Sister Wives Teases Christine and Kody Brown's Split as Season 17 Premiere Date Is Announced

The season 17 premiere date for Sister Wives has officially dropped... literally.

PEOPLE can exclusively announce that season 17 of Sister Wives will premiere Sept. 11 on TLC.

The teaser reveals the date of the show's premiere right after the fourth ring on the 'I' in "Wives" falls off, hinting that Christine Brown's split with Kody Brown will be addressed on the new episodes.

In last season's finale, Christine had decided to leave Kody after 25 years together, citing a lack of intimacy as the reason for separation.

"It's over. The intimate part of our marriage is over," Christine, 49, said. "And to be honest, I'm not okay with that. I'm not okay with staying in a marriage where there's no intimacy. That's not a real marriage. I'm not interested in a half marriage or a partial marriage or whatever we have."

RELATED: Sister Wives Star Kody Brown Admits He Questions Polygamy 'All the Time': 'It's a Challenge'

Kody, 53, opened up in the one-on-one reunion special about how he was "still in a grieving process" after breaking things off with Christine, saying he didn't realize she had doubts about their marriage.

"I didn't know she was going, 'Oh, I don't want to be married to Kody anymore,'" he explained. "I mean, I had heard rumors from my children that she had been kind of throwing things around and even other wives saying, 'Oh she's always threatened that she was going to leave.' And I'm like, 'Why am I in the dark here?'"

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Some fans have speculated that Meri Brown may be the next to divorce Kody — who is also in a plural marriage with Janelle Brown and Robyn Brown — based on the couple's comments about no longer having a romantic relationship.

In an April 2021 episode of Sister Wives, Kody said he and Meri are no longer "in love," which means they have no intimate relationship.

"She wants to be loved romantically — then there has to be a spark for that. And then she'll get from that, she will receive romance, love and a full marriage and sexual relationship," he said in a confessional.

RELATED: Sister Wives: Kody Brown Says 'There Has to Be a Spark' for Meri to Get a 'Sexual Relationship'

Meri, who married Kody in 1990, insisted she isn't going anywhere, despite the disconnect with Kody. "It just kind of came down to that we're friends, which I guess is a good thing. It's a good thing," she said of her relationship with Kody in a December episode of the show. "But I don't know, I guess I just kind of have hope for more than that."

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She added, "If I quit and I walk away, then it's not going to get better. I'm not going anywhere, y'all. You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not."

Season 17 of Sister Wives premieres Sept. 11 at 10 p.m. ET on TLC.