- To start fresh, Janelle Brown recently purchased land in North Carolina. The change of locale may soothe the kind and sensitive woman – she lives with so many painful memories.
- Janelle is carving out her own identity post-divorce by focusing on her real estate career, gardening hobby, and new North Carolina property.
- By moving closer to daughter Maddie Brush in North Carolina, Janelle is distancing herself from Kody. She’s finding peace in a small town setting.
After living in Utah, Nevada, then Arizona, Sister Wives star Janelle Brown recently purchased a large plot of land in North Carolina. Janelle was the second wife of polygamist Kody Brown.
They tied the knot in 1990, and had six children together. They were married for 30 years before Janelle left Kody and their plural family in 2022. Janelle wasn’t the first of Kody’s four wives to walk away from polygamy. She followed Kody’s third wife, Christine Brown, out the door. A few months after Janelle left Kody, his first wife, Meri Brown, made her exit.
Living arrangements were always an issue for the Brown family. When Sister Wives premiered in 2010, the whole family lived in Utah, in a large house designed for a polygamous family. Each of Kody’s wives lived in her own wing of the big home with her children, and Kody went back and forth between them. During the first season of the show, Kody married his fourth wife, Robyn Brown.
After they had two children of their own, the number of Brown children rose to 18. The family left Utah and moved into four separate homes in Nevada, and they’d never live under the same roof again. Since the divorce, Janelle has been living in Arizona, but recently purchased land in North Carolina.
She’s Leaving Painful Memories Behind After Garrison’s Death
She Needs A Fresh Start
Perhaps Janelle was inspired by the hit Taylor Swift song “Carolina” when she bought her North Carolina property, as the lyrics reflect her current situation.
But the sleep comes fast,
And I’ll meet no ghosts
It’s between me, the sand, and the sea
Carolina knows
In March 2023, the Brown family and Sister Wives universe was turned upside down by the tragic death of 25-year-old Garrison Brown. Garrison was Kody’s son with Janelle’s son, and the young man had been living with mental health issues. After not being able to reach her son, Janelle grew concerned, and sent her other son, Gabriel Brown, to check on his older brother. It was Gabriel who found his deceased brother in his Flagstaff, Arizona home.
Since losing Garrison, Janelle has been spending more time with her children and grandchildren. She has also been focusing on growing her business empire, which has likely been a welcome distraction. It’s completely understandable that Janelle would want to leave Arizona. She may want to escape from painful memories linked with her deceased son.
She’s Carving Out Her Own Identity
Janelle Needs Her Own Brand
Janelle has had multiple intersecting identities over the years. In addition to being Kody’s second wife and a mother of six, Janelle was also a second mother to all of Kody’s other children. Despite having a successful career as a real estate broker, the Sister Wives cast member always put her family first, and let her family define her. Even during her marriage, her friendship with Kody’s third wife, Christine, became a part of her identity.
Now that the 53-year-old Janelle is on her own, she has had to carve out her own identity, and moving to North Carolina would help her to do so.
Though her friendship with Christine continues, she has had to expand her world. Since her divorce, Janelle has continued her work in real estate, and she has also focused on her gardening hobby. Janelle had long dreamed of growing her own food, so the North Carolina land purchase was undoubtedly part of her grand plan.
She’ll Have Her Own Land In Chocowinity, North Carolina
Small Town Living
According to In Touch, the 156-acre plot of land in North Carolina cost Janelle $289K. The land is located in Chocowinity, which is a small town of only 800 people. Though Janelle’s plans for the land are unclear, it’s likely that the Sister Wives season 18 star wants to build a home on the land, where she can also pursue her dream of being a farmer.
Earlier this year, Janelle started a new flower growing business, so it’s entirely possible that she’ll want to continue the endeavor on her new North Carolina property.
After living in such a big family with Kody’s other three wives and all 18 of his children (sadly, now 17 as Garrison has passed away), it’s understandable that Janelle would want some peace and quiet in a small town setting. After so many difficult years, Janelle will hopefully be able to find the happiness that she so richly deserves.
