Since Sister Wives premiered in 2010, patriarch Kody Brown and his then-four wives – Janelle, Meri, Christine, and Robyn found international due to their unorthodox family life as a polygamist family, all living on one property. With reality TV fame (usually) comes fortune and, often, lucrative opportunities to make more money than the initial fee for appearing on a network TV show.
Three of Kody’s wives – Christine, Janelle, and Meri – separated from their husband in 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively, marking a new era for the ongoing reality series, in which they still star. Here’s what we know about how the three women make money for themselves in 2024.
How much do the sister wives earn from appearing on the show?
According to In Touch Weekly, it costs the TLC network an estimated $250,000 to $400,000 to produce an episode of the show, with the Brown family taking home $25,000 to $40,000 as a whole family – which, if split equally by Kody and four wives, would be $5,000-$8,000 per episode. This, across a 15-episode season, would be $75,000-$120,000 each – although it is likely a lot less, as their children may also be earning for their appearances on the show, and Kody may take a bigger slice of the pie as the sole patriarch.
It is also reported that the cast took a pay cut a few seasons ago due to a drop in ratings, so this is probably much lower in 2024, especially as three of Kody’s wives – Janelle, Christine, and Meri – have since separated from him and live elsewhere.
How else do the (now-ex) sister wives earn a living?
Christine, the first of the sister wives to separate from Kody, launched a legal business – CBrown Quest, LLC – in 2020, a year before her split from her husband of 29 years. As a side hustle, Christine sells clothes for the multi-level marketing (MLM) company LuLaRoe, as well as taking video fan requests on Cameo. As of July 2024, Christine has nearly 1300 reviews, and at $50 per video, would total an estimated $65,000 in revenue.
On the show, Janelle was shown working as a real estate agent, although it is unsure if she renewed her license when the family moved from Nevada to Arizona – where she still lives after her split from Kody. She now has her own health-based business, Strive with Janelle, where she works as a health and life coach. According to her website, her services include a personal “mission to help you pursue growth in all aspects of your life”.
As for Meri, her primary source of income post-separation is a bed-and-breakfast named Lizzie’s Heritage Inn, based in Parowan, Utah. The reality star bought the property, which once belonged to her great-grandparents, in 2023. The B&B is named after her grandmother Lizzie, and she has a dedicated “Grandma Room”, which was once her grandmother’s childhood bedroom. The business has a perfect 5.0-star rating on TripAdvisor. Meri also still sells for LuLaRoe, and like Christine, also has a side hustle earning money on Cameo, charging $150 per video.