Celebrity Celebrity Relationships Celebrity Married Life Sister Wives' Janelle Brown Recalls 'Short-Lived' Marriage to Meri's Brother Before Marrying Kody: 'It Just Didn't Take' "I think we might have lived together physically, actually lived together for like six months," Janelle shared of her marriage to Meri’s brother Adam Barber By Stephanie Wenger Stephanie Wenger Stephanie Wenger is a TV Writer/Reporter at PEOPLE. She joined the brand in 2021 as a digital news writer, covering stories spanning across the site's verticals. She previously contributed E! Online, Hollywood Life and Oscar.com. People Editorial Guidelines and Dory Jackson Dory Jackson Dory Jackson is a Staff Editor for PEOPLE's TV News team. Upon joining the brand in March 2021, she has had the opportunity to interview a long list of celebrities, from Kate Hudson to Pierce Brosnan to Billy Porter. She has also helped recap popular TV shows like 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,' 'Sister Wives' and 'Vanderpump Rules.' The New York-based Maryland native graduated from Randolph-Macon College in May 2016 with a focus on Communication Studies and Journalism. She came to PEOPLE in March 2021 after working at a number of major news companies, including Newsweek and Us Weekly. People Editorial Guidelines Published on November 5, 2024 04:20PM EST Comments Janelle Brown. Janelle Brown is looking back on her marriage to Meri’s brother Adam Barber. During an appearance on the Reality Life with Kate Casey podcast, Janelle, 55, recalled their marriage being “very, very short-lived.” She noted that the relationship “really qualifies” as a starter marriage, adding, “I think we might have lived together physically, actually lived together for like six months. It just didn't take.” From left: Meri Brown and Janelle Brown. Meri Brown/Instagram; Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Sister Wives' Kody Brown Wants to Reconcile with Janelle to 'Be Back in Graces' with Their Kids: It's a 'Power Game' When asked if it was uncomfortable to meet Kody, who was already married to her ex-husband’s sister Meri, the TLC star responded, “I didn't cross paths with him. I was not at Meri's house all the time.” “I mean, I was there occasionally. I just happened to be there when Kody came. And I already was intrigued with the faith,” she added. Following her split from Barber in 1990 after two years of marriage, Janelle went to wed Kody in 1993, becoming his second wife in their plural marriage. Fellow sister wives Christine and Robyn later joined. From left: Janelle Brown, Christine Brown, Kody Brown, Meri Brown, and Robyn Brown in 2010. Shutterstock Sister Wives: Janelle Reveals Why Her Daughter Maddie Hid Her Third Pregnancy from Dad Kody In June, Meri opened up about fans’ reaction to Janelle’s first marriage to Barber during an appearance on the Miss Understood With Rachel Uchitel podcast. "I think it really weirds a lot of people out and the community's not that small," Meri explained at the time of their shared hometown. "So it's kind of weird that that all happened that way." "It took a minute for me to get my head wrapped around it," she added of Janelle’s marriage to Kody. "The whole thing was interesting. There was emotions. Let's just say, there was emotions." From left: Meri Brown; Kody Brown; Janelle Brown. Puddle Monkey Prods/Kobal/Shutterstock Sister Wives: Christine Set a Wedding Date with David Before Getting Engaged but Her Kids Feel It's 'Really Fast' Despite her feelings about the situation, she shared they were able to “work through it” as a family. The unraveling of their plural marriage began when Christine and Janelle called it quits with Kody within a year of each other. Meri and Kody later confirmed their separation in January 2023. He only remains married to his fourth wife, Robyn. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. Sister Wives airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on TLC. Close