I don't think she'll complain very much.

 

Robyn is one stealth bitch.

Oh, and if Meri really is the one who suggested Kody court Robyn, just to stay in his good graces and spite the other two wives, she's dug her own grave. I have no pity.

[CofCinci]

Christine is probably seething. I'd love to know how she feels about it.

Christine is so distraught over the marriage that she can't function. We'll eventually learn this is the real reason why her mother moved in. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if there were threats of suicide. Poor woman hasn't even gotten a free trip yet. Meanwhile, Whore of Babylon has gone on two with King Kody.

Edited February 4, 2015 by CofCinci

[purpleflowers]

Was it just Kody and Robyn on the trip to Hawaii? I thought I read a post from Meri's twitter mentioning that she was headed to the Pacific. 

[riverblue22]

I think Meri went on a cruise with "friends."

[RazzleberryPie]

Christine is so distraught over the marriage that she can't function. We'll eventually learn this is the real reason why her mother moved in. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if there were threats of suicide. Poor woman hasn't even gotten a free trip yet. Meanwhile, Whore of Babylon has gone on two with King Kody.

I wonder if her mother is secretly helping her plan a dramatic escape...in the middle of the night...to a spin off series about how she was an innocent flower duped and abused, then flung to the side. She and Kate Gosslin can compete on how many times they can remind is they're Single Moms Doing Everything Alone. Well, until Christine finds her next polyg husband.

[Schmoopy]

The only part about this whole mess that makes me smile is that out of all the sister wives, Robin is the one who will totally fuck Kody in court down the road once Princess Square Jaw decides it is time to move on.

Robyn already got another honeymoon.  Kody took her to Hawaii in December.  Here's the trip score:  Kody 3, Robyn 2, Meri 1, Janelle 0, Christine 0 (and if she wants a trip she has to save her grocery money, according to Kody)

Kody did take Janelle camping on that big rock out in the desert.  Using his logic, that should last her a good decade or two.

[wifey81]

If only Kody's legal dependents were able to get some kind of insurance/financial benefit, it would make more sense for him to marry Christine or Janelle because they have more kids than Robyn.

 

And as others have said, if it was for 'legal' reasons what makes them think a judge will not see through their legal restructuring??

 

It's just bizarre. It makes no sense.

 

As for Kody and Robyn going to Hawaii last December, I don't know how Kody can justify that to himself. Even Kody has to have limits right? (Right??)

 

First three wives get local motel 3 day honeymoons, Robyn gets 10 day Mexico  honeymoon.

 

Then after 4 years of wedded polygamous bliss Meri gets a divorce, Christine and Janelle get ignored and Robyn gets legal wife status and a trip to Hawaii??

 

Seriously??? How can any of them say with a straight face that this not favoritism??

Edited February 4, 2015 by wifey81

[ginger90]

And remember, they are ALL happy !!!!!!!!!!

[AndreaF]

Hey, wait a minute!  Maybe this whole divorce thing was Janelle's idea!  Maybe she and Kody had secret lunches to work out the details, and when he finally got the gist of it all, he then went to work on Meri to get her to agree! 

 

Oh, wait... 

[Katydid]

Did Meri get full custody of the wet bar? Sorry, couldn't resist. What a hot mess these people are!

[purpleflowers]

Someone in the comments of CJ's blog mentioned that the synopsis they read for the "Another Woman in Kody's Life" episode stated something along the lines of Meri comforting Robyn about her ex-husband. Yet, there was nothing in that episode about this at all. Could there have been some last-minute editing out by the producers after they caught wind of the whole divorce/marriage shebang? 

[MarysWetBar]

Did Meri get full custody of the wet bar? Sorry, couldn't resist. What a hot mess these people are!

Yes Meri got full custody of her wet bar and it is closed for business to Kody from now until they all shoot off to their planet, where the remodeling will begin once again! Edited February 4, 2015 by MarysWetBar

[Lovecat]

I think all of the wives' wet bars are closed for business to Kody, except for Robyn's...if you know what I mean ;) [Joey, we ALWAYS know what you mean! /random Friends quote]

Edited February 4, 2015 by Lovecat

[Kiddvideo]

Who's the primary demographic for this show, does anyone know? .

