By the time Kody Brown offered an apology, it was already too late for his son, Gabriel Brown. Their relationship had become strained over Kody’s strict COVID-19 rules, and the distance between them continued even after stay-at-home orders were lifted.
According to Janelle Brown, who shares sons Logan Brown, Hunter Brown, Garrison Brown and Gabriel, along with daughters Madison Brush and Savanah Brown, Kody believed his children had failed to stand by him and follow his rules.
READ MORE: Adam22 and Lena the Plug Reconcile After Hoax Divorce Filing
During an October 2024 episode of Sister Wives, Gabriel told Janelle that Kody repeatedly made it sound as though he was the one who owed an apology. “He kept phrasing it like I owed him an apology,” Gabriel said. “Eventually I was just like, ‘Hey, unless you’re, like, actually ready to have a relationship and fix things, then we’re not going to talk anymore.’ He came back a couple of days later and texted me. He’s like, ‘Hey, I’ve been, like, thinking about what you’ve been saying. I forgive you, Please forgive me.’ I was like, ‘Forgive me for what?'”
Gabriel had once been so close to his father that he joined Kody on business trips, yet he said he still did not understand what he had done wrong. He told Janelle, “I told Dad that if he doesn’t change and he can’t take accountability, then I just won’t ever see him again. And I’m perfectly OK with that.”