Years after stepping away from their family’s reality series, Leon Brown– the only child of former spouses Kody and Meri Brown– is ready to open up about what it was like growing up in a “polygamist cult” and being raised on TV.
As fans of Sister Wives know, Leon (who came out as transgender and queer in June 2022 and uses they/them pronouns) has, like many of the OG Brown kids, (mostly) steered clear of their family’s TLC series in recent years, despite maintaining a close relationship with many of their siblings and even attending the wedding of their dad’s ex-wife Christine Brown to husband David Woolley in 2023. They have been notoriously private regarding their life today, and rarely mention ‘Sister Wives’ or their family members on social media.
While it was widely reported (and never refuted) in 2023 that Kody was very against Leon’s transition, Meri and Leon have maintained a good relationship with each other, with Meri telling fans in 2024 that she doesn’t speak about Leon very often because they don’t want to be “super public.”
In a video posted to TikTok this week, though, Leon hinted at their past wishes to stay out of the public, while explaining why they feel it’s time for them to share their story in their own words.
“Hi, my name is Leon, I use they/them pronouns,” Leon began. “If you don’t know who I am– which would be really cool– I was raised on TV. I grew up in a cult— a polygamist cult— and when I was 14, my parents started filming a TV show on a very popular network.
“ … I haven’t really ever talked about my own story publicly before, and that feels increasingly inauthentic,” they continued. “I think it’s time that I start talking about it. I love stories, I’m a storyteller, I’m a story listener, stories really enrich my life and have helped me really find parts of myself that I need. And I think it’s probably time I start sharing my own story.”
Leon, who secret wed their partner Audrey Kriss (who is also transgender) in 2022, went on to tell fans this week that while they weren’t ready to share their story in the past, they’re “making a decision” to start doing so, noting that it may help others and even themself.
“ … I haven’t felt like I could share [my story] and I think that more just had to do with, like, being ready,” Leon explained. “But ready is a decision and I’m making a decision to start sharing my story because, f**k, I don’t know, I hope it helps someone. F**k, I hope it helps me. As we live in this really scary world, frankly, and especially as genocide continues to happen, I don’t know, I’m just finding it really important to share my story.”
Leon stated that, in the past, their story has been told for them, and now they want to tell it in their own words.
Leon took a moment to “make it very clear” to their followers that they are “a very proud queer, trans person,” before going on to give fans an idea of what they will be opening up about as they begin telling their story.
“I’ve tried to share my story without sharing this really specific part of it and I’m noticing that, like, I can’t,” Leon said. “This is my foundation. This was my childhood, this was my formative years. I think to tell my story at all, I have to tell this. So, you can leave questions if you want. I don’t know if I’ll answer them, but follow along for the ride. We’ll see what happens.”
Leon’s post was met with many supportive comments, including one from their mom, who wrote, “insanely proud of you!”
As The Ashley reported in February, Leon’s sister Mykelti Brown– daughter of Kody and Christine– stated on an episode of The Sarah Fraser Show that it was unlikely that fans would see Leon return to ‘Sister Wives’ in the future.
“I think that if Leon was going to [film] it would have to be a completely separate show,” Mykelti said. “There’s just so much, like, negative angst and hard crap around ‘Sister Wives.’ But if there was, like, a spinoff version of it, like, ‘The Brown Kids’ hindsight or after the fact or whatever, for sure I think Leon would come back. But Leon wouldn’t come back on ‘Sister Wives.’”
(While Mykelti commented on the future of ‘Sister Wives’ in February, a premiere date for Season 21 has yet to be announced.)
While Leon is unlikely to return to ‘Sister Wives,’ it seems that they are even more unlikely to mend the fractured relationship they have with their father.
Back in November, Leon took to social media to slam Kody for publicly claiming that he’d been “reaching out” to his kids in an effort to mend his many estranged relationships. In an Instagram Story, Leon revealed that Kody had not reached out (to them, at least) and had even refused to acknowledge Leon in 2024 at the funeral of Garrison Brown, son of Kody and ex-wife Janelle Brown.
“There’s a ridiculous video of my father circulating where he says he reaches out to his children– let me be so f**king clear: I have not heard from that man since my brother killed himself,” Leon wrote. “Kody blatantly blew me off at Garrison’s funeral. He is a liar. He is a joke of a father. That’s all.”
