In a preview of Sunday’s episode of Sister Wives, Janelle Brown reveals that she’s officially “free” after being granted a spiritual release from ex-husband Kody by the Brown Family’s former church, the Apostolic United Brethren (AUB).
In People’s exclusive clip from the upcoming episode, Janelle declares, “I have it,” while holding up the release paper signifying her successful meeting with AUB church leaders.
“That was easy,” Janelle says. “I thought I was going to have to come back for a second meeting. I am free. I am free. I am free. I am free.”
Janelle admits that while she was “worried” about meeting with leaders from the family’s former church, the process went smoothly and she’s happy she decided to follow through with it.
“They were all very kind,” she says. “They’d granted me the release. So there was really kind of a shift in my energy and I think maybe it must have really meant something deep down that I’m sort of not always paying attention to. So I’m glad I did this.”
Janelle also reveals that the church leaders informed her that they would take care of contacting Kody and “telling him what happened”– something that may have contributed to her shift in energy. She goes on to add that as she was leaving the church– with her proof of release in hand– she “kind of felt free.”
“I felt like a weight had been lifted off me,” she says. “So, somewhere in the back of my mind, this must have been more important than I realized to have this done.”
While reflecting on the nearly three decades that she spent with Kody, Janelle tells viewers on Sunday’s episode that she doesn’t regret those 30 years, but considers that chapter of her life closed.
“I love the family that we have and I would do it all again in order to get the family and the kids that we have,” she says. “[It] just is sort of like that chapter has ended.”
Despite Janelle sharing a relatively positive exchange with Kody during the father of 18’s ex-wife apology tour this season, viewers later watched as she told daughter Maddie that she was still planning to go through with seeking a spiritual release from the family’s former church– much to Maddie’s concern.
“Look, I’m not part of the faith anymore, but, Maddie, it was what I honored as a marriage covenant,” Janelle told her daughter. “It was a marriage to me, as binding as a legal marriage, so I just want to have all ties broken.”
Janelle went on share in the episode that by seeking a spiritual release from Kody, it would mean that she’d “done everything I need to do,” even if the church ultimately refused to grant her a release.
“But if they do [refuse], I don’t think God intends for me to stay connected to this person who doesn’t want to be married to me and has moved on with his life … ,” she said. “And the same with me.”
As fans of ‘Sister Wives’ know, Janelle is the second of Kody’s three ex-wives to seek– and be granted– a spiritual release from Kody, with Meri being the first to do so. (Viewers also saw Meri offer Janelle support on the release process during last week’s episode of ‘Sister Wives.’)
The news of Janelle receiving her spiritual release from Kody comes on the heels of the Taeda Farms co-founder dropping multiple hints on social media this month that her ‘Sister Wives’ days are behind her.
Just this week, Janelle took to Instagram to (once again) reflect on the many years she’s appeared on reality TV and how it’s caused many people to perceive her based solely on what they’ve seen on the show. Janelle went on to share with followers that she was able to learn more about herself “after the cameras went away,” suggesting that she isn’t planning to return to long-running TLC series.
“After the cameras went away, I realized how much of my identity had been shaped by what people thought they knew and rebuilding after that…honestly it takes time,” she wrote. “You start asking yourself, okay… who am I without all of that? Who am I when nobody’s watching? That rebuilding has been messy and beautiful at the same time.
“And I’m still learning, still uncovering parts of myself I didn’t have space to explore back then,” Janelle continued. “If you’ve ever felt misunderstood or flattened into one version of yourself… you get this. There’s a whole world inside of you that deserves to be known. Not just seen. Known.”
New episodes of ‘Sister Wives’ air Sundays on TLC.
RELATED STORY: ‘Sister Wives’ Star Kody Brown Issues Apology to “Supportive” Wife Robyn for Remaining Loyal to Him Amid His Trio of Divorces
(Photos: TLC; Instagram)
One Response
She was always free, just didn’t know it.