In a candid reflection on TLC’s Sister Wives One-on-One special aired on February 1, 2026, Meri Brown revisited the infamous 2015 catfishing scandal that shook her life. She revealed why she feels her former sister-wife, Robyn Brown, may have played a role in escalating the situation.

Meri  Brown, 55, became the target of a catfishing scheme while married to Kody Brown, who is now in a monogamous relationship with Robyn. At the time, Meri believed she was engaging in an online romance with a man named Sam. She confided in Robyn about the situation, expecting support and discretion. However, she later discovered that private conversations she had shared seemed to surface elsewhere, leaving her feeling deeply betrayed.

“I feel betrayed by Robyn,” Meri said during the special. “Robyn would come over and talk to me about it… I would tell her what’s going on. But then other stuff would happen, and other stories would be out there, and other communications, supposedly, would happen.”

The Breakdown of Trust Between Meri and Robyn

Meri Brownexplained that the information she trusted Robyn with seemed to find its way to a friend who was allegedly communicating with the catfisher. While she acknowledged that Robyn likely did not intend to harm her, Meri believes her actions worsened the situation.

“There was a huge lack of trust there,” Meri admitted. “I think she did it to try to help the situation, but she kept making it worse by sharing the information.”

Robyn, however, strongly disagreed with Meri’s accusations. In her own segment of the special, she insisted that she was merely trying to support Meri. “I’ve had her freaking back,” Robyn told host Sukanya Krishnan. “I was sitting there watching everything that was happening and I was worried about her.”

Kody Brown also weighed in, stating that Robyn had informed him of the catfishing but that he was unsure if the information had been shared in confidence or was publicly available online.

Financial Entanglements Add Another Layer of Conflict

Beyond the emotional fallout, financial entanglements further complicated the Brown family dynamics. Meri Brown revealed that she had sold her five-bedroom home in Las Vegas and contributed the proceeds toward helping Robyn purchase a similarly sized property in Arizona. Janelle Brown also assisted with the purchase.

When it came time to sell the family’s Coyote Pass property in Arizona, disputes arose over money owed, property shares, and previous gifts. Kody emphasized that all parties eventually received their fair share of the proceeds.

“Meri will get paid,” he said. “Everybody is going to have their money, and I’m going to be bitter because they sat there and just talked s—t about me the whole time.”

Robyn Admits Friendship With Meri Brown Suffered

Despite the financial resolution, tensions between Meri and Robyn remain unresolved. Robyn admitted that their friendship had suffered irreparable damage. “I’m not going to sit there and be disloyal to Kody,” she said. She also accused Meri of publicly criticizing her without cause, noting, “She’s sitting there trashing me, and I don’t even know what the problem is.”

The catfishing scandal is not the only source of friction between the former sister wives. Christine Brown also expressed feeling betrayed by Robyn in previous seasons, highlighting recurring trust issues within the blended Brown family.

Navigating Life After Polygamy

Meri Brown, who finalized her divorce from Kody in 2023, reflected on her experiences navigating dating and relationships post-polygamy. She recalled an instance where a potential suitor ended a connection upon learning about her polygamous past, saying, “It was very hurtful to me. Because I was a polygamist, you’re not interested in pursuing a relationship with me?”

The family’s move to Coyote Pass and the management of the 14-acre property also became a point of contention. Janelle admitted she was likely the only one genuinely interested in living there, while Kody and Robyn maintained a separate home on the property. The eventual sale of the land in 2025 closed another chapter of financial and emotional complexity, with each party walking away with a quarter of the profits.

Kody Reflects on Challenges of Plural Marriage

Throughout the years, Kody has openly acknowledged the challenges of maintaining multiple marriages. He admitted that, while he devoted himself to plural marriage, he struggled to distribute attention and resources equally among his wives. This uneven dynamic, combined with financial disparities and jealousy, ultimately contributed to the dissolution of his relationships with Meri, Janelle, and Christine.

Despite the ongoing tension, there are moments of reconciliation. Meri and Janelle have helped each other navigate post-divorce life, including guiding one another through the concept of spiritual divorce. However, the scars left by past betrayals and misunderstandings—particularly the catfishing scandal—remain a sensitive and unresolved chapter in Meri and Robyn’s relationship.

The Legacy of the 2015 Catfishing Scandal

As Sister Wives continues to explore the complex lives of the Brown family, the events of 2015 serve as a reminder of how trust, loyalty, and communication—or the lack thereof—can profoundly affect relationships in both plural and monogamous contexts.