The Scapegoat and the Parasite: Why the Brown Children Will Never Reconcile with Robyn
The collapse of the Brown family’s plural marriage and Kody Brown’s subsequent “apology tour” have brought into sharp focus the deep-seated resentment the Brown children harbor, not just for their father, but overwhelmingly for his sole remaining wife, Robyn Brown. Based on the raw reactions and commentary from those closest to the situation, including Kody’s daughter McKelti Brown, the children view Robyn as an active impediment to any future family healing.
The Problem with Robyn
When asked about the possibility of the former sister wives returning to the family dynamic, Robyn’s on-screen reaction—a mixture of distress and refusal—was instantly clocked by McKelti and her husband, Tony. This reaction was seen not as disappointment over lost sisterhood, but as a visceral fear of losing control.
The most damning insight came from the observation that Robyn views the returning family members as “parasites” and “enemies.” This term, implying that the others are lazy, exploitative, or leeching resources, reveals a fundamental lack of respect and deep-seated contempt for the ex-wives and their children.
This perspective is profoundly ironic, as critics argue Robyn’s entry into the family was the catalyst for the conflict and resource depletion:
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Financial Drain: Robyn’s need for a massive home and perceived reduced contribution to the family income is seen by some as the primary “sucking out of life” from the family unit.
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Conflict & Alienation: Her influence over Kody is largely blamed for creating the rigid rules, favoritism, and alienation that fractured the family’s relationships.
Dehumanization and Hostility
The claim that Robyn views the children as “parasites” is central to understanding the irreparable breakdown. This view completely dehumanizes and devalues them, stripping away any empathy for their struggles as children navigating a volatile, public family structure. McKelti’s observation suggests Robyn harbors intense hostility and hatred toward her ex-sister wives and their children, viewing them as obstacles to her unit with Kody.
This hostility was weaponized, particularly against Janelle’s sons:
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Garrison and Gabriel: The boys were infamously alienated and treated as “enemies” during the pandemic, primarily for pointing out the manipulative nature of Robyn’s COVID protocols, which effectively kept everyone away from Kody except her. The boys were truthful about the manipulation, and Robyn and Kody retaliated by creating an intense rift, escalating a family dispute into total estrangement.
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The Stepmother Role: The appropriate role of a stepmother is to support the husband’s relationship with his children, not to impede it or force the husband to choose sides. Robyn’s actions—weaponizing disputes and creating an “us versus them” dynamic—directly violated this trust.
The Barbecue Line in the Sand
For the adult children, the terms of reconciliation with their father are clear: Robyn is off the table. McKelti and Tony stated emphatically that no reunion, no family barbecue, and no conversation could occur if Robyn were present.
The children understand that a reunion of Kody and their mothers (Janelle or Christine) would mean the family unit could potentially exist again, bringing the children back into the fold with their father. However, the emotional cost of having Robyn—who views them with contempt and hostility—present is simply too high.
The children’s refusal to be in Robyn’s presence is not simply about disliking a stepmother; it is about self-preservation. Robyn is viewed as an unsafe, vindictive person whose presence would immediately compromise any chance of genuine, unguarded healing.
In essence, Kody’s bid for forgiveness is stalled by the emotional wall erected by his children, a wall built not just by his neglect, but by Robyn’s systematic mistreatment and dehumanization of them over more than a decade. The children are willing to entertain a relationship with their father, but they refuse to be subjected to his wife’s contempt.
