Since leaving polygamist Kody Brown,Sister Wivesstar Meri Brown has lost weight and has been posting the receipts on social media. Meri didn’t expect to be so happy after leaving Kody, and she fought for the marriage much longer than she should have. Meri was Kody’s first wife, and the couple tied the knot in 1990. Meri came from a polygamous family, and she wanted a similar lifestyle when she married. She’d always dreamed of having lots of children, and they tried right after getting married, but had fertility problems. Meri did have one child, Leon Brown. Soon after he wed Meri, Kody married Janelle Brown and Christine Brown. He married his fourth wife, Robyn Brown, 16 years later, in 2010. She was destined to become the love of his life, although they’ve hit some turbulence recently.
When all was said and done,Kody had four wives and 18 children, and with so many demands on his time, there was never enough of him to go around. After marrying Robyn duringSister Wivesseason 1, and welcoming her three children from her past marriage, the couple had two children of their own. Feeling that Kody was favoring his new wife, Kody’s other wives and children began to have hard feelings. The resentment built up and came to a head during the COVID-19 pandemic, which divided the family further.Meri desperately tried to save the marriage, but Kody wasn’t interested. Though she wasn’t thrilled about leaving Kody, it turned out to be the best thing she ever did. Read to the end for 10 of her most flattering photos since leaving Kody.
10Blue Is Meri’s Color
It Makes Her Eyes Pop
In May,Meriposted an Instagram Q&A in which fans asked her questions about everything from home renovations to current work projects. During the clip, theSister Wivesstar revealed that she recently went to the doctor and learned that she was a full inch shorter than she used to be. Meri is shrinking in more ways than one, asshe has lost some weight since leaving Kody and her stressful marriage. In the clip, Meri is wearing a rich royal blue sweater, and it really makes her blue eyes pop.
The post has just under 2K likes.
Meri’s incredible weight lossseems to be due, in large part, to her living a more active lifestyle since leaving Kody. The bottom line is thattheSister Wivesstar just wasn’t happy in the plural marriage, and she hadn’t been getting her needs met for a long time. The mistake she made was trying to endure a marriage that became more loveless over time. However, now that Meri has removed herself from an unhappy situation, she has found real happiness.
9Meri Shows Off Some Leg
“Howdy America”
Since leaving Kody and losing some weight, Meri has been enjoying fun adventures more often. During the marriage,Meri always wanted to do fun and exciting things with Kody, but he never had any interest in being with her. Now that she’s on her own, theSister Wivescast memberhas been traveling more often and really exploring her world more than she was able to when she was married to Kody. On the fourth of July,Meriposted an Instagram photo of herself posing in front of Wilson’s Arch, which is a natural sandstone rock formation in Utah.
The post has 18.1K likes so far, and Meri’s caption reads, “Howdy America! Hope your day was a beautiful one!!”
In the post’s photo, Meri was keeping it casual in a t-shirt anda pair of shorts. She showed off her slimmed-down legs. In a nod to the patriotic holiday, Meri’s graphic top reads, “Howdy America.”
8Meri & Zona
Woman’s Best Friend
Meri is a dog lover, and, in January,Meri brought home a new best friend, an adorable pup named Zona. Meri wasn’t planning to get a dog, due to the fact that she travels fairly often, butshe fell in love with the sweet shelter dog. Though she didn’t take Zona home immediately, she knew she was special, and couldn’t stop thinking about her. Later, she went back to the shelter and adopted the pup.
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Meriposted a photo of herself and her new best friend on Instagram, and since then, Zona has been a big part of Meri’s life and her social media feed. WithSister Wivesseason 19 premiering on Sunday, September 15, fans are sure to see a lot more of Zona. Meri’s post has 83.2K likes, and Meri’s caption reads, in part,“They say love comes when you least expect it.”
7Meri Posted A Full Length Shot
Girl Boss Mode
Meri always had an entrepreneurial spirit, even during theSister Wivesseason 18 star’s marriage. The Browns wereinvolved in various business ventures over the years. Among those initiatives, the Brown’s had a clothing store, a jewelry business, and a 2012New York Timesbestseller calledBecoming Sister Wives: The Story of Unconventional Marriage.
While she was still married to Kody, Meri made a lifelong dream come true by turning her grandmother’s 150-year0old house into a charming bed and breakfast called Lizzie’s Heritage Inn.
Meri’s newest gambit, Worthy Up, is a life coaching service which was inspired by the bookWorthy: How To Believe You Are Enough And Transform Your Life. It was written by New York Times best-selling author Jamie Kern Lima.Merirecently posted a photo at a Worthy Up event. In the photo, Meri poses with several of the event’s speakers,and her slimmed down silhouette is in clear view. The post has 8.2K likes, and Meri’s caption reads, in part, “Last weekend, I was honored to present Unleashed: A Worthy Up Symposium in Salt Lake City.”
6Meri With Pumpkins
Fall Vibes
In October 2023,Meriposted Instagram photos of a trip to the pumpkin patch. In the photo, Meri wore jeans and a black tee shirt, andreally showed off her slimmer body. She posed playfully with her friend, Joelle Day.
The post has 6.1K likes, and Meri’s caption reads, “Pumpkin posing at its finest!”
