The “Sister Wives” stars encountered an interesting turn in their ongoing legal exchange which now requires them to take some steps peculiar to a divorce case.
Christine Brown and Kody Brown were spiritually married for 27 years until Christine called the marriage off in 2021, setting a precedent that two more sister wives followed.
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Kody And Christine Brown Ordered By Judge To Attend Mandatory Divorce Classes
The estranged couple have now been legally required to attend mandatory divorce and parenting classes coupled with mediation to allow them to make a headway in their custody battle.
The court also disclosed that a neutral person may be appointed to look after their daughter Truely in the meantime, and a custody evaluation may also be required to arrive at the best option for Truely.
In their joint split announcement shared on Instagram, Christine and Kody assured the public that they “will continue to be a strong presence in each other’s lives as we parent our beautiful children and support our wonderful family.”
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Per In Touch, the case has been labeled a Track 3 “significant custody dispute.” According to the Utah State Court, that category “includes cases with significant custody disputes, including custody disputes involving allegations of child abuse or domestic violence.”
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The Brown Family Patriarch Was Reportedly Absent From Truely’s Life After Christine’s Split
As soon as the marriage was done, Truely moved in with her mother in Flagstaff, Arizona, clearly showing whose side she was on. Following her move, insiders disclosed in 2022 that her father had also refused to be present in her life. According to the source:
“Basically, he’s not in Truely’s life. Kody won’t go anywhere. Christine has to accommodate Kody.”
The source added that Kody was still “paranoid about COVID and everything else. So, if Christine is not choosing to do the transporting and making it happen — nor would she put Truely through any of this stress — then Kody won’t have a relationship with Truely. He would have to leave his nest to see his daughter.”
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As for Kody, Christine’s decision to take Truely with her to Utah “disgusted” him as he added that Truely is as much his child as she is Christines.
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Inside Christine And Kody Heated Child Custody Battle
Kody’s decision to stay out of his daughter’s life due to fear of COVID and other factors reportedly become worrisome to Christine.
The Blast reported that the TV personality, in response, filed a lawsuit against her former husband, requesting that the court establish his paternity over their daughter, Truely. Kody was not listed on her birth certificate, and Truely had moved in with Christine in Utah in 2021.
Christine also filed a motion for domestic relations injunction, which would restrict any form of harassment, domestic violence, or changing essential service outside mutual consent or a court order.
The document will prevent Kody and Christine from their children on nonroutine travel without permission or publicly saying unpleasant things about the other party if granted.
Christine Was Convinced Moving With Truely Would Protect Kody Brown’s Bond With Her
Interestingly, Christine argued that absence would only make Truely’s heart grow fonder for her father, hence moving with her may not totally be a terrible idea.
The mom of six explained that her relocation to Utah in 2021 with Truely helped keep a healthy interaction between her and Kody. She added that Truely not being around to witness Kody’s bad sides in real time was very helpful in salvaging the rest of their bond.
The family matriarch, whose strained relationships with his kids and former wives remain unforgettable, tagged Christine’s defense as “B.S. rationalization” and “ridiculous.”
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Christine Brown Described Her Estranged Husband As ‘Deadbeat and Oblivious’
Late last year, Christine jumped on a radio interview where she was asked to describe her former husband in three words.
The TLC star picked quite an interesting choice of words to qualify her baby daddy. She declared: “Deadbeat dad … Sorry, that’s two, but that can be two,” she said before adding, “Deadbeat dad and … oblivious.”
The mother-of-six was accompanied by her fellow former sister wife Janelle Brown who was held aback by her response and offered a different perspective.
Janelle described her estranged husband as “Charismatic” and tried to convince a very angry Christine to see where she was coming from.
At the end of their exchange, Janelle ultimately agreed with Christine’s’ point of view and noted that Kody is also selfish, oblivious, and acts like “the reality is bewildering to him.”
Will Christine Brown and Kody Brown find a way around their complicated custody battle now turned divorce process? Time will tell!