Watch Leon’s TikTok below.
@leointhemtns i listened to tyler glenn’s excommunication this morning and this is what it got me. doing this for the younger parts of me who couldn’t. there’s… a lot. and i’m done being quiet about it anymore. #realitytv #polygamy #cult
(Photos: TikTok; TLC; Instagram)
62 Responses
Uuuuummmmm, I’m guessing that none of you had to grow up in front of the world with cameras in front of you all time, did you?? Leon isn’t saying that they want you to come join their life choices, they are saying that they are ready to talk about their life prior to making change. It sounds like time during Sister Wives, and all the drama that they have experienced because if it.
perhaps i missed it ~ but what platform is leon actually planning to use to tell this story?
A book. You know. Those things you never read.
@marlo ~ i’m actually an avid book reader, but thanks for trying. 😘📚😂
also, i literally said ‘perhaps i missed it’ ~ so the book announcement must’ve been in one of the embedded vids…which i didn’t watch…bc i READ the post. ✌🏻🤓
OMG. So insecure. I don’t care you’re an “avid reader.” Buzz off.
Before I comment about the book I just want to say all these comments calling Leon a girl and not accepting who they truely are, all this hate for transgender is disgusting.
Leon has every right to be who they feel and know who they are.
Transgender is not a cult, but a lot of religions are.
Imo Leon is the one out of all the brown children who deserves to tell their story their truth, Leon was the only one of the kids who never got anything payed for out of the family savings.
Meri was always being told you only have one child so you should pay for it. It’s always been obvious to me that meri and Leon where always the ones being treated differently to all the others.
I really hope this book happens because I can’t wait to read it and hear from Leon’s side.
They have a voice and are allowed to use it, if Leon reads the Ashley I hope they ignore all the negative comments and continue being true to themselves.
It is not hateful to speak the truth. Stop trying to force people to lie, it’s incredibly controlling.
Oh yes, the person insisting they know more about a perfect stranger than they know about themselves is calling other people controlling. Pot meet kettle.
Emma
You really do seem to not like people disagreeing with your believes, let me guess your religious believes. That imo are not really your believes but believes that you’ve been controlled to believe by your religion.
So no I’m not controlling as I have never ever said to anyone to believe in my opinions or my believes, I’ll leave that to all the church’s, religions and cults out there.
Leon may be ugly, but they do deserve to monetize this like anyone else does.
It’s a fad. I think about all these disgusting liberal parents foisting this nonsense onto there kids. Those kids will grow up to think for themselves and won’t appreciate the humiliation rituals from you warped individuals.
Leon was a girl who wanted to be a polygamist, goes to college and meets a gay girl and then she’s gay all the sudden.. then her gf wants to be a dude so she then becomes a dude.. might be something to that
This is just sad. Mariah was always a miserable human and it appears Leon is as well. I hope she gets the therapy she needs to deal with her past. Just sad.
I’m happy she is happy, everyone deserves happiness- especially in that family. But I can not be part of her pretend world- no matter what she is a she- and nothing will change that reality. Be happy but do not drag us into this!
You dragged yourself in when you clicked on the article. BTW Leon is not a she.
Smiling for a picture doesn’t mean you’re happy
“My pronouns are…”
– And turn off the t v.
That always irritated me too. And it’s not even about being transgender or whatever. Fine, do you.
But the whole pronoun thing and “they” and all that I think dehumanizes people and sometimes the words themselves that are used are plainly bad English.
What a mess.
The only person that I’m less interested in hearing from than Leon is Trump (as everything he’s ever said has been a lie, as demonstrated by the trail of his signatures, which have been the exact opposite of his words).
I have a proposition for you… STFU
You’re an insufferable BORE.
I didn’t realize this is a political forum! Wow.
Leave your politics and stupid TDS on someone else’s site. No one is talking about Trump. Move on and shut the hell up.
Wtf seek help. The fact that you brought up trump for this story is insane
What has being intersex got to do with cult of transgender? Nothing.
Because the variation in people’s bodies and hormones also means variation in sexual identity. Hence, people feeling like they’re born in the wrong body.
Transgenderism is in the mind, Intersex is an actual biological condition. Not the same thing at all. Stop using people with DSD’s to justify everything this ideology tries to push.