When theSister Wivesstar was still married to Kody, she was always surrounded by family, but after the divorce, Meri was on her own. Before the Brown family started to come apart, the family was basically split into two factions. On one side was Kody and Robyn, while Janelle and Christine teamed up on the other side. Meri chose to side with Kody and Robyn, so when she decided to leave,Meri was on her own. With her only child grown up and living in a different state,Meri spent more time with her friends.
5Meri Enjoys Being Active In Nature
She Loves The Great Outdoors
After leaving Kody, Meri focused on her health and well-being. Embarking on a weight-loss journey, theSister Wivesseason 18star started living a more active lifestyle and shedding weight.Meri had always been a nature lover who liked spending time outdoors, especially if hiking or bicycles were involved. She often implored Kody to join her on various outdoor adventures, but that wasn’t really Kody’s style.
He might have liked it if Robyn had asked him to go hiking with her, but Meri was Kody’s least favorite wife, and he never missed a chance to let her know it.
Now thatMeri is out from under the dark cloud of Kody’s endless negativity, she spends as much time outdoors as possible. In September 2023,Meriposted an Instagram photo of herself hiking at Zion National Park with her close friend, Blaire Michael. Meri’s post has 26.8K likes, and her caption reads, in part, “I love being in nature, and I love adventuring.”
4Meri Glows In The Sunlight
Let The Light Drive Out The Darkness
In August,Meriposted an Instagram photo of herself posing with her friend, Tanner Harmon, wearing a black Worthy Up tee shirt. In the photo, Meri looks so pretty bathed in golden sunlight, and, furthermore, she looks genuinely happy. It’sgreat to see Meri looking so happy after the rough times she’s hadover the last couple of years.
Not only did theSister Wivesstar leave her husband to strike out on her own, she also had to grieve the loss of a beloved family member.
In March 2024, the Brown family was devastated by the tragicdeath of 25-year-old Garrison Brown. Garrison was Kody’s son with his second wife, Janelle, but Meri helped raise him, so he was like a son to her. Though it hasn’t been easy for Meri, she hasmanaged to crawl out from under her crushing grief. Meri’s post has 9.3K likes.
3Meri And The City
Fridays With Friends
Since the COVID-19 pandemic led people to spend a lot of time in their homes, Meri and her close friend Jenn Sullivanstarted filming weekly segments to post on social media- the clips were calledFridays With Friends. It was a way for the two women to feel connected during challenging times. Sometimes, the segments consist of the two of them just joking around, while others involve Q&As with fans.
The segments have resonated with Meri’s social media followers, which is why she and Jenn have continued the weekly tradition, even when they’re not in the same place.
In September 2023,Meriposted aFriday With Friendssegment filmed during her trip to New York. In the video clip, Meri walks around New York City while talking to Jenn on speakerphone. In the clip,Meri looks so chic in head to toe black, topped off with a cool black leather jacket. The post has a whopping 201.6K likes, and Meri’s caption reads, “Fridays with Friends. Live from New York!”
2Meri & Leon
She Looked Great At A Family Wedding
In July 2023,Meritook family photos at Gwendlyn Brown’s LGBT wedding and posted them to Instagram. Meri looks great in all the photos. However,she looks especially happy in her photo with her only child, Leon.
Meri’s post has 42.1K likes.
Leon, who is transgender and uses they/them pronouns, was born on July 23, 2025, andtransitionedin 2022. Since growing up and moving away from home,Sister Wives' Leon Brownhasn’t made manySister Wivesappearances.Their most recent appearance on the show was during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Leon and their spouse moved in with Meri during lockdown.
Leon is quite private these days but occasionally posts. They are reportedly not close to Kody. Leon has run into issues with disapproving family members, including Kody and Paedon Brown. Leon may prefer to keep their distance from those who aren’t open-minded about trans people.
1Meri Shows Off Skinny Legs
Looking Thinner Than Ever
Merihas slowly been losing weight, and she recently posted an Instagram photo of herself looking thinner than ever. In the photo, theSister Wivesseason 19star is wearing a black v-neck top and tight skinny jeans that highlight how much slimmer her legs look. Meri looks good, and, more importantly,Meri looks happy in the photo, probablybecause an active lifestyle suits her better. The post has 24.5K likes, and Meri’s caption reads, in part,“Embracing life and all its experiences is what makes life good!”
“Face life head-on, accept opportunities, plow through challenges, and create memorable moments.”
With the highly anticipated premiere ofSister Wivesseason 19 on the horizon, Meri is sure to continue her pursuit of health and happiness as she navigates life as a former sister wife. It’ll be exciting to watch Meri embrace the changes in her life, but the upcoming installment is bound to have sad moments also.
1990
2022
1
1993
6 (1 deceased)
1994
2021
6
2010
TBD
5 (3 from previous marriage)
Sister Wivesseason 19 premieres Sunday, September 15 at 10 p.m. EDT on TLC.
Sources:Meri Brown/Instagram,Meri Brown/Instagram,Meri Brown/Instagram,Meri Brown/Instagram,Meri Brown/Instagram,Meri Brown/Instagram,Meri Brown/Instagram,Meri Brown/Instagram,Meri Brown/Instagram,Meri Brown/Instagram
Sister Wives
Cast
Sister Wives is a TV series created for TLC that follows Kody Brown and his four wives as they raise their eighteen children and tackle the challenges associated with their massive family dynamic and the stigma that comes with their way of life.
