Janelle Brown's familial ties to ex Kody Brown are more like an intricate web.
Not only were the Sister Wives stars spiritually married for nearly 30 years before their 2022 breakup, but Janelle's mom Sheryl Usher had actually tied the knot with Kody's dad Winn Brown in October 1992—just three months before their own nuptials in January 1993.
Janelle said the complicated story began when she first met Kody and became "intrigued" by the idea of plural marriages after meeting his family, who practiced polygamy.
"My mom came to save me from the polygamists because no daughter of hers was going to marry some into some crazy cult," Janelle, whose father Robert Schriever died when she was young, explained on the Nov. 30 episode of their TLC series. "And she ended up marrying Kody's dad."
And it made for some awkward conversations with Janelle's other relatives.
"It was a little weird at first, but I'm like, 'OK, it's great. Somebody's here with me,'" she continued. "Because a lot of my family did not understand my choices. They were hesitant to still remain in contact with me just because they thought I'd gone off the deep end."
Winn remained spiritually married to Sheryl—as well as two other women, including Kody's mom Genielle Brown—until his death in 2013 at age 78. Sheryl passed away seven years later in 2020 at age 76.
In Sheryl's online obituary, Janelle was listed as one of her surviving daughters. Meanwhile, Kody was mentioned as both Janelle's spouse and one of Sheryl's "step-children."
As for how Kody feels about his complex connections to Janelle?
"There’s a strange relationship that we have in this," Kody—who is now only married to wife Robyn Brown after his splits with Janelle and her sister wives Christine Brown and Meri Brown—in a 2022 episode of Sister Wives. “It’s weird that Sheryl is both my dad’s wife, my mom's sister wife and my mother-in-law."
New episodes of Sister Wives air every Sunday on TLC.
Still a little confused? Read on for a deeper dive into Kody's family tree.
Logan Taylor Brown
Born May 21, 1994, Logan is the oldest son of Kody Brown and Janelle Brown. He is also the eldest child of 18 in Kody's entire brood.
After graduating with a master's degree in business administration from the University of Nevada in 2020, he married Michelle Petty two years later.
Aspyn Kristin Thompson (née Brown)
Aspyn is the oldest child of Kody and Christine Brown. She was born on March 14, 1995.
Also a University of Nevada alum, Aspyn tied the knot with Mitch Thompson in 2018. She announced her pregnancy in April 2025.
Leon "Leo" Brown
Born on July 29, 1995, Leon is the only child of Kody and Meri Brown.
In 2020, Leon came out as transgender, sharing that they were previously "socialized as a girl."
"I was pretty young & unfortunately i grew up in a context that was incredibly gendered & restrictive," Leon—who also goes by "Leo"—wrote on Instagram. "and here’s the thing, i’m finally ready to share my favorite self with the world. and that self is incredibly genderqueer, trans, and unapologetic."
Leon married Audrey Kiss in 2020 at a Colorado courthouse wedding.
Mykelti Ann Padron (née Brown)
The second of Kody and Christine's children, Mykelti was born on June 9, 1996.
She married Antonio "Tony" Padron in 2016 in a wedding ceremony documented on Sister Wives. The couple are parents to daughter Avalon and twin sons Archer and Ace.
Madison Rose Brush (née Brown)
Janelle gave birth to Madison—her second child with Kody—on Nov. 3, 1995.
After studying at Utah State University, Madison married Caleb Brush in 2016. The pair share kids Axel, Evangalynn and Josephine.
Hunter Elias Brown
Janelle and Kody welcomed Hunter—their third child together—on Feb. 9, 1997.
Hunter graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 2020, before studying nursing at Johns Hopkins University.
Paedon Rex Brown
Christine gave birth to her and Kody's third child together on Aug. 7, 1998.
Robert Garrison Brown
Born Oct. 31, 1998, Garrison was Kody and Janelle's third youngest child together. He died by suicide on March 5, 2024 at age 25.
David "Dayton" Preston Brown
Dayton is the oldest child of Kody's fourth wife Robyn Brown from her past marriage with Preston Jessop. He was adopted into the family in 2015, five years after Robyn spiritually married Kody.
In 2014, Kody legally divorced his first wife Meri so he could marry Robyn and officially adopt Dayton as his son.
Gabriel Winn Brown
Nicknamed Gabe, the fifth child of Kody and Janelle was born on Oct. 11, 2001.
Gwendlyn Genielle Queiroz (née Brown)
Kody and Christine welcomed their fourth child on Oct. 15, 2001.
Gwendlyn tied the knot with Beatriz Queiroz in 2023.
Aurora Alice Brown
Aurora is the second oldest child of Robyn. She was legally adopted by Kody in 2015 after he married Robyn the prior year.
Ysabel Paige Brown
Kody and Christine welcomed their fifth child together on June 13, 2003.
Her struggles with scoliosis have been documented on Sister Wives.
Breanna Rose Brown
Breanna is Robyn's third child from her marriage to Preston. After Robyn married Kody, Breanna and her older siblings were legally adopted into the family.
Savanah Brown
Kody and Janelle welcomed their youngest child together on Dec. 7, 2004. The exes reunited for Savanah's high school graduation in 2023.
Truely Grace Brown
Born on April 13, 2010, Truely is the youngest child of Kody and Christine.
Solomon Kody Brown
Kody and Robyn welcomed their second youngest son on Oct. 27, 2011.
Ariella Mae Brown
Born on Jan. 10, 2016, Ariella is the youngest daughter of Kody and Robyn. She is also the youngest child of 18 in the entire Brown family.