Bro, gender is in the mind. Out here spreading hate and being mad about something you don’t even know about. Gender is not biological, it’s a social construct. Please, educate yourself before you make yourself look even more foolish.
No wonder she is so messed up.
Mariah’s morals always seem to bend when money gets tight. But her favorite narrative stays the same: she’s the perpetual victim, no matter what role she actually played.
You have absolutely no right to deadname Leon and use the wrong pronouns. You have no idea how disrespectful you are being. Leon has the right to do what they want with their body, choose their own name, and use the pronouns that fit their identity. And it doesn’t make any sense that you are saying their morals bend when money is tight. They have taken a lot of time away from the spotlight. They could have been on sister wives and made a lot of money but they didn’t. So where’s your evidence? Don’t ever use their deadname and the wrong pronouns. That is not your right ever.
And you have absolutely no right to try and control people and their speech. Are you a fascist? Pronouns reflect reality, if words have no meanings and everyone can assign meanings to whatever words they like, then reality ceases to exist and we are unable to communicate. Change your name if you like, idc, but don’t expect me, or anyone else, to lie about what we can see with our own eyes, you are not that important or powerful. Also, fyi, this fad is almost over, time to find a new grift to control damaged people with.
Exactly! Thank you, Emma.
I know logic won’t penetrate their brains, but sometimes I have to try!
Fear the liberal hivemind.
Who said anything about controlling people? I just won’t tolerate transphobia and will speak up for people. And pulling the Free Speech card is bullshit. You need to educate yourself on what that actually means. It’s interesting how you equate pronouns to reality. Ummmm I’m gonna go with a no on that one. Grow the F up.
Out here giving orders left and right about the words people can use but doesn’t think that’s controlling. Lol.
This is awesome Emma I love this
Also the *that is not your right ever* is bs. You say what you want, that’s fine and I’ll say what I want which is *the whole thing is bullshit*
Mariah ,Mariah, Mariah… Stop with your woke nonsense… When a male dog gets fixed does it become a female dog?!?… No…
Mariah will always be a girl…
Ignorance is tolerable, but arrogance is detrimental.
So you’re against adults having the right to legally change their name? That’s weirdly controlling. Whatever your opinion on gender, there is no Mariah Brown.
Uh…No one said that- stop jumping to conclusions- she is trying to make us believe she is a male- and she isn’t.
Copacop literally and repeatedly Leon by his former name of Mariah. You do see that, right?? So, what do you mean “no one said that”? Someone clearly did say that.
Honey, Leon can do whatever she likes- but she has no right to drag us into her make believe world. This is a mental illness and she can as does become whatever she wants- no one is stopping her. I wish her well…. But you can not expect the rest of the world to go along with this, that is ridiculous.
They very much do expect compliance. They are fanatics, part of a dying cult so they lash out at people who speak the truth. It’s sad.
I think it’s a little scary to be honest. I have zero issue with transgender people but it must be frightening to want to be another gender or whatever it’s called now. It sounds like mental health disorder and I don’t wish that on anyone.
Omg not this dead name crap. You know who’s dead? My dad. He is literally dead. Leon is not dead. Mariah is his old identity.
AKA They need the $$$$$$$
How incredibly rude and dissmissive. Or, you know, maybe they want to do exactly what they said they do for the reason they said.
Um obviously it’s for money. Why else? They could have stayed private. It’s not wrong to want to monetize it.
Running out of money?
Everyone else has had a platform to discuss how they feel about their lives and the family. Why are you negative about Leon doing the same?
Maybe. 🤷🏻♀️
Leon has the same right to monetize their life as everyone else in that family.
From one cult to another..
Good grief. If you don’t believe transgender people exist, boy are you going to be surprised about the fact that 1 in 2000 live births are intersex babies. Hold your pearls! 🤪
What has being intersex got to do with the cult of transgender? Nothing.
Well, logic. If you understand that some babies are born without being able to assign them a sex, then you should understand that sexual identity can be complicated.
That doesn’t clarify anything. What is ‘sexual identity’ when it’s at home? Is that also ‘assigned’ to us? I haven’t got mine yet. I have a sexual orientation and a personality, I have yet to be assigned a gender or a sexual identity. When can I expect it? Does it come in the mail?
You were assigned a gender at birth. Look at your birth certificate.
In Hollywood it’s 1 in 5. They’re drowning in their own hubris.