Leon Brown has seemingly cut ties with many people who were not supportive of their transition, but what about Kody Brown?
With the many children that make up the Brown family tree, it would be nearly impossible to have exposure to each one within every episode. However, fans have noticed that the inclusion of certain children has decreased significantly. First, it was the lack of seeing Paedon and Aspyn Brown, who are the children of Kody and Christine. While the speculation was that the lack of participation was due to the two moving away, confusion was still present regarding Leon Brown, previously known as Mariah.
During the pandemic, Leon moved from Chicago to Flagstaff, Arizona, and quickly moved on to Utah with their partner to run Meri Brown’s bed and breakfast. While they were seen intermittently when Meri appeared in episodes at the inn, their presence is completely wiped from the show in the latest seasons, with not even a mention of their name. Why is this, and why the drastic change?
Leon Brown Is One Of 18 Siblings
Growing up in a polygamous family meant Leon Brown had an arsenal of siblings. While there was always someone to hang out with, it was also challenging to get individual attention. As the children have grown and exited the family homes, the dynamics between parents and children have shifted drastically.
Throughout the seasons, fans have seen the Brown children leave for college, purchase homes, start their own families, and form new identities. While the parents have struggled to keep their bond intact with one another, the children have explored their options outside of the giant family bubble they grew up in.
As The Only Child Of Meri And Kody, Leon Had A Different Relationship With Their Parents
While the other wives and Kody went on to have multiple children, he and Meri were only able to have Leon. It’s thought that Meri desired to have more kids than that but was unable to.
Growing up, Leon was raised as Mariah, who viewers knew them as until June 2022 when they announced that they were transgender, went by Leon, and used they/them pronouns.
When Kody was with his other wives, he would have to divide his attention among all the children from that particular wife. For groups like Christine and Janelle, that meant six children were vying for his attention.
However, when he was at Meri’s home, it was just himself, Meri, and Leon. Therefore, it’s likely that Leon enjoyed more one-on-one time than their brothers and sisters did.
Today, Fans Don’t See Much Of Leon
While their time on the Sister Wives show has dwindled to nothing throughout the seasons, Leon Brown has been living their best life behind the scenes. In October 2022, they married their long-time partner, Audrey Kriss, in Colorado.
While those tuning into the Sister Wives series don’t see them or hear any mention of them any longer, Leon keeps in contact with those who respect their wishes and utilize their correct name and pronouns.
Their mother, Meri, appears to be fully supportive of Leon’s transition and has taken several opportunities to display pride in the person that Leon is today.
This emotion is a drastic change from the initial reaction that Meri displayed when she first found out that Leon identified as gay after an entire childhood of the parents and church telling them that such behaviors were wrong and not aligned with what God wanted.
Reports state that the father of Leon Brown, Kody, does not support their transition and has chosen not to keep in contact.
Due to Kody staying present in their life before the transgender announcement and also keeping in contact with his other child Gwendlyn Brown, who married girlfriend Beatriz Queiroz in July 2023, it appears that he may have been accepting of the lifestyle until the change in pronouns and identity came into play.
With a strict Mormon upbringing, this ideology isn’t a surprise, as the church considers being queer a sin and offers members of the congregation and belief ways to heal from it.
With Leon stating that they didn’t want to be around anyone who didn’t accept them for what they are and who they are, it’s no surprise that they have distanced themself from Kody Brown and the other members of their family who aren’t supportive.
Unfortunately, Leon isn’t the only person in the Brown family who has been ostracized by the majority of the members. With Meri and Kody’s tumultuous relationship, the interactions between his first wife and the rest of the family have declined significantly throughout the years.
Much of this distance began when Meri was catfished many years ago, and the family has never fully recovered.
Thankfully, Leon isn’t dependent on the Sister Wives’ income to pay their own expenses. Therefore, if the show were to be canceled, it wouldn’t impact their life in any way. With the pressure of being on the show behind them, Leon can continue to enjoy their life with their partner as they have been.
