Inside Sister Wives star Kody Brown’s feud with son Garrison as veteran moved away from family before tragic death at 25
KODY and Janelle Brown’s son, Garrison, has died after a difficult relationship with his dad.
Garrison died at 25 on Tuesday, after joining the National Guard and moving away from his family.
The son of Sister Wives stars Janelle, 54, and Kody, 55, was found dead in his home after a suspected suicide, according to TMZ.
Robert Garrison Brown was born on April 10, 1998, and often appeared on his family’s reality show that chronicled his parents’ polygamist lifestyle. His parents divorced in 2023.
He enlisted in the Nevada National Guard in 2015, and graduated from basic training in 2016.
By 2021, Garrison had moved away from his family to Arizona and was not on speaking terms with his father.
On Instagram, Janelle wrote, “Kody and I are deeply saddened to announce the loss of our beautiful boy Robert Garrison Brown. He was a bright spot in the lives of all who knew him.
“His loss will leave such a big hole in our lives that it takes our breath away. We ask that you please respect our privacy and join us in honoring his memory.”
Sadly, Garrison’s death followed a tumultuous period with his family, particularly his father.
MOM VS. DAD
Back in Thanksgiving 2021, Kody set out strict Covid-19 guidelines for his family on how to celebrate the holiday.
In a clip from the show, he told Janelle that she should be alone on Thanksgiving because their sons had been seeing too many people and would put everyone else’s health in jeopardy.
Kody told Janelle to “respect the big picture” regarding his rules, but she said she didn’t want to be alone and declared, “You know, f**k off,” before storming off.
The duo then headed over to Garrison, along with his brother Gabriel, then 20, who lived in Janelle’s house.
Kody encouraged Janelle to move her sons out for breaking his Covid rules, but Janelle revealed that Garrison was saving up to buy a new house but couldn’t yet afford one in Flagstaff, where he’d settled away from his family.
Kody hit back by saying that Garrison needed to figure out his problems on his own, and added in a confessional, “I tolerated a lot for a very long time until I realized that I was being lied to or deceived.
“And at that point, I sort of lost my patience with it, I’m like, you just need to make the boys move out.
“I’m on the verge of washing my hands of it. I’m gonna have Gabrielle and Garrison move out of the house. You’ve got a good car, you go get a job, here’s some cash. Bye.”
In her own confessional, Janelle reasoned, “This is a different day and age. You don’t just kick your kids out of the house at 18 and say, ‘Hope you do good, I’m done. I’m tired.'”
CROSSED WIRES
Kody didn’t get over concern about his Covid rules, and brought them up again later while slamming Garrison’s behavior.
In a confessional shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, back in September 2022, he called Garrison out for his “narcissistic attitude.”
“This is your fault. I’m never going to be around you again,” Kody recalled his son saying.
In her own private moment, Janelle defended Garrison and revealed that he’d said, “I don’t like how my mom is being treated in this house; how we’re being treated in this house.”
FAMILY BREAK
After Kody and Janelle’s parenting battles, the U.S. Sun reported back in 2022 that Janelle and Kody were no longer together after 29 years of marriage.
“She’s no longer claiming to be his wife.
“She does not believe she’s part of the equation of marriage with Kody anymore. It’s done, it’s over,” a source said.
According to another insider, her ex-sister wife Christine Brown was key in encouraging Janelle to leave Kody behind.
The source told The U.S. Sun that Janelle and Kody’s problems began a year or two ago during Covid.
Sister Wives’ Janelle Brown ‘angry and numb’ after son Garrison’s tragic death
The pandemic “created a lot of [the separation]. It gave the wives comfort to know that they could be on their own.
“Christine was the ringleader in showing that they don’t need Kody,” the shared.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255), chat on 988lifeline.org, or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
