'Sister Wives' Family on Bigamy Investigation: 'Risk Worth Taking'

By Zach Dionne Posted Sep 28th 2010 03:26PM

'Sister Wives' Family Investigated for Felony Bigamy

The stars of TLC's new reality show 'Sister Wives' are the subject of an investigation by police in Lehi, Utah. The series features salesman Kody Brown, his four wives and their 13 children and stepchildren.

In response to the investigation, the Brown family issued the following statement to PopEater: "We are disappointed in the announcement of an investigation, but when we decided to do this show, we knew there would be risks. But for the sake of our family, and most importantly, our kids, we felt it was a risk worth taking."

Police told PEOPLE Monday they were looking into the family's situation before the show's Sunday premiere, and confirmed that publicity surrounding the series prompted the legal curiosity.

"At the conclusion of the investigation, the evidence will be forwarded to the Utah County Attorney's Office for review and possible prosecution," Lt. Darren Paul said.

According to PEOPLE, bigamy is classified as a third-degree felony in Utah but isn't often investigated.

See a clip from 'Sister Wives':

The family is content with their lifestyle, nontraditional -- and legally punishable -- as it may be. "If we raise productive, contributing members of society who are moral and ethical, that's our final goal, whatever their path is," says Janelle Brown, 40, who has six children with Kody.

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Comments

(235)

Tuesday 28 September

By Donna

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Wow Joel good question. Because maybe woman like themsleves better than men do. They have better morals than men. Just saying. But the woman on this show are nothing more than pathetic.

By sbj

Simple biology. One husband can knock up all 4 wives and everyone will know who the father and mothers are. But only 1 out of 4 husbands can knock up 1 wife and no one would know who the father was without some very bizarre living arrangements.

* This is not meant to be a plug for bigamy.

By Sandy

Reply to Joel: “Funny, you never hear of the opposite in Utah--one woman with several husbands. Why is that?” The reason is that women are smarter than that!! Believe me…one husband is MORE than enough!

By Laura

Auntie Mimi, Thank you for the laugh, and I couldn't agree with you more. Good grief, sometimes one is too many. And, while I certainly do not agree to this life style, I've always said it would be nice to have a wife to help out around the house. My guy sure doesn't know how.

By Cam

Lexxoni: They refer to themselves a sister wives, but I don't believe that they're actually sisters. I had a college friend from Utah who came from a Mormon family where there were sister wives and they were not actually sisters. They refer to themselves as sister wives in the same way that people of some religions refer to each other as "brother" and "sister" even though they are not technically brother and sister because they are brothers and sisters through the Lord just as these wives consider themselves sisters through their marriage.

By assbellriprock

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I think it's about accelerating procreation.If one man knocks up 4 women then 9 months later you have 4 children.If 4 men go after 1 woman 9 months later you have only 1 child.(providing no twins or more happens).As a side note if your against poligamy shouldn't gay marriage also be inapropriate?

By Carole

Agree with you 100%

By LORI

BECAUSE MEN ARE SMARTER THEY WOULD NOT LOWER THEMSELVES TO BE USED LIKE THESE STUPID WOMEN!!!!

By tlm

he said on the show several times love is to be shared not limited but the women can't share their love with other men. He wasn't raised in the faith, he converted. Wake up women he is using you.

By Heather

Absolutely!!!! AMEN! Women that fall for this crap will fall for anything. Insane isn't it?!

By Lou

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I really don't see how it is anyone's business the way people live their lives! They aren't hurting anyone. The kids seem well adjusted. They work and make money to support their family.
And yes, I know that it's against the law..but I am just asking why?

By LindaDe

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How does the law read about this? It sounds like they are not all "legally" married so how is it that they are breaking the law?

Then they shouldn't be paid to parade it on TLC. Especially knowing their children and "marriages" fall under a microscope. Maybe they needed extra money to keep their "pimp" to only 4 women instead of more?! Who really knows or understands "crazy"?

By Patricia Bondoc

I don't understand how he can afford all those children, are they all on welfare????? if so WHY? and how can the welfare department
not know what is going on here and stop sending them the money they must need to raise all those kids, from what I understand all of them in this setting are on welfare and we are all paying for them to live in this ungodly way

By ravenwytche26

@lexxoni: They are not biological sisters. Sister wife is a term used in polygamist relationships to describe the sister like relationship between the women. I say if it's between consenting adults, the family can afford the children and the children are not being neglected or abused then they should be left alone.

See... I don't understand how this is illegal. They are not related by blood and only one set of adults is legally married. And nooone has mentioned anything about neglect or abuse of the children

By Melanie

This is a sticky situation. On the one hand, live and let live. On the other, God condemns this action. I go with God!

By Carl D.

I'm going to go with the invisable man that lives in the sky. That is a good choice!

By Alookatitall

God blessed Job with many wives...
Solomon had 1,000...well, 700 wives and 300 concubines...
David, Abraham, and Jacob married more than one wife...
doesn't sound like God is against it.
He is, though, against unmarried people having casual sex, one night stands, "friends with benefits", etc.

By lorrdwolf

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Um, no it is not. It is against Christianity. Judaism, Islam, and Mormonism, whatever you think of those religions, allow it. Laws against polygamy are entirely CHRISTIAN in nature and, as such, are probably unconstitutional. Polygamy is not for me but restricting marriage in this fashion clearly violates some peoples religious tenents (sp?) with no clear societal benefit.

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