Comcast's syndicated research for TLC -- not Sister Wives exclusive, which I couldn't find -- shows 68% female, median age 45, about half attended college ("attended" is the exact description), about half claim HHI $75k+. A few more basic demos here, http://www.comcastspotlight.com/network/tlc

This is the most exciting thing to happen on this show ever!

Edited February 4, 2015 by Kiddvideofan

[Schmoopy]

Comcast's syndicated research for TLC -- not Sister Wives exclusive, which I couldn't find -- shows 68% female, median age 45, about half attended college ("attended" is the exact description), about half claim HHI $75k+. A few more basic demos here, http://www.comcastspotlight.com/network/tlc

 

Ummmmmmm....that is me!  (sort of creepy how spot on it is!)

[Temperance]

Who's the primary demographic for this show, does anyone know?

Strictly a guess here, but I'm thinking it's mostly female and mostly middle-aged soap opera watcher types.

This is not a group that's going to be terribly sympathetic to a guy who's dumping his frumpy first wife and marrying the fourth younger, thinner wife after what, 15 years and a child? Especially since Meri has gone along with his bullshit and ego every step of the way.

Way to alienate your supporters... I guess Kody just assumes they're too dumb to notice.

First of all most of the people I know who watch this show are younger women 20s-midthirties. Not all middle-age women.

Second, most of the people I know watch are not supporters. Now it could be that most of their supporters are middle-aged, but I tend to think people who support them either A) share the wives' perception Kody can do no wrong or B) think they're idiots for putting up with each other but it's their choice and people should be allowed to make their choices to please themselves, etc.

Third, Meri not 15 years older than Robyn. I would have guessed maybe 10, but according to wikipedia, Robyn is 7 years and 9 months younger than Meri. (So more like eight years.)  Now they could be wrong but wikipedia is usually very good and very useful when it comes to tracking reality tv stars. According to wiki, Meri is 44 and Robyn is 36 (her birthday is in October). 

 

That being said I'm blown away that this happened. I'm even more shocked it happened four months ago and we are just learning about it now. Seriously isn't the point of reality television to share your lives with the world?  It makes me wonder what else they sweep under the rug! Is it them or is it TLC? Hard to say, given how slow they are to broadcast stuff, but then they generally let the Duggars make special tv commercials to break their news.

 

I don't think it matters much. I'm still waiting for a wife to up and leave. Meri this is your chance. Run, Meri, run.

Edited February 4, 2015 by Temperance

[Xena]

The Browns have once again missed a marketing opportunity.  As soon as Robyn (I mean an anonymous internet user) leaked (I mean innocently asked a question about) the divorce\wedding, they should have had a new pendant available on MSWC:  Lady Justice, her blindfold askew, holding her scales of justice; one scale contains two broken wedding bands, the other side holds two new ones (both scales perfectly in balance).  In her other hand she holds the Book of Mormon.  Along the bottom perimeter runs the words “Recte Restructura“  (latin for “Legally Restructured”).

[CofCinci]

Can you imagine what a kick to Kody's ego it is that no one at the Las Vegas court house leaked (is it a leak when it's public record?) the divorce to TMZ (and the like) when they first filed?

[Kohola3]

econd, most of the people I know watch are not supporters.

 

Maybe I'm too optimistic but I think I am correct in saying that no one on this forum could be construed as a supporter.  Some (with stronger stomachs) watch and comment while others keep up on events reading them.  But support the Browns OR polygamy?  We, as a group, are way too intelligent to drink that polluted Kool-aid.

 

 Aside from missing all of these erudite forum comments, I hope this mess disappears ASAP and bursts the Clown Brown's bubble of entitlement.

[dugie]

I wouldn't trust them three as far as I can throw them. You know janelle and christine had no part in the decision. They probably didn't find out until after it was done.

