Christine Brown Says Kody Brown 'Doesn't Know' Their Kids After Years of 'Missing Out'

TLC Christine Brown and Kody Brown

Christine Brown is opening up about why her kids were a big part of her decision to move on from ex Kody Brown.

In an appearance on Friday's episode of the podcast Reality Life with Kate Casey, the Sister Wives star opened up about how she was impacted when seeing her children — 12-year-old Truely, 19-year-old Ysabel, Gwendlyn, 21, Paedon, 24, Mykelti, 26, and 27-year-old Aspyn — disappointed by their dad.

"It was like a vicious cycle all the time. Because for years, I'd say you know, your dad loves you. He loves you, he wanted to spend time with you," Christine recalled. "I would tell my kids that all the time — that he's going to come over, we're going to have a great time, blah, blah, blah. And after a while, they just stopped believing me."

"And I saw it in their eyes that they didn't really, they didn't really feel like they had a great connection with him," she said. It also hurt their six children to see "what he was like with other kids and how he was amazing, and he wasn't with them."

"They were awkward around him and nervous. And it's tough because all I want for my kids is to have a great relationship with their dad, are you kidding me?" Christine said. "I don't wanna raise my kids with daddy issues. That's super, super sad."

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Christine brown/Instagram Christine Brown's kids

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As Kody wasn't available to the kids, Christine, 50, said she feels that he "was just missing out on some seriously wicked, awesome kids, and missing out on knowing them."

"Because they're phenomenal people. They're amazing and delightful. And he just doesn't know them," she explained. "It's sad for him too. So it's frustrating all around."

Reflecting on her decision to end of their 26-year spiritual marriage and relocate to Utah, Christine said, "You can only sit and wish for so long, you actually have to start making the steps necessary to change that dialogue to change that situation."

Christine Brown/Instagram

"And I was just done wishing because it wasn't changing anything," she noted. "If he'd been an awesome dad, I'd still be there. Absolutely. If he was an awesome dad to my kids, if they knew he loved them, if he wanted to spend time with them, I'd stay. He just wasn't there."

Christine announced her separation from Kody, 53, in November 2021, but the Brown family patriarch has remained in a plural marriage with Janelle Brown as well as first wife Meri Brown and fourth wife Robyn Brown. However, his bond with Meri, 51, is more of a platonic friendship.

Though Christine is no longer an official part of the Sister Wives family, she's maintained a close bond with Janelle and her children. Even Christine's kids are keeping close with the family — including Kody's other wives.