Nearly three years after ending their marriage, Christine Brown is suing her ex-husband, Kody Brown.
Christine, 52, filed a lawsuit against Kody, 55, on Monday, September 16, asking for the custody of their 14-year-old daughter, Truely. According to court documents obtained by In Touch, Christine is looking to establish the paternity of their youngest child as Kody’s name is not featured on Truely’s birth certificate.
In addition to seeking custody, Christine reportedly asked the court for child support and a domestic relations injunction, which would prevent the two from engaging in domestic violence or harassment and making decisions regarding their children without the other’s approval.
Kody was already wed to Meri Brown and Janelle Brown by the time he and Christine got spiritually married (meaning their marriage was recognized by their church and not the state) in 1994. They went on to welcome six kids together — Aspyn, 29, Mykelti, 28, Paedon, 26., Gwendlyn, 22, Ysabel, 21, and Truely.
Their polygamist family — which also includes Kody’s fourth wife, Robyn Brown — has been documented for 19 seasons on TLC’s Sister Wives since 2010. Christine revealed via Instagram in November 2021 that she and Kody had parted ways after more than 25 years of marriage.
“We will continue to be a strong presence in each other’s lives as we parent our beautiful children and support our wonderful family,” she wrote at the time. “At this time, we ask for your grace and kindness as we navigate through this stage within our family.”
Kody confirmed the split in an Instagram post of his own, writing, “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.”
Following the split, Truely moved with Christine from Arizona, where Kody and the rest of the family live, to Utah. Christine said that the decision was made to “preserve Truley’s relationship with Kody” during an October 2023 episode of Sister Wives.
“I took their relationship while it was still good and I picked it up and I moved it,” she stated. “And then whenever we come back into town, I just pick it up again and I move it back.”
Kody, however, disagreed with his ex’s decision. “For Christine to think that she’s saving my relationship with Truely by taking her away from me and just ‘preserving’ it — that’s such B.S. rationalization,” he said in a confessional, calling their move “ridiculous.”
Christine has since found new love with her second husband, David Woolley, who she married after less than one year of dating in October 2023. The following month, Christine exclusively told Us Weekly that Kody reached out to her before she walked down the aisle.
“Kody texted me on Valentine’s Day and he said, ‘I’m just wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day to you and David. It’s wonderful that you found your soulmate,’” she shared in November 2023. “I just said, ‘You know what? I hope that you and Robyn have a wonderful day. You deserve to have a fantastic day too.’” (Kody remains married to Robyn, 45, after parting ways with Meri, 53, and Janelle, 55.)
Noting that Kody and David had “met each other in person a couple of times,” Christine told Us that she wasn’t worried about her ex and husband getting along. “I feel like it’s going to be OK because we’re all adults and we’re all responsible,” she explained. “We’re all people that have raised our kids together. So, it’s going to be [OK] because it needs to be.”