[Castina]

I can't help but wonder how long this has been up for discussion.  Was it always the plan when he took the fourth wife?  Does this, in part, explain why Meri has been so whiny and entitled the last few years because she was giving up the cherished spot of #1 wife and they had to pay her off?  Is it why Meri "picked" his wife and the other two were just informed?  Could explain the divide in the group with Janelle and Christine opposite Meri and Robyn, because they weren't included in this big decision and the other three set it up prior to informing them?

 

I don't like Robyn but I think this has got to do more with financial reasons.  Their only real source of income seems to be from the government and TLC so I can't imagine them jeopardizing the TLC cash cow with something so contentious and hypocritical to all they say unless it was absolutely necessary for them to do it like this to sponge off the government further.  

 

I can see them using Robyn's kids as an excuse to make it seem they are all making this huge sacrifice for the children.  Prior to this news I found it odd that suddenly Dayton and his ATV accident had become a storyline when it was never so much as mentioned before.  I wonder if the ATV accident will play a role in whatever issues Robyn is having with her ex.  I could be wrong but my gut feeling is that Dayton wasn't wearing a helmut when the accident happened.  I suppose the real father could have legitimate concerns and fears that his children aren't  being looked after as they get lost in the crowd of children at any given event.  Or that they are playing second fiddle to the golden child Soloman.  Could explain why Kody is seen gushing non stop and so paternal towards Dayton when he seems to barely know the other children exist.  

 

I realize I contradict myself with two scenarios.  Shame we will probably never hear the full truth.

[Amers]

What did Ken say? Get rid of three wives and just have one, or something to that effect? Well, if this plan was in motion at that time they were on vacation turn it's no wonder Christine had such an epic heaping melt down. Put into context that her husband was divorcing his first wife of 20 years for the newest wife, then I see where she blew up.

I don't think there are any monetary motives here. Kody has appeared stand offish to his wives Thai season except for Robin. Robin got her jewelry business, her house, a nanny, ANOTHER damn honeymoon, and legal wife. Yet she will be in tears over this and how she "never wanted to hurt anybody" but yeah, all she's done since she entered that family is work it till she got everything she wants. She's sneaky. I hope Christi e and her mom change the locks. I hope Meri takes those friends she went on a cruise with and moves out. And Jenelle. Well. I don't know if janelle will ever leave because she seems content doin her own thing.

I mean, if it were for a reason like custody or money, they wouldn't take a new honeymoon! That is such a slap to the other wives. It was a celebration. Not a restructuring. I can't imagine how the other kids feel. Especially Mariah. Dad love his new wife so much he married her! (That sentence would make no sense in any other context. lol)

[Kohola3]

Shame we will probably never hear the full truth.

 

Well, see, here's the problem.  The words "shame" and "truth" are unknown to the Brown Clowns.

[3girlsforus]

I can't decide which idea bugs me more... that Meri and Kody are still a couple but they got divorced so he could legally marry Robyn because of some money/financial/Robyn had a fit type reason or the Meri and Kody really are broken up and divorced but they are pretending not to be for the TV show. 

[Cherrio]

Yes Meri got full custody of her wet bar and it is closed for business to Kody from now until they all shoot off to their planet, where the remodeling will begin once again!

Maybe Meri agreed to the divorce in exchange for the wet bar?

[okerry]

No matter what the reason for this "restructuring," I find it all amazingly cold-blooded.

 

I mean, dumping a legally married wife who doesn't want to go - and then turning right around and marrying a younger one -
is bad enough, but then expecting those two women to be happy about it *and still live as a family*???

And then expecting friends, family, and the general public to see this as perfectly healthy and normal?

 

No. Just no.

 

First the Browns try to normalize having a wife and three mistresses. Now they're trying to normalize coldly and casually swapping out an older woman for a younger one.

 

We are supposed to believe that all the "wives" are equal and it doesn't matter which one is in first place or has that meaningless-to-them legal standing. But nobody's buying that except Kody. His women aren't buying it and the general public is laughing at the idiocy and hypocrisy.

