Sister Wives Christine Brown & Kody Being Cousins Explained

If you tuned in and watched Sister Wives on TLC this weekend, then you know by now that Christine Brown confessed that she and Kody Brown are actually related. Read on to find out how that works.

Related To Kody

During the episode, Christine Brown chatted with her new husband, David Woolley. Well, it might not surprise everyone who follows the polygamous show that it turns out she and Kody are related by blood. But, when she told David about it, he thought it wasn’t a good thing.

David replied, saying, “That’s not cool.” However, Christine told him that it’s not as bad as it sounds. And that’s because they’re only “third cousins once removed.” Next, the Sister Wives star confirmed that it’s not illegal to marry a third cousin once removed. Actually, it’s way more legal than polygamy in some states.

What Does The Relationship Mean?

It’s not clear exactly who is involved in the relationship between Kody Brown and Christine Brown Woolley. But, according to My Heritage, it involves great-grandparents. Even normal families get complicated quickly, so imagine the ones in polygamy!

Anyway, the “removed” part means that there’s a generation gap. “Even though you share the same ancestor, if you’re the same age, you don’t use this term.” So, when it comes to third cousins, you and another person must share the same great-great-grandparents. Here’s a chart to show how it works.

Well, although TLC fans only just heard about their relationship through blood, the family knew it for ages. Christine Brown said, “There was always this joke about [being] cousins, but they are so distantly related it’s ridiculous.”

In polygamous families, things become way more complicated. The website also mentioned that “if a common ancestor married multiple times and had children with different spouses, there could be numerous half-siblings in your lineage.”

Other Complications In The family

Some folks believe that Maddie Brown Brush, Janelle Brown’s daughter, is related to her husband Caleb. But unlike Christine, it’s not by blood. Instead, Caleb’s sister, Erica Brush Brown, used to be married to Kody Brown’s brother, Curtis, before he passed away. So, while they are related, it’s simply an in-law relationship.

Another complexity that’s well known, is that Janelle Brown married Kody, and her mom married Kody’s dad. Tying in more complexity, Janelle was previously married to Adam Barber, the brother of Meri Brown.

Fans React To Third Cousin News

When the New York Post shared their story on Instagram about Christine and Kody being related, many TLC fans reacted. Some of them thought it was gross, but as you can see above, it’s not illegal and really, the relationship is distant.

One follower wrote, “As if it couldn’t be any worse than it was. Eww!”

Here are a few other reactions:

• They even look alike.
• Is anyone really surprised when it comes to Mormons?
• You think the story can’t get any worse.
• Third cousins is not that distant to me…

Given the generation gap and the great-great-grandparents involved, funnily enough, unless folks carefully research their own genealogy, they might even have a spouse who is a third cousin once removed.

What are your thoughts? Shout out in the comments below, and come back here often for all your Sister Wives news and updates.