'Sister Wives' Season 17: Why Did Christine and Kody Brown Split?

Kody Brown's split from Christine is set to be shown on the upcoming season of Sister Wives on TLC.

The long-running show, which began in 2010, follows Brown family patriarch Kody and his wives in their plural marriage.

Meri, Robyn and Janelle Brown are currently in relationships with Kody, however a fourth women who was previously in the marriage, Christine, has confirmed she has split from him.

Season 17 of Sister Wives will follow the fallout from Christine and Kody's split, as the trailer has confirmed, with footage showing Kody's other wives reacting to the news.

As the scenes air on TLC, fans may need a reminder as to what happened between Kody and Christine, and why things are so tense in the new episodes.

Newsweek has everything you need to know about Kody and Christine Brown's split.

What Happened With Sister Wives Stars Kody Brown and Christine?

Christine confirmed in November 2021 that her marriage to Kody is over, announcing the news on her Instagram.

Posting a statement on her page, Christine wrote: "After more than 25 years together, Kody and I have grown apart and I have made the difficult decision to leave.

"We will continue to be a strong presence in each other's lives as we parent our beautiful children and support our wonderful family. At this time, we ask for your grace and kindness as we navigate through this stage within our family."

Kody then released his own statement, saying: "Christine's decision to leave comes with a great deal of sadness.

"We enjoyed many years together and I have a large amount of respect and admiration for her. Although we are moving forward on different paths, we will always remain committed parents."

The confirmation of the split may not have come as a huge surprise to Sister Wives viewers as Season 16 showed the strain that the COVID-19 pandemic was having on Christine and Kody's relationship.

Kody's strict guidelines for his spouses caused tension between them after he asked his wives to only spend time in their immediate households while he was allowed to travel between the different family abodes.

Christine also revealed on the show that Kody no longer wanted an "intimate relationship" with her.

"He said, 'I'm not interested in having an intimate marriage anymore,'" Christine explained on Sister Wives. "I'm not OK staying in a marriage where there's no intimacy."

Ahead of Season 17 of the TLC show, Christine also opened up about Kody not traveling with their daughter Ysabel when she had to undergo surgery.

The star told People magazine in August that Ysabel, now 19, had to travel to New Jersey in September 2020 to have corrective surgery for her scoliosis.

Kody did not travel with Christine and Ysabel as he did not want to travel during the pandemic.

"I was there with Ysabel the whole time in New Jersey for the surgery. And I remember them pointing out, like, 'Are you here alone? Where's your husband?'" Christine said.

She continued: "I'm like, 'Oh, he's not here.' And they're like, 'Whoa, isn't that hard?' And I'm like, 'No, it's hard for her.' It's hard for Ysabel, but it's not hard for me. It was a good wake-up call. In the end I would've preferred to have him there, of course, because it's what Ysabel needed. But I didn't need him anymore."

Sister Wives is set to return to TLC for Season 17 on Sunday at 9 p.m. ET.