 

I cannot imagine what the children think about this.

 

Anybody who's worried about gay people ruining marriage (they aren't) should watch this show. I've never seen anything make such a total mockery out of the idea of marriage - any kind of marriage. The Browns now have zero credibility *even when it comes to plural marriage,* because of the cruelty and misogyny in Kody's actions.

 

He dumped the legal wife, married his favorite mistress, and kept the other two mistresses starved and dangling by throwing them nothing but occasional crumbs of his time and attention. This is how a loving family works? This is how you treat women you supposedly love?

[Kohola3]

Maybe Meri agreed to the divorce in exchange for the wet bar?

 

Then she made a crappy deal because with no job and paying for college (how?) she'll be foreclosed out of that house in the next couple of years at the most.

[3girlsforus]

So now the spin in the articles I'm reading say it was for insurance for the non-Brown kids. Someone explain to me how this gets them insurance that couldn't have been done without divorce

And edited to ask..... if it was for insurance, why did they need another honeymoon??

Edited February 4, 2015 by 3girlsforus

[rachel74]

I wonder if it was like this:

1. Robyn wants to marry Kody to be number 1 wife, which she's wanted to be since the beginning.

2. Kody, thinking with his penis, says yes, why not, no big deal (to him).

3. Kody and Robyn play the persecution card, telling the other three wives that if Kody and Robyn don't marry legally, they'll lose the kids to their bio dad and/or the Big Bad Government {tm}.

3a. Kody then leans HARD on Meri, telling her in private that nothing will change between them due to this

4. Meri agrees to divorce, "for the children".

5. Kody and Robyn go on YET ANOTHER honeymoon, this one "legal".

And here we are. Meri is a martyr, Robyn is smugly humble and grateful to Meri for giving up her position, and Janelle and Christine are left out yet again. And Kody convinces himself that once again he is a Master of his Universe . . . or at least his planet.

Spot on! You that is exactly how it went down. Now Kody and Robyn will sell it to the fans as a way to help Robyn's kids. Of course, they won't mention the honeymoon to Hawaii, unless TLC airs it. TLC panders to the Browns, so they probably won't.

[AndreaF]

So now the spin in the articles I'm reading say it was for insurance for the non-Brown kids. Someone explain to me how this gets them insurance that couldn't have been done without divorce

And edited to ask..... if it was for insurance, why did they need another honeymoon??

They needed another honeymoon to celebrate their success in duping the 3 too-old runners-up.  Or, as someone mentioned earlier, they were doing it for EVERYONE'S benefit -- out of kindness, so that none were hurt by having to be around the newlyweds right after the marriage.

 

I don't think that Meri would have ever, in a jillion years, agreed to this previously.  I think that Robyn probably told Kody that Jessop was going to take her kids and they had to do something (quick!) and led him along with increasingly bad custody battle scenarios, and terror of losing her kids, until he came up with the great idea to divorce Meri and marry her.  Which is crap -- divorcing his wife to marry Robyn would have no bearing on a custody case.  Seriously, if anything it only brought their screwed up "relationship" into the light of day and IF there's a petition for a custody order, could possibly hurt Robyn's case.

 

Who knows if the custody thing is true, but the ratings grab is almost definitely true.  Pathetic and gross. 

 

As far as insurance, I'm pretty sure that the non- or co-custodial parents are responsible for THEIR children.  I could be wrong, but I don't think that the stepparent becomes legally responsible for insurance just because the natural parents are irresponsible or ignorant.  If Jessop is so rich, that would mean he could afford insurance.  Robyn is on tv -- perception is that she could afford insurance.

 

The rest is bullshit.  They did it because they think that they're way smarter than everyone else, including the viewers. 

 

eta: "the rest of the Browns' stories are bullshit" is what I mean by the last line.  Their grifter manipulations have worn too thin to be sustainable.

