Summary

• Janelle Brown started a new family tradition of chasing eclipses after mourning her son Garrison's death.
• Janelle's private mourning process was revealed after the tragic loss of her 25-year-old son.
• Kody's feud with Garrison and family tension worsen during COVID-19 pandemic, leading to estrangement.

While still mourning the tragic death of her son, Garrison Brown, Sister Wives star Janelle Brown has potentially started a new family tradition. When the long-running series first premiered in 2010, Kody Brown, his three wives and 12 children lived under one roof in a large house in Utah. They seemed to be genuinely happy. It's hard to remember now, but in the beginning, the wholesome Browns were the best version of what a polygamous family could be. Instead, the show chronicled the slow unraveling of a once-happy family.

During the premiere season of Sister Wives, Kody married his fourth wife, Robyn Brown, which changed the entire dynamic of the family. On top of that, the family left Utah and moved into multiple separate homes for the first time. By the time the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it exposed the existing cracks in the Brown family, and they were never able to recover. On March 5, 2024, Kody and Janelle's 25-year-old son, Garrison, was found dead in his Arizona home of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. While mourning her son, Janelle started a new family tradition.

Janelle & Her Kids Watched The Total Eclipse

"Here Comes The Sun"

On April 9, North America was treated to a lunar eclipse, and the path of totality fell across parts of the United States. Janelle posted footage from the event on Instagram with the song "Here Comes The Sun" by The Beatles playing in the background. The caption reads, in part, "It’s also hard to describe how profound it is to witness this phenomenon. It left us all with a deeper sense of awe for the physical world around us." A reminder that the world is still a beautiful place is just what Janelle needs after Garrison's death.

In a nod to the future, Janelle also wrote, "The next total eclipse is going to be in Spain 2026 and we are wondering if we are crazy to decide to chase after it." Janelle has raised her children into adulthood, and they're all out of the house. After losing her son, Janelle is more focused than ever on being close to her family. Chasing eclipses around the world as a family would be a beautiful way to honor Garrison's legacy.

Janelle's Journey

Irreconcilable Differences

After almost 30 years of marriage, Janelle ended her spiritual union with Kody during Sister Wives season 18. It was a contentious divorce. Janelle was Kody's second wife, and they married only two years after Kody married his first wife, Meri Brown. Less than a year after marrying Janelle, Kody married his third wife, Christine Brown.

It would be another 16 years before Kody would bring a new wife into the family, marrying Robyn Brown in 2010. With a total of four wives and 18 children, there were several big, chaotic households to manage. It eventually proved to be too much, and in December 2022, Janelle and Kody announced they had separated. Janelle was the second of Kody's wives to walk away, following Christine and Meri. Kody has found himself in a monogamous relationship with his last remaining wife, Robyn.

Ways Janelle Has Been Mourning Garrison

A Mother's Love

Garrison's death was devastating for Janelle, who always enjoyed a great relationship with her son. She had been worried after Garrison sent some texts that sounded like he was struggling with his mental health. When she couldn't reach him, she sent her other son, Gabriel Brown, to check on him. Gabriel was the one who found his brother's body, and the depth of the family's tragedy is almost unfathomable. Janelle has to mourn her son, and worse, she has to do so in public, with the whole world watching her.

On March 5, moments after the news of Garrison's tragic death broke, Janelle posted a loving family tribute to Garrison on Instagram. The caption read, "Kody and I are deeply saddened to announce the loss of our beautiful boy Robert Garrison Brown. He was a bright spot in the lives of all who knew him. His loss will leave such a big hole in our lives that it takes our breath away." Since then, Janelle has been staying out of the public eye and mourning her son privately.

Kody's Feud With Garrison

They Weren't On Speaking Terms

While Janelle was in a good place with her son before his tragic death, Kody was not. At the time of Garrison's death, he and Kody were in the midst of a long-simmering Brown family feud. Kody and Garrison were always close while Garrison was growing up, but things changed when Kody married Robyn. After incorporating Robyn's three children and having two more of their own, Kody had less and less time to spend with the children he had with his first three wives. Kody's older children felt resentful, which created tension and conflict in the family.

The situation worsened in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. Kody and Robyn were cautious of the virus, while some of Kody's older children were not. Kody feuded with Garrison and Gabriel because the boys continued to work and socialize during the pandemic. The boys refused to follow Kody and Robyn's strict rules, so Kody didn't want to see them. At one point, Kody demanded that Janelle kick her sons out of her home. Her refusal to do so triggered her decision to leave Kody. By the end of Sister Wives season 18, Kody and Garrison were no longer speaking.

Sister Wives season 1-18 can be streamed on Discovery+.

Sources: Janelle Brown/Instagram, Janelle Brown/Instagram