Sister Wives’ Kody Brown Reflects on Son Garrison’s Death by Suicide

Salt Lake City, Utah – Kody Brown, star of the reality show ‘Sister Wives,’ is speaking out about the heartbreaking loss of his son, Garrison Brown, who died by suicide at age 25. Over a year after the tragedy, Kody opened up about his complicated relationship with Garrison during an episode aired on May 4.

Standing outside his home with wife Robyn, Kody expressed his sorrow, saying, “It wasn’t supposed to be this way. It’s heartbreaking. I didn’t get a chance to really just make things right—just not being able to say goodbye.” He described his deep sense of loss, stating, “I just don’t know what to do with his death. I’ve got to do something different because I could have had more time with him.”

Kody, who has a total of 18 children with Robyn and his previous wives—Janelle, Meri, and Christine Brown—recalled the strained relationship he had with Garrison and his brother Gabe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Janelle previously stated that Kody had difficulties with “90 to 95 percent” of his children, and the dynamics only worsened during this challenging period.

As he navigates his grief, Kody reflected on how his perspective has changed. “All the frustration I had over stuff with COVID and everything like that, all of a sudden, that’s just like, that’s so unimportant. I’m just sad,” he shared. “How do I do the rest of my life with every holiday and every birthday?”

Thoughts of what he could have done differently often haunt Kody. “So many people have told me, ‘Don’t get caught in that what-if train,’” he told Robyn. “I’m going to because that’s part of the process for me.” The lingering questions in his mind include, “What if I had called him? What if I had been in touch more? What if we’d have gone and done more?” He lamented, “It still makes me sad.”

Janelle Brown, who now resides in North Carolina, has coped with her grief by staying busy and engaging with her grandchildren. “It’s minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day,” she said. “There are good days, bad days, good days, bad days, good days, good minutes, good bad minutes.”

If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for help. You can call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, text HOME to 741741, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for more resources.