Edited February 4, 2015 by AndreaF

[rachel74]

So now the spin in the articles I'm reading say it was for insurance for the non-Brown kids. Someone explain to me how this gets them insurance that couldn't have been done without divorce

And edited to ask..... if it was for insurance, why did they need another honeymoon??

Does this mean that Kody's other kids DON'T have health insurance? Srsly, health coverage is a question I have wanted to know since the inception of the show and no one has ever addressed it.

[3girlsforus]

Does this mean that Kody's other kids DON'T have health insurance? Srsly, health coverage is a question I have wanted to know since the inception of the show and no one has ever addressed it.

If, and this is a HUGE if, Kody purchased a policy for himself all of his biological kids would be eligible for coverage regardless of whether he is married to their mother. Of course he'd have to purchase that. I've never gotten the feeling it was a priority for him. As minor children of a single parent they would probably also qualify for state insurance for kids. This situation would not cover Janelle or Christine. This would be the same situation for Robyn. King Solomon would qualify as Kody's dependent if he has a policy for himself and his dependent. Again Robyn wouldn't be covered under a policy related to Kody. Robyn's kids with David Jessop would be able to get coverage several ways  - by their father's policy. They aren't required to live with him to be eligible for coverage through him (just like Kody's kids), through a policy purchased for Robyn - as their mother she could purchase a policy for herself and her biological kids, or through the state as children of a single parent without traditional insurance. All of this is just like Kody's other kids so they gained nothing by this 'legal restructuring'. 

[zenme]

If Robyn and Kody married for any kind of insurance purposes for the kids then they have no business having purchased that home. Robyn should have a second job to purchase the insurance, if it's such a concern. Everything about this just reeks of grifting and scamming. I'm so thoroughly disgusted and hard-pressed to figure out a reason why they would do this. Idiots!

[GEML]

We are assuming that Robyn's husband is a good guy in part, I think, because many of us find Robyn unpleasant. But many unpleasant men and poor fathers are granted custody. I do honestly think the children have improved while living with the Browns, oddballs that they are. If Dayton's accident occurred on the father's watch, that might have given the courts enough push to give full custody - especially as the children are getting old enough to request such arrangements themselves. If he can't use custody as a weapon- Jessop may have signed over all rights for something as simple as financial reasons, or maybe he is marrying again and the new wife wants it, who knows.

But adoption of Robyn's children is the ONLY reason that isn't, well, mean and cruel.

[purpleflowers]

Yesterday I was thinking a lot about this, and I was starting to wonder how long they have been planning this, as someone upthread mentioned. This makes me wonder about Christine walking out during the most recent "Tell-All" when Kody and Robyn were supposed to talk with Tamryn, just the two of them. Something felt off about that whole segment, and maybe this is the missing piece of the puzzle.

 

Then I started thinking some more. I think this whole development in a way harkens back to the early days of the show. I remember witnessing how Robyn went wedding dress shopping with M,C, and J with the supposed intent of finding one, only to discover that afterwards she chose one with KODY. And boy did that hurt Christine. Then Robyn acted shocked and guilty and sad. But I always found it weird that it never occurred to her that what she was doing was two-faced and dishonest. I don't think Robyn is mean or malicious, and I think she is a good mom who even loves all the other kids in the family too, but I see her as someone who is out for herself first and foremost, sometimes at the expense of other peoples' feelings. I am starting to get the sense this whole marriage deal is another one of those times. 

Edited February 6, 2015 by purpleflowers

[RealityCowgirl]

If these morons aren't devoting a portion of their sizable TLC payments to basic things like insurance, well...

With this group, there are so many completely bogus to ridiculous explanations for that particular scenario. Let's just say it would only further prove their skewed priorities.

I also think that "little Kody" remains a far bigger player in all of this than we know. Plain and simple.

Edited February 4, 2015 by RealityCowgirl

[Palomar]

It sure would be interesting to see what Kody's will looks like (not that he is worth much $$$) if he even has one.   Ditto life insurance. 

