Just when it seemed like Season 19 of Sister Wives couldn’t get any more dramatic, TLC released their special one-on-one episodes with select members of the Brown family. The family members, who’ve been the center of the reality TV series for nearly two decades, had quite a lot to share in their individual interviews, unafraid to hold back about their true emotions.

Those who have been tuning into the special episodes will recall that Kody grew particularly heated during his interview, becoming defensive of himself and his marriage to Robyn when questioned about his history of plural marriage. In her own one-on-one episode, Kody’s now ex-wife Janelle had some confessions of her own concerning their relationship.

Janelle Said She Wished She’d Dated Kody For Longer

Janelle is a fan-favorite on the show for many; her more laid-back demeanor and ability to laugh even in tense situations never fails to make her appear charming in the episodes. In her own one-on-one special episode this past week, she got surprisingly candid about the start of her relationship with Kody.

The two were married (or rather, entered a “spiritual union” under the Mormon church) in 1993. By that point, Kody had already been married to his first wife, Meri, for around three years, making Janelle his second wife in what would eventually become a large family with four wives.

By her own description, Janelle explained that her original courtship with Kody was a whirlwind before they decided to get married after a relatively short time. She explained that she wished the two of them had had more time to date, though not for the reason that fans may initially assume. That is, Janelle noted that, had she had more time to really get to know Kody, she may have had second thoughts about moving forward with their relationship:

Longtime viewers of the show will know that Janelle and Kody have since split; the first of his wives to leave him was Christine back in 2021, and it wasn’t long until Meri and Janelle followed suit shortly thereafter.

Kody And Janelle Are No Longer Together

When it came to speaking about the end of their relationship, Janelle described it as a slow crumbling of their dynamic, pointing out that seeing the way Kody treated Robyn further signified to her that she didn’t have the type of relationship she actually wanted.

Kody shared with the cameras that he was, apparently, caught off guard when Janelle wanted to split:

For her part, Janelle stood her ground on the matter, saying that there was no way Kody could’ve been blindsided about the end of their relationship. She added that she resented how Kody often tried to play the victim in situations when she’d been the one who’d been emotionally neglected.

“I’m definitely not wearing a victim card because I want my feelings and boundaries and emotions respected,” she said. “I don’t think that’s being a victim,” she added.

Despite their separation, Kody and Janelle have had their moments together this season. The biggest, of course, is that of coming together to remember their late son, Garrison, who passed away last year from suicide. Season 19 captured the heartbreaking moments of the various family members learning of Garrison’s passing, mourning their 25-year-old son, brother, and cousin.

Putting their past issues aside, Kody and Janelle came together to grieve their son, each of them expressing the sorrow they felt that they wouldn’t be able to share one final moment with Garrison. Together, they chose to bury Garrison in Wyoming, a location that held meaning for both sides of the family, and Kody even volunteered to help dig the grave for Garrison’s final resting place.

Moving forward, it seems like Janelle will be turning over a new leaf in her life. Like her fellow former sister wife, Christine, Janelle has also moved away from their original family home in Arizona. She now resides in North Carolina, where she works tending a farm which she co-owns with her daughter, Maddie Brush.