'Sister Wives' Stars Investigated; Felony Charges Possible
Sept. 28, 2010— -- The polygamist family featured on TLC's "Sister Wives" is now being investigated for a possible charge of bigamy, a third-degree felony in Utah.
Police in Lehi, Utah said Monday that TLC's announcement of the show sparked the inquiry, and they have been checking on salesman Kody Brown and his four wives -- Meri, Christine, Janelle and Robyn -- before the show's premiere on Sunday, People.com reported.
The Browns recently sat down with ABC News' Dan Harris on "Nightline" for an intimate look inside the family's home and their lives as polygamists before the "Sister Wives" premiere.
When Harris asked the patriarch and his wives about the possibility that their controversial lifestyle might get them into legal trouble now that they've gone public, Brown admitted that the family had weighed that and all five agreed it was a risk.
"But what we'd rather say is, 'raising children in a closed society could cause a lot more damage than any kind of legal process,'" Brown's third wife, Christine, said.
"I would want my children to grow up and say, 'he's my dad, and this is my family," Robyn, the newest wife, chimed in.
Brown has 13 children and three stepchildren from his four marriages. Wives Meri, Christine and Janelle all live in the family's big house with their kids. Robyn lives in a smaller house nearby.
"We aren't saying this is for everybody," Brown's second wife, Janelle, said. "We don't even recommend it for anybody who's not interested."
Many Americans have seen polygamists portrayed as secret societies, with wives wearing prairie dresses, young girls being abused and church leaders, such as Warren Jeffs, standing trial.
The Brown family said they hope to reverse that negative view through their upcoming series.
"We have so many stereotypes and so much bad media about this lifestyle," Robyn said. "There's not abuse in our home … we don't have under-aged brides. We don't have all the other things that are actually very wrong and our children are happy."
Kody said he has been with his wives for 16 years and his unusual family grew out of love and his relationships are all based on his Mormon faith.
