Sister Wives Take Their Big Love to the Silver State

Kody Brown and his four-wife, 21-strong brood leave Utah for the less judgmental pastures of Nevada after they're cleared in bigamy investigation

By Gina Serpe, Whitney English Jan 18, 2011 9:57 PMTags
Sister WivesTLC

Remember the Brown family?

Sure you do—the Oprah-guesting, wife-collecting, free-loving, reality show-documenting, adamantly law-abiding, 21-strong Utah clan? You know, the ones who put the "more" in Mormon?

Well, guess what? The Sister Wives are on the run move!

An attorney for patriarch Kody Brown and his family confirms that the ever-growing nuclear unit has said their final goodbyes to Utah and have headed to a state that tends to be much more accepting of otherwise odd domestic setups.

"The Browns have indeed moved to Nevada," Jonathan Turley told E! News.

Why?

Well, more opportunities, for one. And then there was the little matter of their sudden freedom to leave the state after officials determined their polygamous family wasn't actually breaking any laws.

"There were no pending charges against them in Utah," Turley said. "The prosecutors in Utah showed commendable discretion and judgment in the case.

"In the past, state officials have made it clear to polygamous families in Utah that they would not proceed against them absent evidence of some collateral crime such as child abuse. No such crimes were found in the Brown family after an extensive field investigation."

Lehi police began an investigation into charges of bigamy last summer when Sister Wives began airing on TLC. The act is punishable by up to five years in prison. But now that the family has been cleared of any illegalities, it's time to dust of those resumes!

There's no word on what brought them to Nevada, but Kody works in advertising. Sister Wife Meri Brown, meanwhile, is unemployed after losing her job in the mental health industry after the family went public with their taboo lifestyle.

"The family is pursuing new opportunities in Nevada," Turley said. "I see no legal reason why their family cannot live and continue to thrive in Nevada as they have in Utah. They have highly successful children who have been raised in a loving household.

"Since they have not sought recognition of any plural marriage and have not been charged with any crime, there is no legal impediment to their relocation to Nevada or other states."

And reality show lovers will be happy to know that there's also no impediment to their continued small-screen infamy. Shooting has already been completed on the first 10 episodes of the second season—which begin airing in March—with production well underway for the second 10, which will air sometime later in the year.