 

This whole thing makes you wonder if they haven't all been acting all along and that Christine is the only one who can't hold it together.  It really no longer seems like a plural marriage....it's one wife and 3 baby mamas and they have to pretend they are all still a family for their TLC show and to get that check. 

[Absolom]

 

So if Meri is now the single mom with questionable income, is Mariah now eligible for tons more finanical aid at that super expensive private school with all the super expensive private rooms and European trips?

With the amount of money Meri would get as a 1/5 share of show income, Mariah wouldn't qualify for much if any financial aid.  Theoretically the 18 year old and older offspring should be getting a cut so even less reason to think Mariah would get more financial aid.  In reality all the children should be paid for their participation, but that's another issue.  

 

Addressing a different post, with their show income, I doubt they qualify for very many if any Government programs.  

[okerry]

Will there be a new thread for the divorce/new marriage? If so, it should have an awesomely snarkworthy title like, "Musical Wives" or "Sister Exes" or "If I Really Cherished Women, I Wouldn't Do This Sh*t To Them" or "All My Wives Are Equal Except When They're Not (And They're Not Really Even My Wives, Except One of Them, I Mean Two of Them, Oh, Hell, I Give Up.")

 

I know y'all can do better than me!

[3girlsforus]

We are assuming that Robyn's husband is a good guy in part, I think, because many of us find Robyn unpleasant. But many unpleasant men and poor fathers are granted custody. I do honestly think the children have improved while living with the Browns, oddballs that they are. If Dayton's accident occurred on the father's watch, that might have given the courts enough push to give full custody - especially as the children are getting old enough to request such arrangements themselves. If he can't use custody as a weapon- Jessop may have signed over all rights for something as simple as financial reasons, or maybe he is marrying again and the new wife wants it, who knows.

But adoption of Robyn's children is the ONLY reason that isn't, well, mean and cruel.

 

I don't necessarily assume Jessop is a good guy. I know from Robyn's big breakdown where she basically accused him of being a rapist that we are supposed to believe he's a monster but that whine fest didn't sway me one way or the other nor would it sway a court to sever his parental rights.  What I do know is that unless Jessop voluntarily gives up his parental rights it would be exceptionally difficult for Kody to adopt them... married or not. Even if the ATV accident happened on his watch. Robyn might be able to successfully suspend his visitation but it's a different thing to permanently sever those rights and open the kids up to be adopted. In this country they lean so heavily toward biology they often don't even sever parental rights to abusers. 

 

We don't know if Jessop did decide to sever his rights. Maybe he did. But if he did then I still don't think Robyn and Kody had to legally marry for him to adopt them. If Jessop no longer had any parental rights then Robyn is their sole legal parent. They can go to the court together and ask for adoption. It's probably a little easier as a married couple but I know unmarried, living together couples who have adopted the biological child of one of them. 

 

And finally, if adoption really is the reason and Jessop has severed his rights... then why not just say that??!?!?!? People might actually get that. 

 

I really do hope that adoption is the motivator and it's really all about the kids. I hope everyone is happy with the decision. I am just having a hard time believing it.

With the amount of money Meri would get as a 1/5 share of show income, Mariah wouldn't qualify for much if any financial aid.  Theoretically the 18 year old and older offspring should be getting a cut so even less reason to think Mariah would get more financial aid.  In reality all the children should be paid for their participation, but that's another issue.  

 

Addressing a different post, with their show income, I doubt they qualify for very many if any Government programs.  

 

Yes you are right - I think you were probably addressing my post saying one insurance option would be state insurance. I wasn't clear in that. The post I was responding to asked if Janelle/Christine and their kids ever had insurance and I was saying that the kids have always had insurance options - state insurance before TLC and actually paying for it themselves now. The reality is that I don't think they've chosen either option which makes me seriously question the 'divorce to get insurance' claim. They've never cared about it before and they could purchase it for everyone without having to resort to divorce. 

[MonicaM]

The only thing we've ever seen him do to "benefit" his own kids is to give dubious lectures about dating and kissing.  But he decided to do something for the greater good of children he didn't sire?  No way.