Is Sister Wives Scripted or Real?

of Is Sister Wives Scripted or Real? Kumari Shreya
August 26, 2023

Created by V Tim Gibbons and Christopher Poole, TLC’s ‘Sister Wives’ is a reality show that follows Kody Brown and his partners, who are either currently involved or were once a part of his polygamous marriage. The first season premiered in 2010, and the show has developed a massive fan following since then. However, given the unconventional nature of the premise of ‘Sister Wives,’ it is no wonder that viewers have always been left skeptical about the legitimacy of the events we see on the screen. So, how much of the series is actually genuine? Well, here is what we know about the same!

Is Sister Wives Scripted?

We believe that ‘Sister Wives’ may be at least partially scripted. Over the years, many of the show’s cast members have disagreed with the on-screen events or made statements that disprove what we get to see on the show. Additionally, many people close to the members of the Brown family have also made claims that question the legitimacy of at least certain parts of the series. With so many doubts raised regarding the nature of the TLC show, it is not hard to assume that at least some parts of the series may not be true to reality.

For instance, some of the most significant claims made regarding the legitimacy of this famous TLC show come from Mykelti and Tony, the former being the daughter of Kody Brown and his now ex-wife, Christine Brown. During a Twitch livestream in July 2020, when asked about the genuineness of the arguments between Kody and Meri Brown, Tony responded, “It’s real, but it’s blown up.” His wife agreed with the sentiment, claiming it was a mixture of both before clarifying that she was not intimately aware of the issues between the former couple as she did not share a living space with Meri.

The last statement made by Mykelti brings us to another point regarding the show’s portrayal of the Brown family. Even before their move to Nevada, the wives apparently had their own space. “Separate living spaces but interconnected,” Janelle Brown shared in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. “So the family functions as a whole, but we all have our own autonomy.” After moving to Las Vegas, Nevada, the wives had their own houses, further emphasizing their separate lives from each other.

Interestingly, while the show’s one of the most riveting arcs might have been the move the Browns made to Nevada following a possible investigation in Utah on charges of bigamy, Christine Brown’s aunt Kristyn Decker claimed to Radar Online that the portrayed urgency was not all that real. According to her, the Browns had already been planning to move from Utah and apparently used the legal investigation to boast their show’s ratings.

Decker has also stated that the TLC show did not accurately represent her storyline. On the contrary, Janelle Brown noted on Twitter in March 2020 that the TLC was genuine while addressing the then-recent events in the show. “We often forget the cameras are there. We have never scripted our show, and occasionally, things happen that get out of control fast.”

The allegations regarding the genuineness of the show do not stop here. Some cannot help but wonder that Kody and Janelle Brown did not actually grow up in a polygamous environment. In contrast, others find it hard to believe that their financial conditions are how they are in the show, given that they are all famous reality TV stars. Overall, it might not be a stretch to imagine that ‘Sister Wives’ is at least partially scripted, though it roughly follows the real-life events happening in the cast members’ lives.

Read More: Where is Sister Wives Filmed?

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