Meri Brown is once again speaking candidly about some of the most difficult chapters of her life — from her widely publicized catfishing scandal to long-rumored tensions within the Brown family.
In a recent discussion, the Sister Wives star reflected on how the 2015 catfishing incident reshaped both her public image and her private relationships.
The scandal, which unfolded when Meri formed an online relationship with someone she believed to be a man but who was later revealed to be a woman posing under a false identity, became a central storyline on the TLC series and significantly strained her marriage to Kody Brown.
Meri has consistently maintained that the emotional connection developed during a period when she felt isolated and unsupported. “I was in a very lonely place,” she has said in past interviews, emphasizing that vulnerability played a key role in the situation. Over the years, she has framed the experience as a painful lesson rather than an act of betrayal.
However, renewed attention has now focused on remarks Meri reportedly made concerning long-standing friction within the plural family — particularly involving Janelle Brown.
During a recent conversation, Meri referenced an alleged incident from the early years of the Brown family’s plural marriage.
According to Meri’s account, she described a physical altercation in which she claims Janelle “kicked” her in the stomach during a disagreement. The alleged incident has not been independently verified, and Janelle has not publicly responded to the specific claim.
The Brown family has long acknowledged that their early years together were marked by tension, jealousy, and communication breakdowns.
Both Meri and Janelle have previously spoken about the challenges of navigating shared spaces, financial strain, and shifting roles within the marriage structure. In earlier seasons of Sister Wives, the two women openly discussed their strained dynamic and admitted that rebuilding trust took years of effort.
It is important to note that throughout the series, both women have also described periods of reconciliation. In more recent seasons, they have emphasized mutual respect and co-parenting priorities, particularly as the family expanded and children grew older.
The resurfacing of these allegations has prompted renewed public scrutiny, particularly given the broader evolution of the Brown family.
Over the past several years, Christine Brown and Janelle Brown have both separated from Kody, and Meri confirmed the end of her own spiritual marriage to him in early 2023. As the plural marriage structure dissolved, former grievances have increasingly come to light in interviews and memoir-style reflections.
Media analysts note that reality television often compresses or dramatizes interpersonal conflict for narrative clarity. While Sister Wives has documented many disputes, viewers only see curated portions of family life. As such, any claims about off-camera events remain part of personal testimony rather than adjudicated fact.
For her part, Meri has emphasized growth and personal accountability when discussing the catfishing scandal. She has described therapy, self-reflection, and independence as critical to her healing process. “I’ve learned who I am outside of everything,” she previously shared, underscoring her shift toward self-definition rather than plural identity.
Janelle, meanwhile, has positioned herself publicly as focused on stability and her children’s well-being following her separation from Kody. She has not addressed the recent comments directly.
As interest in the Brown family continues, longtime viewers are reminded that the story of Sister Wives has always been as much about evolving relationships as it is about plural marriage itself. While past conflicts may resurface, both Meri and Janelle appear to be navigating a new chapter — separately — and on their own terms.
At present, the alleged incident remains a matter of personal recollection rather than confirmed record, and neither TLC nor representatives for the Browns have issued formal statements regarding the claim.
