The Brown family made polygamy work by having only one legal marriage at a time. For instance, Kody and Meri Brown were legally married and decided to divorce in 2014 solely so Kody could marry Robyn and legally adopt her children from an earlier relationship, per Distractify. All of his other relationships — with wives Meri, Janelle, and Christine — were considered spiritual marriages. While this worked for the Brown family, they came under legal scrutiny the day after their TLC show "Sister Wives" premiered in 2010. They were situated in Lehi, Utah, and police began investigating them immediately, In Touch noted. Polygamy was considered a third-degree felony in Utah, KSL News stated. It's worth mentioning, too, that while Kody was only legally married to one woman, the state of Utah considered cohabitation a form of marriage.
Polygamy was outlawed in Utah so, in 2011, Kody challenged the criminalization of polygamy in Brown v. Buhman. "We only wish to live our private lives according to our beliefs," Kody said in a statement, per In Touch. "While we understand that this may be a long struggle in court, it has already been a long struggle for my family and other plural families to end the stereotypes and unfair treatment given consensual polygamy." The Browns saw success in 2013, per The New York Times, as part of the polygamy law was struck down in Utah.
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