Sunday’s episode of ‘Sister Wives’ saw Meri and Kody reflecting on their rather awkward 32nd anniversary dinner — as well as their future together

Kody Brown made his feelings about Meri Brown — and their marriage — rather clear during a less-than-ideal moment.

Sunday’s Sister Wives episode saw Kody, 54, and Meri, 52, looking back on their recent 32nd anniversary celebration. Although they ended up going out to dinner together, Kody initially let the relationship milestone go unacknowledged until Meri called him.

“He didn’t actually call me or text me. Midway through the day, I thought maybe I should just call him. And so, I did,” she told the cameras. “I called him, I’m like, ‘Hey,’ and he’s like, ‘Hey.’ And I said, ‘Happy Anniversary.’ And he’s like, ‘Oh, happy anniversary.’ I’m like, ‘We should go out on a drive or go to dinner or something. What do you think?’ He’s like, ‘I’m watching the kids. Let me check with Robin.'”

Kody noted in a separate confessional that he “needed a minute” and “needed a reason to be able to say no” to Meri.

“I just didn’t think it was the right thing for me to do, and I had to think about that,” he continued.

Kody, however, returned Meri’s call and suggested they go out for dinner. He even picked Meri up from her home beforehand. And while things appeared to be getting off on the right foot, everything took a turn when Kody referenced “faking relationships.” Meri noted to him that she was “not faking anything,” but Kody said in response, according to Meri, “I don’t know why you even bother to call and say happy anniversary, Meri.”

“I’m like, ‘Because it’s our anniversary.’ He’s like, ‘But we’re not mar—” she recalled, as he seemingly attempted to say they’re not married. “He paused and then he goes, ‘But we’re not living as a married couple.'”

The moment in question proved to be “a big realization” for Meri since she hadn’t been aware of how Kody felt about their relationship. But from Kody’s perspective, he had already put the effort into making things work several years ago when they “were in such a bad place.”

“It seemed like the love had been lost. Through counseling and, you know, recommendation of my other wives, I was convinced maybe I should try and fix it,” he said to the cameras. “It took me a long time and I wanted to see if it would work, but it just didn’t seem like it was going to work. I thought I just had to give up around that time.”

Cut to their 32nd-anniversary dinner, Meri recalled Kody saying: “‘I have no desire, Meri, to have a relationship with you.’ He said, ‘Don’t you understand, Meri? This is never going to happen. Your life is not one that I want to insert myself into.'”

“I’ll never forget those words. This is the first time he’s ever said this to me,” she said. “That was very, very painful for me. I felt my heart really speeding up because I’m like, but you promised.”

Meri confirmed her marriage to Kody was over in a Sister Wives: One on One episode airing last year. Their separation was later made official with a joint Instagram statement in January.

Her breakup with Kody was announced shortly after second wife Janelle Brown parted ways with their shared husband. Before that, third wife Christine Brown left the Brown family patriarch in November 2021. He is now in a monogamous marriage with fourth wife Robyn Brown.

Toward the end of Sunday’s episode, Meri began reflecting on what’s in store for her future — and whether Kody will be a part of that.

The businesswoman wanted to be “open and honest” about where the longtime pair currently stood. When Kody asked to “keep this between us,” she disagreed with that stance as she said, “I’m not gonna go the rest of my life hiding the fact that this is the way that our relationship is and hiding the fact that you said to me you don’t want to ever have a relationship with me.”

“This is my story, too, and I have the right to tell my story,” she said in a confessional. “Basically, to me, I see two options: continue living like I have for the past eight years or so, which is, you know, a freaking amazing, badass, independent person that is officially married to somebody but not emotionally, right? And I can keep doing that. Or, I can terminate it. I can take the steps to move forward to be done with it.”

However, Meri said that calling off their marriage “doesn’t sit well with my values, because I didn’t marry Kody and make this eternal covenant just to be like, ‘Mmm, it’s not working for us. I think I’ll peace out.'”

“Right now, I don’t know what to do about it,” she added. “I have no idea what to do about it.”

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